Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Period 5
As we have been reading Flowers for Algernon, we have made many text-to-self connections in class. Think about what you know about Charlie and how things are going for him in his life. What connections can you make to his story? What advice would you give to Charlie if he were your friend? Have you learned any lessons from Charlie's "motor-vation?" Please fully explain all of your answers.
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If I were Charlie's friend, I would tell him not to let other people tell him if he is dumb or not. He should believe in himself and if he believes he is smart and is just fine of a person, he shouldn't let others tell him what kind of person he is. People are jerks and he shouldn't let people tell him who he is and how he should live his life. I should know about bullies. I was once a victim.
ReplyDeleteMany things are going on in Charlie's life I can connect with him. I once thought that someone was my best friend when I was younger. We did everything together. Then, as the years went on we drifted apart and we have not tlked for years. I only see her sometimes at school. I guess it wasn't meant to last. This is just like Charlie finding out that people he thought were his friends arn't. They just kept him around for laughs. I would give Charlie some advice. It is that you shouldn't think that just because you work with them they are your friends, you need to get to know othem before you past judgement on the matter. If they arn't good people, don't hang out with them Keep a distance from them. Only work with them if required. It will keep your feeling from getting hurt. I have learned a lesson from Charlie. I learned that if you try your best you can to anything. Charlie wanted to be smart. As the story goes on, he slowly gets smarter. He always tries his best aat night school even though he doesn't know everything. He likes to learn new things, which is good. Charlie has improved so much as this story went on. I wish I could improve that much sometimes. Therefore, those are my connections and the things I know about Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to Charlie's dilemma in a few ways. Charlie is a mentally challenged adult who sometimes finds it hard to do simple things, just like me, on occasion so I can relate to that. If I was a real friend to Charlie I would tell him to keep trying to reach his goal and never give up, as we all have challenges that we have to go through. Due to Charlie's motivation he keeps on going which is and example for everyone, if a slow person can do it, then what about us. In short as a human being I can relate to Charlie's troubles but through a different dimension
ReplyDeleteA connection that I can make to Charlie is when he first realizes that his coworkers are always looking to make fun of him because there is always at least one person in your life that ether is the person being made fun of or is making fun of that person. If I was friends with Charlie I would tell him to only consider people who are nice to him his friends because otherwise he could get hurt. I have learned that Charlie has become a very smart and that he shows that every time he writes in his progress report.
ReplyDeleteThere are several connections I can make with Charlie in the story Flowers for Algernon. For example, Charlie wants to always push himself and be the best he can be. I do the same thing. When I'm in school, I always expect high grades and I push myself to get there. Charlie is always doing everything he can to succeed. One thing is he was reading the dictionary and learning how to spell really hard words. When I'm playing softball and my coach says to practice more, I will go outside and practice. Plus Charlie and I both have motivations. His motivation is to be really smart and not considered dumb. My motivation in school is to get good grades and always try hard. If I were Charlie's friend, I would give him advice to help him in life. The first thing I would say is to never give up. A lot of times we see Charlie doubting himself, even though he is truly smart. The next thing I would ay to him is to not let the rude comments from people get inside his head. At the party wen the people were making fun of him, he felt really bad about himself. He can't let people like that effect his self-esteem. The final thing I would say to Charlie is to keep up the great work. He started to spell words right and use punctuation correctly. He is improving and if he keeps at it, he can do even better. Yes, I have learned lessons from Charlie's motivation. One lesson is that he is so determined and he never gave up. If he can go from dumb to a genius, then I can get good grades. He always is so happy and has a great attitude. I think all people should be just like him. He is really great and has such an amazing personality. In conclusion, I have many things in common with Charlie and he is very inspiring, but does doubt himself.
ReplyDeleteCharlie is a mentally challenged person that doesn't think "normally" like other people. This means that he can't do many ordinary things that people could do at his age, like spelling words correctly. If Charlie couldn't spell a word right, he would look it up in the dictionary and have the spelling of the word memorized. I can kind of relate to Charlie because when I was younger, i couldn't spell many words correctly either. If I didn't know how to spell a word, I would do what Charlie did and look it up in a dictionary, and then I would be able to spell the word correctly after I looked it up. If Charlie was a friend of mine, I would tell him to keep trying to learn more things so that he can become a smarter person, and if he didn't know how to do something then he should just do what he did with his words, and look it up or ask his teacher. The lesson I learned from Charlie's "motor-vation" is to keep on trying to become smarter, just like Charlie.
