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COLLECTION
1
LESSON PLAN
Elements of Literature selection
Flowers for Algernon
by Daniel Keyes
Literary Focus
As students explore subplots
and parallel episodes and
diction, remind them not to
look at these elements in isolation, but to consider how they
contribute to our understanding
of character, tone, and theme.
Related Works
Consider teaching one of the
works below from Elements of
Literature with “Flowers for
Algernon.”
Analyzing subplots and
parallel episodes:
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown”
by Walter Dean Myers
Analyzing diction:
“The Ransom of Red Chief” by
O. Henry
Resources
For information on annotating
text, see pages 17 and 30–33 of
this book.
Subplots and Parallel Episodes
This story contains many different subplots that relate thematically to
the main plot of Charlie’s increase in and subsequent loss of intelligence. These subplots include the mouse Algernon’s progress, Charlie’s
developing relationship with Miss Kinnian, and Charlie’s relationships
with people at work. A thematic pattern of rising development or improvement that then fails appears in all of the subplots. The parallel
episodes serve mostly to emphasize insights Charlie has about his condition or situation. His reading of Robinson Crusoe, for example, helps
him to recognize his own loneliness and desire for companionship.
The incident he witnesses of the dishwasher breaking dishes at a
restaurant makes him realize how cruel people had been to laugh
at him.
“Flowers for Algernon” is a story told almost entirely through diction,
or word choice. As the main character, who is also the narrator of the
story, gains intelligence, the diction improves and grows complicated;
that complexity is lost when the narrator’s condition worsens. The author’s choices of important words that the narrator misspells, such as
genus for genius and operashun for operation, help the reader feel the
extent of the main character’s loss. The story’s diction is thus tied very
closely to its tone, or the author’s attitude about the events.
© by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Advanced Skill
Analyze diction.
Close Reading
Copyright
Collection Resources
Literary Skill
Analyze subplots and
parallel episodes.
The coverage of subplots and parallel episodes below builds on the
instruction in the Student Edition. You may want to introduce the additional skill of analyzing diction when teaching this story to advanced students.
Diction
Metacognitive Strategy: Annotating Text
As students read, have them annotate the story, focusing on subplots
and parallel episodes. To help students consider the thematic importance of these elements, encourage them to consider ideas or qualities
that the subplots and episodes share with the main plot of Charlie’s
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gain and loss of intelligence. Have students note subplots and episodes
related to
•
Charlie’s changing relationships with other people
•
Charlie’s changing ideas about himself
Point out to students that a subplot will cover a whole story related to
Charlie’s own central tale—that is, it too will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. An episode, on the other hand, will provide only a
brief glimpse of a similar situation or condition.
Close-Reading Practice: Diction
Copyright
•
What kind of language does Charlie use to predict his loss of intelligence? [Charlie uses very sophisticated scientific language, noting
formally that he has “taken the liberty” of coming up with a medical
name for his own condition. He uses formal, complicated sentence
structures and vocabulary words such as hypothesis, deterioration,
and unforeseen. He expresses his hypothesis as a mathematical formula (“Artificially increased . . . of the increase.”)]
•
What emotional effect, or tone, does the formal, high-level diction
have? Are these the words you would use if you were in Charlie’s
situation? Explain. [Responses will vary, but students will probably
say that the tone of the passage is somewhat cold and distant, which
makes its effect more chilling. They might say that if they were in
Charlie’s situation, they would feel much more panicked or scared
about what would happen next.]
•
What example of formal, high-level diction in this passage do you
find most striking? Why? What message, or theme, do you think
this word choice reflects? [Responses will vary. Students may say
that the example of Charlie inventing a medical name for his own
condition is eerie because he is so detached and scientific. They might
say that the example shows that science can do many wonderful
things, but it can also be cold and inhuman.]
Vocabulary: Context Clues
When the narrator reports on the subplot of the arguments between
the two doctors in the April 27 entry by saying that one doctor accuses
the other of being “more interested in the Chair of Psychology at
Princeton” than in the experiment, students may not know that in this
context chair means “the head of an academic department.” They can
make a good guess, however, by paying attention to the context.
Paying attention to the context of the words can give students insight
into the subplots in the story.
The close-reading passage is on
pages 57–58 of the Student
Edition.
Collection Resources
© by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Have students re-read the four paragraphs of the June 5 entry beginning with “The surgical stimulus” and ending with “first symptoms of
the burnout.” Discuss these questions to explore the author’s use of
diction to highlight tone and theme in the passage.
Close Reading
Vocabulary
Before assigning this activity,
make sure your students have
mastered the Vocabulary words
on pages 32–33 of the Student
Edition.
Words for the Activity
opportunist, p. 46
shrew, p. 46
justified, p. 51
specter, p. 51
cowered, p. 53
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Activity. Keyes uses the words in the margin to relate the story’s subplots and parallel episodes. Have students discuss the meaning of each
word in context and relate each word to a subplot or episode.
Postreading
For information on reading
conferences, see page 23 of
this book.
Discussion Method: Reading Conference
Have students discuss the story’s diction in a reading conference. In
groups, have them discuss the author’s use of misspellings in Charlie’s
early and later reports and the use of high-level language and scientific
diction in the middle reports. Use the following questions to prompt
students’ thinking:
•
How do the changes in diction of the story, from misspelled simple
words to sophisticated diction and then back, tell the main plot of
the story? [The changes in diction reflect the changes in Charlie’s understanding and intelligence. As he becomes smarter, his words become more complex; then he goes back to thinking and writing as he
did before.]
•
How does the change that occurs in the diction at the end of the
story affect the story’s tone? Provide examples to support your answer. [Responses will vary, but students may find Charlie’s decline in
ability to think and act, as shown in his diction, a sad end to the story.
He cannot even spell flowers, a word that is important to him because
it would help him express his love and sympathy for Algernon.]
Writing
Criteria for Success
Have students respond to the prompt below in an essay.
A successful response
• states convincing reasons for
the student's choice
• supports the choice with apt
details
• shows insight into the
episode and theme
• uses language effectively
“Flowers for Algernon” contains many scenes in which important elements of the main plot are repeated or echoed. Which parallel
episode do you think is most important? Consider theme as you
skim the story to make your selection. Then, write an essay in which
you explain how this parallel episode helps reinforce the story’s plot.
Use details from the scene to support your points.
60 Resources for Teaching Advanced Students
© by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Resources
Copyright
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[Sample responses: Opportunist describes a person who is out for his or her
own personal gain. The word relates to the subplot of the competition between the two doctors, who are not necessarily putting Charlie’s interests
first. A shrew is a nag; the term is used to describe a reason for competition
between the doctors. Charlie says the doctor is justified, that is, correct, in
being angry at him for not writing his reports. The word shows that
Charlie’s relationship with his doctors is no longer one between a patient
and doctors but one between colleagues. Specter means “ghost.” It relates to
the episode of the doctor being haunted by self-doubt, as Charlie is haunted
by the fear of losing his intelligence. Cowered means “drew back or shrank
in fear.” This word refers to the episode of people laughing cruelly at the
mistakes of the dishwasher, who does not understand what is happening.]