In the book "Flowers for Algernon" a mouse and a man have certain parts of their brain changed so that the man will gain cells from the mouse and the mouse will gain cells from the man. The result is that the man, who is mentally retarded, and the mouse, which is intelligent begin to undergo changes.
The changes begin gradually. Charlie finds he is able to understand things he could not before. He becomes able to read and perform math. He can carry on an intellectual conversation. Algernon, the mouse, becomes clumsy and can not find his way to the food. He loses his keen sense of intelligence and becomes to think like Charlie had before.
As the story progresses Charlie begins to identify that he is slowly losing the intelligence that he had gained. He is turning slowly back into the person that he once was. His brain is reverting back to being mentally challenged. Algernon dies and Charlie places flowers on his grave.
The journal that Charlie keeps is quite extensive and I could not list all the words. However, the journal serves as written documentation that demonstrates Charlie's decline.
"July 14
Its sunday again. I dont have anything to do to keep me busy now because my television set is broke and I dont have any money to get it fixed. (I think I lost this months check from the lab. I dont remember)"
"I wish I had it rite now if I did I would sit down and reed all the time. Anyway I bet Im the first dumb person in the world who ever found out something importent for sience. I remember I did something but I dont remember what. So I gess its like I did it for all the dumb pepul like me.
Good-by Miss Kinnian and Dr Strauss and evreybody. And P.S. please tell Dr Nemur not to be such a grouch when pepul laff at him and he would have more frends. Its easy to make frends if you let pepul laff at you. Im going to have lots of frends where I go."
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