ReplyDeleteIn the story Flowers for Algernon there is lots to love and learn from the story about Charlie Gordon. There is a lot to relate to as well. Charlie is a bright character that has lots going on around him, I can relate to Charlie in that I can feel misguided and sometimes even judged for a special behavior or issue I might have. When I read this story I think of Charlie a strong character because even though he doesn't know a lot about whats going on around him but he's taking peoples criticism and his progression very well. He is brave to do such a thing like this and keep it together so well. If I were to meet Charlie Gordon I would tell him all the respect I have for him and that i'm rooting for him, but i'd tell him not to give up on the dream of becoming smart and there's always hope for him. I have learned from Charlie that just because some people may lead on to you that you can't achieve this or you cant be like so and so or you can never do anything like that. That doesn't mean they are right. "You" is all you need to achieve great things.
ReplyDeleteSome connections that I can make to Charlie is that I know how it feels like to be the butt of someone's jokes and not even know what they are talking about. It wasn't as bad as what Charlie is getting but I can still feel empathy towards him. Some advice that I would give to Charlie is to not be friends with them if they make fun of him because of his learning disorder. A lesson I have learned from Charlie's "motor-vation", is that no matter what type of challenges or setbacks that you have, anything is possible, even though Charlie wasn't very smart, he eventually was able to learn.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this story.Things get hard for Charlie, and people who he thought were his friends really arent. The same thing happened to me in my life. If i was Charlies friend, i would explain to him whats happening and that he shouldn't trust those people. People aren't always who you think they are. I have learned from Charlie to never give up because things will always get better. He lived all of his life not being smart and not knowing anything. Finally, things are starting to get better for him. This shows me that i should always believe in myself to make thungs better.
ReplyDeleteCharlie in "Flowers for Algernon" is getting smarter and as he is getting smarter, he is realizing that the people he thought were his friends are not really his friends and the enitre time they were making fun of him. I know from my own experiences, that for every good thing in life, there is always a downside. Charlie is gaining knowledge, but now that he is gaining knowledge, he is learning that his "friends" weren't really his friends and I think that is very sad. For example, if my parents have the news on in the background, I learn more, and sometimes I learn things I don't really want to know, such as a shooting, or other news stories like that. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. If Charlie and I were friends, I would tell him that changing yourself to make someone want to be friends with you is not worth your time. You shouldn't have to change yourself to get someone to like you. They aren't the true friends. The ones who are true friends like you for who you are. It's great that Charlie is getting smarter, but if he shouldn't have to change himself to make some mean people like him. From Charlie's "motor-vation", I have learned to never give up. Even if you are discouraged and feel like things will never get better, just keep trying; things will get better. When Charlie was racing Algernon and kept losing to the mouse, he just kept trying until he eventually beat Algernon and I think this is a lesson that everyone should learn. Never give up.
ReplyDeleteIn class, we have been reading a story titled Flowers for Algernon, in which a mentally slow grown man undergoes a surgery in an attempt to become "smart". When reading a story, a reader is often encouraged to make connections to themselves and the book, whether they have gone through a similar experience, felt similar emotions, etc. In Flowers for Algernon, I felt a connection to Charlie as he realized that his "friends" really did not like him for who he was, or even try to really know him and only recognized his obvious traits. It's similar to something I've been currently going through. Recently, I've been through an epiphany noticing that most of my friends know naught of me, and make no effort to. It's made me cherish the few do, and it has also made me realize that if I want to be recognized for traits and qualities that I'm actually proud of I should embrace them. Similar to Charlie, I had realized that (almost) everybody only recognizes my most obvious traits and not many have taken the time to really get to know me. I have also been through a revelation of my own realizing that some friends simply are friends with me for my mere company, and not much else. In conclusion, Charlie and I have many connections despite our many differences.
ReplyDeleteIn the story Flowers for Algernon a man named Charlie is struggling with mental disabilities. He has trouble learning and thinking for himself. After having a surgery that causes him to triple his IQ. He soon starts realizing people who he considers his "friends" really aren't his friends. Those people just wanted him around to laugh at and make fun of him. If I were one of his friends I would stand up for him and try to tell him to be careful who he trusts. I've been in this type of situation before where someone has used me and they ended up not really caring about me at all. It made me really sad and showed me that you can't trust everyone and not everyone wants to be your friend. Even through all of that he just wants to be smart and become like everyone else. Charlie has so little and yet he tries his best and that has really made me want to keep going and not take anything for granted because some people can't have what I have.
