Review Flowers for Algernon

By Daniel Keyes

1. Why does Charlie have so much sympathy for Algernon?

A. He remembers how it felt to be unintelligent

B. Algernon must live in a cage and he feels caged

C. Algernon had the operation and he did too

D. Algernon must pass a test to eat and Charlie thinks that is unfair

D. Algernon must pass a test to eat and Charlie thinks that is unfair

2. Why is Dr. Nemur uncomfortable around Charlie after the operation?

A. Dr. Nemur realizes that the operation will ultimately kill Charlie

B. Dr. Nemur is trying to falsify the research findings

C. Dr. Nemur fears that Charlie will become violent

D. Dr. Nemur feels inferior to Charlie

D. Dr. Nemur feels inferior to Charlie

3. When Charlie remembers his parents, particularly his father, how is this paralleled to his situation now?

A. his father was a lot like Miss Kinian

B. he didn’t want to believe the truth about his father or his situation

C. his parents fought a lot like the doctors fight a lot

D. Mrs. Flynn reminds Charlie of his mother

 

B. he didn’t want to believe the truth about his father or his situation

4. As Charlie starts to decline, what happens that exemplify his deterioration?

A. he starts to lose his memory

B. he starts to stumble and have balance problems

C. reading becomes difficult

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

5. When the doctor comes to the boarding house (Mrs. Flynn’s) to check on Charlie, why does Charlie get angry and order him out?

A. he wants to put Charlie in the hospital

B. he reminds Charlie that his health is deteriorating

C. he reminds Charlie of the way people used to treat him and humiliate him

D. he wants to use Charlie as an experiment for a new type of medication

C. he reminds Charlie of the way people used to treat him and humiliate him

6. What does the “Algernon-Gordon Effect’” prove?

A. Whatever happens to research mice will happen to humans

B. The increase of intelligence will result in the same decrease of intelligence

C. The part of the brain that affects intelligence dies very quickly after an operation

D. All of the above

B. The increase of intelligence will result in the same decrease of intelligence

7. When Charlie dances with Ellen, what epiphany (moment of understanding) does he have?

A. He is attracted to her

B. He finds her simple-minded and unintelligent

C. His friends do things to make fun of him

D. His friends are jealous of his new intelligence

C. His friends do things to make fun of him

8. Why does Charlie want to have this operation?

A. he is tired of people making fun of him

B. because he wants to be smart

C. because he wants to have people like him

D. he thinks if he is smart that he can get a better job

Two possible answers: B. because he wants to be smart (“I want to

be smart.”

C. because he wants to have people like him (“Even a feeble minded man wants to be like other men.”)

9. Charlie decides to commit himself to do research on increasing intelligence; what does this indicate about his character?

A. He wants to find a cure for the genetic problem which causes retardation

B. He wants to write legislative amendments protecting the rights of the mentally handicapped

C. He wants to help others who are born with the same impairments as he has

D. He wants to write a book based on his daily progress reports so that people will understand his circumstances

C. He wants to help others who are born with the same impairments as he has

10. What is the greatest difference between Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss?

A. Dr. Strauss believes Charlie is not a good choice for the operation

B. Dr. Nemur wants to have his findings published

C. Dr. Nemur is not as intelligent as Dr. Strauss

D. All of the above

B. Dr. Nemur wants to have his findings published

(Dr. Nemur wants to share the results while Dr. Strauss wants to wait and see what the long term results will be before reporting the operation as a success. Dr. Strauss is concerned about Charlie as a person. Dr. Nemur doesn’t see Charlie as a person, but rather as an experiment.)

11. What is the tragedy (bitter sadness) of Charlie’s final letter to Miss Kinnian?

A. he is mean to her and she was always nice to him

B. he blames her for introducing him to the idea of the operation

C. he believes that he didn’t stay smart because he didn’t try hard enough

D. he wishes that he had never had the operation

C. he believes that he didn’t stay smart because he didn’t try hard enough

12. What is the first sign that something is “wrong” with Algernon?

A. he bites Charlie

B. he quits eating

C. He is unable to complete the maze

D. He refuses to come out of his cage

A. he bites Charlie

13. When Charlie is invited to a “party” with his “friends,” he…

A. is tricked into getting drunk

B. made fun of by his co-workers

C. left at a restaurant to find his way home

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

14. How old is Charlie?

A. 17

B. 27

C. 37

D. 47

C. 37

15. In his final letter, Charlie asks for someone to put flowers on Algernon’s grave; why is this important?

A. it shows that Charlie has become obsessed with Algernon

B. Charlie will also die soon, like Algernon, and he wants to be remembered

C. Charlie doesn’t want such an important mouse to be forgotten

D. Charlie is afraid that Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur will try to take credit for his research

B. Charlie will also die soon, like Algernon, and he wants to be remembered

16.Why is it so painful for Charlie to see Miss Kinnian when she comes to visit him at the boarding house one last time?

