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Transcript

Flowers For Algernon Plot Diagram

The Conclusion

By Simon Sundberg

Charlie writes one final progress report. He says he is moving away, but doesn't say where. Charlie speaks of how he is bringing books to use to become smart again, even if he can't read. He writes his goodbyes to everyone and then makes one final request: for flowers to be put on Algernon's grave.

What rising action is

Rising Action (cont.)

Rising action are details of a story that slowly build it to its climax, or the height of excitement/action. Sections like lighting the Beacons of Gondor in Lord of the Rings, or find the dead unicorn in the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter would be considered rising action, for they are not the climax, but they are essential in bringing the story to its final destination.

What a Conclusion Is

Charlie continues to take tests and races against Algernon (who still beats him). Charlie's spelling is noticeably better. Days later, Charlie goes to his job at a factory, and, although he isn't aware of it, everyone there makes fun of him. His friends at the factory, Frank Reilly and Joe Carp, take him to get some "coffee" after work. After they do, Charlie is found by a policeman passed out in an alley who escorts him home. A few days later Charlie finally beats Algernon in a race. Charlie discovers a lot about Algernon, but one thing sticks out in his mind: Algernon must solve a test or puzzle to get his food which to Charlie seems to find very wrong and inhumane. Charlie is also looking up words in the dictionary now. The next day, Charlie's teacher from his old school for slow adults, Miss Kinnian comes to the lab to teach Charlie. She tells him that they are going to be reading a book called Robinson Crusoe. Charlie finds the book sad because the man in the story in is all alone with no friends.

The exposition

In the exposition of Flowers for Algernon, we learn that our main character is a man named Charlie Gordon. He appears to be mentally impaired, and talks about two other characters, Dr.Strauss and Miss Kinian. Charlie also appears to be a possible candidate for a project to make people smarter. The location of the story is not revealed, but it appears to be a lab somewhere. Time and date are not given either, but we are told Charlie is 37 years old, and two weeks ago was his birthday.

A conclusion is the very end of a story, in which the problem of the story is resolved, the characters have claimed victory, or are defeated. Examples include the capture of King Arthur by Scotland Yard in Monty Python's Quest For the Holy Grail, or the world freezing over in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. These are the conclusions to their respective stories.

Falling action

Rising Action (Cont. 2)

Throughout the final portion of the story, Charlie is continually losing knowledge he once had. He can no longer read foreign languages, or comprehend math or music. He soon loses his spelling, but he can remember being smart. Now that he is no longer intelligent, he is allowed to return to his job at the factory. Frank Reilly and Joe Carp, who used to torment Charlie without him knowing, are now very sympathetic. They tell Charlie if anyone gives him trouble, to tell them. Finally, Charlie goes to Miss Kinnian's class, which he quit after the experiment. She cries at seeing Charlie, as she has been told by scientists at the lab about the Algernon-Gordon Effect, and knows what is happening to him. Charlie, in his mentally repressed state, doesn't understand why she is crying, but believes it's his fault. He leaves so she will stop crying.

What an exposition is

Charlie and Miss Kinnian finish Robinson Crusoe. Charlie claims to have have enjoyed the book, but he when asks her what happens to to the man after the book ends, Miss Kinnian tells him that nothing happens to the man. This upsets Charlie for he knows that can't be the truth. However, he quickly gets over those thoughts and learns about punctuation. While writing about his adventures with learning punctuation, we learn Charlie only feeds and plays with Algernon now, no longer racing with him. Finally, Charlie goes out with his friends from work again. They go to a party, and for amusement, they spike his drink. After, Charlie refuses to go to work for the next couple of days and chooses to read and learn instead. Charlie goes to the lab and takes the Rorschach test again. He realizes that the man giving the test is using different words than he did last time, and was trying to trick him when he had an IQ of 68. This angers Charlie very much. The next day at the factory, Charlie figures out a way to save his boss $10000 a year and increase production. For this, he receives only a $25 bonus. Charlie asks Joe Carp and Frank Reilly to lunch, but they both say no. Charlie realizes then that everyone at his job is afraid of him.

The exposition is generally at the beginning of a story. It gives basic information on characters, location, etc, in a basic who, what, when, where style of format.

Rising Action

The rising action of Flowers for Algernon begins when Charlie must take many tests, like a Rorschach for example, and fails them all. Charlie is then taken to meet a mouse called Algernon, and races against him using small model mazes. Algernon wins every time. Charlie asks how Algernon did it, and is told Algernon had the same surgery to improve intelligence that Charlie will eventually receive. Charlie learns he is the choice for the experiment and must write progress reports about the important things that happen to him. He is very excited and nervous about the surgery. Charlie's intellect is increased, but he doesn't feel any smarter.

What Falling Action Is

Falling action is the part of a story after the climax in which the story is "cooling down." For example, Sam and Frodo laying and talking on the side of Mount Doom after destroying the one ring, or the kids returning to Camp Halfblood in Percy Jackson are both falling action.

What the Climax Is

Rising Action (Cont. 3 )

The climax of a story is the very height of excitement or emotion in a story or plot. The destruction of the Death Star in Star Wars, or the fight on the cornucopia in The Hunger Games would be good examples of a climax.

The Climax

Charlie's research show that his increased intelligence is only temporary. It will eventually fade, as will the rest of his mental faculties, until he is dead. After realizing this, Charlie goes into a depressive state, reminiscent of Algernon in his last days of life.

Charlie realizes Miss Kinnian is rather attractive, and close to his age (she's 34). He asks her out on a date. They have a good time, but Miss Kinnian keeps talking about how she hopes telling Charlie about the experiment wasn't the wrong thing to do. Charlie finds that he's in love with Miss Kinnian. The next day at the factory, Charlie is forced to quit. His fellow employees are afraid of how smart he has become and petitioned for him to be fired. The only person didn't sign the petition was Fanny Girden. Girden thinks Charlie is a nice guy, but misses "the Old Charlie." This outrages Charlie, who just wants to learn and have a better understanding of the world around him. Charlie now begins to notice how people he once looked up or saw as a "genius" are very flawed and weak in intellect compared to him. He goes on a second date with Miss Kinnian a few days later, and tries to avoid all intellectual conversation. He can't. Charlie seems to be unable to truly communicate with her, and feels even more isolated. Charlie goes to a restaurant for lunch, and notices a boy working there keeps dropping plates and dishes. and everyone makes fun of him. When Charlie finds the boy is mentally impaired, he explodes with rage. Charlie yells at the customers to stop laughing, telling them he is a human being too. Charlie later realizes that the boy in the shop used to be him at the factory.

Rising Action (cont. 4)

In the next couple of days, Algernon misbehaves very much. He bites Charlie and refuses to open the puzzles to get his food. The scientists in the lab assume this same outcome will happen to Charlie. Charlie is given his own lab, for the scientists fear him now as well. He does his own research and realizes what happened to Algernon will eventually happen to him. Charlie writes his final conclusion, titling it the Algernon-Gordon Effect, and sends a copy to the previous lab he worked at.

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