ReplyDeleteThere are many connections I can make with Charlie in this story. Charlie struggles with to easily trusting people. He believed the men he worked with were his friends and that they cared about him and liked him, he trusted them and they humiliated him. I've made the same mistake many times before. I've trusted people who I shouldn't have, and they ended up using anything I told them about me against me. They never really cared about me. So I can relate to Charlie on that level. If I was Charlie's friend I would give him the advice to choose who he trusts carefully. Be sure that the person you think is your friend actually has your best interest at heart. I think I have learned something from Charlie's "motor-vation". Charlie struggles with something greater than I could ever even begin to comprehend and he still pushes through and doesn't get the least bit discouraged. He keeps trying and I want to learn from that and just keep trying and never give up. So Charlie and I could learn something from each other.
ReplyDeleteI can make the connection of knowing someone being made fun of and not knowing it. It's sad to see them be tricked by the bullies. If I were Charlie's friend, I would tell him that he shouldn't listen to the mean guys that made fun of him. I feel bad for him, he's so nice and doesn't deserve the mean jokes. I think I could learn from Charlie because I'm a lazy person. If I had more "motor-vation" like Charlie, I could get more things done. Victor Akintola
ReplyDeleteAlmost if not everybody can relate to charlie in some way. The way I can relate is that I was failing a class last year but I made progress and got my grade up. Just like how Charlie is making progress with his intelligence. We all struggle with something at some point but we will make progress and do better at it with motivation, and sometimes a little help. If I was Charlie's friend I would definitely help him. I would tell him that it doesn't matter about what anyone else thinks. If you're gonna change something about you make sure you're changing it for yourself and never for anyone else. Also that not everybody will like you sometimes because they are jealous of you so surround yourself with people you know aren't just using you. Also not to give up on your dreams. You may say it's not important at one point but you may just think it's too hard to reach that goal, but nothing is ever impossible. There is always a way to do something even if you don't have as much motivation as you did in the beginning. From Charlie's "motor-vation" I learned that there will always be someone there to bring you down but there will be someone stronger there to hold or help you up. In Charlie's life there were people who made fun of him, his 'friends' from work, to make him feel bad or bring him down. Although there was those people there were people like Miss Kinnian who was nice to him and cared for him. There will always be the good and the bad people to be around, but one thing I know for sure is that with a little motivation you can accomplish anything.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Flowers for Algernon, I have made many text-to-self connections in class. Charlie isn't so smart, and he is trying so hard to be so. Despite all his hard work and dedication for a higher IQ, his co-workers make fun of him. I can relate to this because despite all the work I do around the house, my privileges are still the same, and I still get treated the same. If I were Charlie's friend I would make sure to tell him that he should keep on trying to reach his goals, and that he can't surround himself with bad people. By not surrounding himself with these people that are bringing him down, he can continue to work hard towards his dreams. I have learned from Charlie's "motor-vation" that I should work hard even if the task is impossible. I I made many text-to-self connections in class while reading Reading Flower's for Algernon.
ReplyDeleteIf Charlie were my friend, I would tell him not to trust everyone he thinks is his friend. Some people are just being nice, and others may just be using him. I would tell him to be nice, but I'd also warn him to be careful with what he says to them because everyone takes things a certain way. I would tell him this because I've learned this through my life. Everyone is different and you have to be aware of this when you are with someone. As far as learning from Charlie's "motor-vation" (motivation), I can say that I've learned that getting through something won't be as hard if you have good spirits about it like Charlie. He's excited to learn and he makes it fun. I think this has helped him succeed.
ReplyDeleteFlowers for Algernon brings me memories of my autistic neighbor. She is a very bright teenager, and it seems that her potential is very high, however she is not able to fully put the concepts together to develop that potential. This reminds me of how hard Charlie tries to put concepts together to seem smart, for instance when he was taking the ink tests, how hard he tried to make it work, however just couldn't. He seems like he has the ability to be very bright, though. Also, Charlie was experiencing one of the worsts things in life, which is realizing that the people who you thought were your possible best friends may not even be true friends at all. Charlie's friends really only want to hang out with him to make fun of him so they can have a laugh. At some points in my life, I have felt that some people I truly thought were my friends were not even actual friends, they just wanted one thing out of me and after that didn't even talk to me. If Charlie were my friend, I would tell him to not be surprised if some people turn out differently than what you would have expected. Also, I would tell him to try not to get his beliefs so set on one thing, because as he begins to realize more things, some things may change. From Charlie's "motor-vation", I have learned that no matter what happens, you should not give up on anything that you want badly. Charlie, for all of his life, wanted nothing more than to be smart. Now, at 34 years old, after trying for all of those years, is finally accomplishing this. Therefore, no matter how long it takes, if you really want something, you should be persistent until you achieve it.
