Flowers for Algernon
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Flowers for Algernon Book Club Questions
Isabel
Oct 21, 2023 01:15PM
1. Favorite character? Favorite scene/chapter?
2. Which character needs the most therapy?
3. How does the diary or journal entry form of the novel affect the emphasis of the narrative? Is Charlie dependable as a narrator as he progresses through his various stages? Is Charlie capable of providing insight into the other characters, or is he too preoccupied with himself?
4. One of the main aspects of the book format is that it is written in a way that depicts the evolution of Charlie’s intelligence and ability to write and spell. How do you think the book’s format (audio vs. written) impacts the message and experience of the book? Would you recommend one format over the other, particularly for a first-time read?
5. Are the doctors who operate on Charlie acting in his best interests? Do you think Charlie would have gone through with the operation if he knew what the ultimate outcome would be?
6. The question of identity surfaces in this work. Is Charlie the same person after the operation as he was before the operation? Charlie feels a sense of disconnect with his past—to what degree does our past define us as human beings?
7. What are post-operation Charlie’s feelings toward his mentally disabled self and other mentally disabled people that he interacts with? Do these change throughout the novel?
8. How are women portrayed in Flowers for Algernon? Compare Charlie's mother, Alice Kinnian, and Fay Lillman. How was their motivation different if their desire for his intelligence was the same? And how did Charlie's relationship with his mother affect his relationship with Miss Kinnian?
9. Discuss whether you believe Charlie should have undergone the surgery at all. Was he better off for having done it, despite his eventual regression?
10. Why do you think the title of the book is Flowers for Algernon?
11. Several publishers rejected Flowers for Algernon, demanding Keyes rewrite it with a happier ending, with at least one suggesting Charlie should marry Alice Killian. Do you think that would have been a satisfying conclusion to the story? How would it have affected the integrity of the story's central theme?
12. The short story version was published in 1959 and the full-length book in 1966. In what ways is the book a product of this time?
13. This is, for many of us, the second, or even third, time reading this novel. How have your perceptions or thoughts on the book changed?
2. Which character needs the most therapy?
3. How does the diary or journal entry form of the novel affect the emphasis of the narrative? Is Charlie dependable as a narrator as he progresses through his various stages? Is Charlie capable of providing insight into the other characters, or is he too preoccupied with himself?
4. One of the main aspects of the book format is that it is written in a way that depicts the evolution of Charlie’s intelligence and ability to write and spell. How do you think the book’s format (audio vs. written) impacts the message and experience of the book? Would you recommend one format over the other, particularly for a first-time read?
5. Are the doctors who operate on Charlie acting in his best interests? Do you think Charlie would have gone through with the operation if he knew what the ultimate outcome would be?
6. The question of identity surfaces in this work. Is Charlie the same person after the operation as he was before the operation? Charlie feels a sense of disconnect with his past—to what degree does our past define us as human beings?
7. What are post-operation Charlie’s feelings toward his mentally disabled self and other mentally disabled people that he interacts with? Do these change throughout the novel?
8. How are women portrayed in Flowers for Algernon? Compare Charlie's mother, Alice Kinnian, and Fay Lillman. How was their motivation different if their desire for his intelligence was the same? And how did Charlie's relationship with his mother affect his relationship with Miss Kinnian?
9. Discuss whether you believe Charlie should have undergone the surgery at all. Was he better off for having done it, despite his eventual regression?
10. Why do you think the title of the book is Flowers for Algernon?
11. Several publishers rejected Flowers for Algernon, demanding Keyes rewrite it with a happier ending, with at least one suggesting Charlie should marry Alice Killian. Do you think that would have been a satisfying conclusion to the story? How would it have affected the integrity of the story's central theme?
12. The short story version was published in 1959 and the full-length book in 1966. In what ways is the book a product of this time?
13. This is, for many of us, the second, or even third, time reading this novel. How have your perceptions or thoughts on the book changed?
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Dec 08, 2023 07:23AM · flag