This epistolary tells the bitter-sweet story of a middle-aged man who is given a chance to become average, possibly even above average in intelligence after being mentally retarded his entire life. There were several aspects of the book that I enjoyed, such as the format in which the book was written, the conflict that was the plot of the book, as well as the foil that is created by the main character at the beginning of the book and who he turns into. I enjoyed the format in which this book was written because it not only gives the reader a visual representation of the progress that the main character makes after the operation- it also gives a depiction of his condition before the operation. The transition is fascinating. The main characters goes from knowing little to no grammar to writing a scientific theory in a matter of months. The conflict that emerges approximately half way through the book between "old" Charlie and "new" Charlie is tragic, but adds much more depth to the story. Charlie views himself as a completely different person after the operation, and tries to completely shut out the person that he once was. This gets particularly depressing when the effects of the operation begin to wear off, and he begins to regress. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, but I would warn them of an impending emotional roller-coaster.
Questions:
1. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their perdicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
The characters in this story do seem real, even though the events of the story are not yet possible. I can relate to the situation that they are in in that I have experienced failure through experiment when it seemed as though the results were promising. The scientists in the story remind me of what I expect my future to hold, in a sense. Much of what can be considered success in science is gained through trial and error, very much like what happened in this story. The experiment was a failure, but, through that failure, the scientist gained a better understanding of their study.
2. How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
This novel is centered on the metamorphosis that is experienced by the main character. He is subject to an experiment in the beginning of the story that is supposed to make him permanently more intelligent. The operation is very successful at the beginning, and continues to work until the middle of the story. At this point in time, the main character undergoes another transformation (not literally, but morally). After the success of the operation, the main character becomes cold and distances himself from the people who once cared for him when he couldn't care for himself. When he realizes that the experiment has gone wrong, he also realizes what he has done to the people that are important to him. Eventually at the end of the story, the final transformation takes place, and Charlie regresses back into his mentally retarded state.
Word Count: 486
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