ReplyDeleteCharlie is looked at as mentally challenged or different. I can make a connection to this story involving math. I struggle in this subject and it sometimes makes me feel dumb or makes me stand out among my friends. What I did to help myself with this problem was to study harder and ask for more help. The advice that I would give to Charlie is to expect the unexpected. He might think he knows who are his friends but once his operation takes full affect he might think otherwise. I have learned to try my best even when the numbers are up against me, just like Charlie trying to pass the inkblot test.
ReplyDeleteI can make one connection to Charlie's story. When I was in fifth grade, I was elected to be a Safety. A safety is somebody who monitors the halls during holding room, lunch, and dismissal. When I became a Safety, I was made fun at by being called a nerd. In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie gets made fun at by dancing at a party all by himself because his friends wanted to embarrass. Even though they knew he has a learning disability, they used that as an advantage to embarrass him in front a lot o people. If I was Charlie's friend, I would tell him to stop hanging out with his two friends because they are a negative influence in his life. Although I didn't finish the story, one lesson I learned from Charlie's "motor-vation" is to never stop giving up on your dreams. In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie never gave up on his dream of becoming smart. In each progress report, he gradually started to spell words properly and use correct punctuation. In conclusion, I can relate to Charlie on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteIn Charlie's life, he finds out that he is being made fun of one he is undergoing the operation that makes him smarter. He is developing emotions and making connections instead of taking everything seriously. Some advice I would give to Charlie is to never let them make you feel unimportant; keep your head high and stand up for yourself. I also have been in a similar situation as Charlie's. I had thought that someone was actually my friend but it turned out they were only using me. This is similar to Charlie's situation because he thought he had friends but he found out they never really liked him.
ReplyDeleteCharlie was a mentally challenged adult who went through a procedure to triple his intelligence. Since his procedure, he has become smarter, but unfortunately, he has also come to learn the truth about how his friends really feel about him. I can connect to when Charlie did everything he could to become smarter. Whenever I want to be better at something, I always practice and do whatever I can to be better at that "something'.
ReplyDeleteSoon after Charlie started to become smarter, he began to realize that his friends weren't really very nice friends at all. If Charlie were my friend, I would be nice to him, and I would give him advice on how to deal with his not-so-nice friends. I would tell him to ignore his friends, and to not listen to whatever they say about him because one day, he would probably end up being smarter than them.
Charlie had a very strong desire to be looked at by people as intelligent. No matter what happened to him, he did not give up. I learned that no matter how difficult something may get, never give up because if you do, you will never get to the "reward". Charlie's "motor-vation" can be looked up to by a lot of people, and could even help them with their own motivation.
In class we have been reading Flowers for Algernon about a man names Charlie who has a learning disability. His life is pretty difficult as he is discovering new things that he would have never expected after his operation to make him smarter. He is finally realizing that is so called friends are really not his friends and use him for entertainment. That happens in real life too. Many times friends are used to get someone or something else and they may not even notice it to the end. If Charlie was my friend I would give him any pieces of advice, the main one is the key to all friendships. You have to be careful who you trust. Many people who you consider your friends really are not. if your " friends" tell you to do something that you do not feel comfortable doing, then do not do it. Even if it gives you a "cool" appearance, don't ruin your life for somebody else's. Yes I have learned many lessons from Charlie's "motor-vation" taught me some important lessons. Charlie was so focused on beating Algernon that he never gave up hope and he finally beat him. I feel like in life that applies to mainly anything. If there is something that is getting in your way or keeping you back from achieving something, just push through it. You will finally reach it!
ReplyDeleteIn Flowers For Algernon, Charlie things arent going so good with his social life. He feels sad and lonely when he realizes his friends are not really his friends. I can relate to Charlie when I lost a fake friend. Yes i had some real friends too but there was still that feelibg that something was missing. I can tell Charlie he will definately get over this, he will find some new friends that really like him and he'll forget about the fake ones. From Charlie's motivation, i learned that if you really want something you should work your hardest for it.
ReplyDeleteI can connect to Charlie's story because if it were me, I'd just want to stop. If I didn't FEEL smarter, I would think that I was just as dumb as before and give up. But Charlie didn't. If I were Charlie's friend, I would tell him to not give up. If he gives up, then people will always be mean to him and not accept him a little more than they do now. From Charlie's "motor-vation", I have learned that no matter ho people treat you beforehand, there is always a way to overlook that and make the whole situation brighter.
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