1. “Flowers for Algernon”
By Daniel Keyes

2. Literary Analysis (What you need to know)
Basic plot
Subplots
Parallel Episodes
Foreshadowing
Vocabulary

3. Basic Plot Charlie discovers the Algernon-Gordon Effect
Charlie gets smarter, reads books
Charlie loses his intelligence
Charlie wants to get smart
Charlie moves away
Charlie has an operation

4. SUBPLOTS
Minor plot lines or stories that relate to the major story

5. Major Story: Charlie has an operation to get smart
Subplot #1: Charlie and Algernon
Subplot #2: Charlie and Miss Kinnian
Subplot #3: Charlie and the doctors
Subplot #4: Charlie and the factory workers

6. Charlie and Algernon Algernon bites Charlie
They race more, and Charlie finally wins
Algernon dies, and Charlie puts flowers on his grave
Algernon regresses
Charlie and Algernon have the same operation
They race the “amazed”

7. Charlie and Miss Kinnian
At dinner, Charlie realizes that he’s smarter than Miss Kinnian
Charlie gets smarter; Miss K. tutors him
Charlie loses his intelligence
Charlie is in Miss Kinnian’s class
Charlie accidently goes to her class
Charlie has an operation

8. Charlie and the doctors
Charlie takes over the doctor’s research
Charlie gets smarter, reads books
Charlie asks the doctor to publish his article
Charlie wants to be part of the experiment
Charlie becomes like he was before the operation
Charlie has an operation

9. Charlie and the factory workers
Charlie works as a janitor and has friends at work
Charlie has the operation

10. PARALLEL EPISODES Repeated elements of plot
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in.”
“Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin.”
“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow this house in!”
This exact thing happens _____ times in the story!

11. Parallel Episodes in “Flowers”
Taking the Rorschach Test
Algernon and the “amazed”
Factory workers get Charlie drunk
Any others ???

12. Foreshadowing
Clues in the story of what will happen later

13. What clues tell us that Charlie’s surgery won’t last forever?
What does Progress Report 1 say?

14. How are Algernon’s and Charlie’s futures linked?
What happens to Algernon foreshadows what may happen to Charlie.

15. What do you think becomes of Charlie after the story ends
What do you think becomes of Charlie after the story ends? Why do you think that?

16. Why is Algernon so important to Charlie?