If Dr. Seuss wrote Flowers for Algernon, it might sound a little like this: Charlie One or Charlie Two? Is he old or is he new? In other words, figuring out who you are is hard enough without having a major brain change. Charlie has a pretty painful realization that while he wants to be smart, his old self will always be hanging around and making life complicated. And let's face it: his new self can kind of be a jerk sometimes. Charlie may have the brainpower to contemplate his newfound identity, but it's not going to be an easy task.
Questions About Identity
- In Progress Report 7, Charlie thinks about what life will be like when he's smart, and he says he'll never be lonely again (7.15). Why does Charlie equate intelligence with being fulfilled emotionally? Is he right?
- When Gimpy steals from the bakery, Charlie ponders turning him in. How does Charlie's choice determine his character?
- When Charlie is reading or working on a problem, he gets a "feeling of intense clarity" (12.115). Why does he get this feeling?
- What kind of insight does this give us to Charlie's identity?
Chew on This
Charlie figures out that his identity is always in flux—in other words, he's always changing to reflect his circumstances.
Charlie struggles with his identity because his family didn't see him as a thinking, feeling individual during childhood.