Language
The language of “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes reflects both the epistolary style, as the whole narrative is written in the form of journal entries, and also the changes in the main character, Charlie Gordon. Initially, the entries are full of spelling errors and simple words: “I told him I pretend a fowntan pen with ink leeking all over a table cloth. Then he got up and went out. I dont think I passd the raw shok test.”
As Charlie becomes more intelligent, the choice of words also shifts, with more complex grammatically correct structures: “Under separate cover I am sending you a copy of my report entitled, "The Algernon-Gordon Effect: A Study of Structure and Function of Increased Intelligence," which I would like to have you read and have published.”
Although the story takes the form of journal entries, some dialogue is also conveyed, as well as the letter to Dr. Strauss, the author mixing various writing styles.
Apart from these general aspects, you will also notice that language is constructed using a few narrative techniques which we outline below:
- Imagery
- Similes
- Rhetorical questions
- Symbols
Similes
Similes and comparisons abound in the text, but like with the language, most of them are simple, showing the narrator’s simple-mindedness. Here are a few examples we have extracted from the story:
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Symbols
A number of symbols are employed in the short story, with the most important one being the symbolical character of Algernon.
Algernon is the white mouse which has had a surgical operation to increase his intelligence, before the narrator.
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