A. He doesn’t want her to see him this way

B. He thinks she is visiting him out of pity

C. He thinks Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss sent her to see him

D. He thinks she is visiting him so that she can make fun of him

A. He doesn’t want her to see him this way

17. Why does Charlie bury Algernon in a cheese box?

A. So Algernon would never have to work to be able to eat again

B. He knew Algernon loved cheese and Charlie loved Algernon

C. The cheese box was the perfect size for Algernon

D. None of the above

B. He knew Algernon loved cheese and Charlie loved Algernon

18. As Charlie gains intelligence, all of the following EXCEPT ___ happen to him.

A. He beats Algernon at the maze

B. His spelling improves

C. He begins teaching researchers mathematical concepts

D. He learns several languages

C. He begins teaching researchers mathematical concepts

19. When Charlie returns to the factory because he needs money, what is the irony of how his co-workers treat him?

A. they make fun of him for being dumb again because he was once smart

B. they are protective of him for the way they used to treat him

C. they play mean tricks on him they way they did before he was intelligent

D. they try to do his work for him because they feel sorry for him

B. they are protective of him for the way they used to treat him

20. What truly motivates Mr. Donnigan’s decision to fire Charlie?

A. He misses too much work to go to the laboratory

B. His coworkers are afraid of him because of his new intelligence

C. He fears that he will be forced to pay Charlie a higher salary

D. All of the above

B. His coworkers are afraid of him because of his new intelligence

21. When Charlie sees Miss Kinian after the operation, what is different about their relationship?

A. He is attracted to her

B. He sees her as younger

C. His intelligence is equal to or greater than hers

D. All of the above

A. He is attracted to her

22. Why is Charlie “afraid” of the Rorschach test?

A. he is afraid of failing it

B. he has not done well on tests in school

C. he is afraid he will not be chosen for the operation

D. all of the above

D. all of the above

23. Why does Miss Kinnian cry and leave the room when Charlie returns to night school by mistake?

A. she is heartbroken at what has happened to him

B. she is embarrassed that he has returned to school

C. she has fallen in love with him

D. none of the above

A. she is heartbroken at what has happened to him

24. Other than his role in the research, what is Algernon’s purpose in the story?

A. his example of the natural intelligence of mice

B. he serves as a reminder of the unethical treatment of laboratory animals

C. he serves as an analogy to foreshadow Charlie’s future

D. all of the above

C. he serves as an analogy to foreshadow Charlie’s future

25. What makes Charlie an acceptable candidate for the operation?

A. He is mentally handicapped

B. He is motivated

C. He wants to learn

D. All of the above

D. All of the above

26. Throughout the story, Charlie’s foremost motivation is (his greatest desire)?

A. To be more intelligent

B. To be liked and accepted

C. To have the operation

D. None of the above

B. To be liked and accepted

B is the best answer. Charlie wants to be “smart” like everyone else, because then people won’t make fun of him for being different.

A. To be more intelligent would also be accepted as an answer because Charlie begins the story by saying he wants to be smart.

27. What is Charlie’s IQ before the operation?

A. 68

B. 108

C. 118

D. none of the above

A. 68

28. The most static of all the characters in the story is…?

A. Miss Kinnian

B. Dr. Nemur

C. Frank Reilly

D. Mr. Donnigan

A. Miss Kinnian

Static characters stay the same. Miss Kinnian is always interested in Charlie’s best interests throughout the story.

Quote #1

Charlie writes, “ Failure of a theory was as important to the learning as a success would be.”

The operation appears to be successful as Charlie becomes intelligent, yet the results are not permanent. Charlie thinks that becoming intelligent will solve his problems and create the perfect life. In reality, the operation makes him too intelligent and he is still isolated from his friends. The doctors learn the negative effects of the operation as Charlie learns the negative effects of his intelligence.

Quote #2

Fanny Girdin (his co-worker) says, “It was evil when Eve listened to the snake and ate from the tree of knowledge.”

Fanny is using a Biblical analogy. Just as Adam and Eve believed that knowledge would give them a perfect life, Charlie thought being intelligent would make him fit in. Instead, Charlie’s surgery makes him too smart (“evil”) and the average person doesn’t feel comfortable talking to him. Charlie hoped for the best, the surgery is not giving him the results he had hoped for.

Quote #3

Charlie says, “Even a feeble minded man wants to be like other men. A child may not know how to feed itself, or what to eat, yet it knows of hunger.”

Charlie starts the story by saying, “I want to be smart.” He doesn’t want to be smart so people will say he is smart. Charlie wants to be smart so he will fit into the crowd and not be singled out for being different. He compares his situation of not fitting in to a child not being able to say he/she is hungry, but they know the feeling of hunger. Charlie doesn’t understand why people make fun of him, but he knows he feels sad when they do it.

Study!

Look over this review sheet for the test tomorrow! Good luck!