classic about an experiment to make man smarter still relevant in age of cloning & other 'progress'6/11/2015 If there was an operation that would make you smarter, would you do it? Should you do it? That's one of the main questions sparked by the novel Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. Scientists, hoping to "fix" mental retardation, develop an experimental operation to alter human intelligence. Testing it first on a mouse named Algernon, whose intelligence has soared as a result, the scientists try the procedure on a mentally retarded man named Charlie Gordon. Charlie tells the story through diary entries ("progress reports") which show his progression from "moron" to a genius that surpasses that of the experts around him. It delves into the benefits of his newfound intelligence as well as the pitfalls -- such as having no one smart enough to talk to. And when original test subject Algernon starts to lose his intelligence, Charlie is forced to face the possibility that his own development may not last much longer. The book sparks a lot of thought about what makes a person -- Is it intellect? Is it compassion? Is one sufficient without the other? It also makes you think about the reach of science and medicine -- should we "play God" and try to "fix" people? Are we really aware of the consequences of the progress we claim to be making? It's hard for me to believe this book was written in 1959 -- it doesn't sound dated, and the issues are just as relevant today. Think about the cochlear implant, which can make a deaf person hear again -- some deaf people are against this because they feel being deaf is part of their identity, not something to be fixed. Think about genetic testing and cloning -- we can identify disabilities before a person is even born. Should we fix them? Will it be taken too far to the point where we're engineering babies with blue eyes and above-average height? While the book is slow-paced at times and the opening chapters, written while Charlie is mentally retarded, can be a little tricky to read, I recommend sticking with it. It's a fascinating, well written and thought-provoking book.
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AuthorMrs. McHugh is a librarian and instructional technology specialist. She loves talking books and pop culture with her students at Hanover High School. Archives
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