25 Discussion Questions for Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon is one of the most emotionally powerful novels in American literature, and Flowers for Algernon discussion questions cut straight to what it means to be human. The novel asks whether intelligence defines a person's worth, how society treats those it considers different, and what we owe to the people we claim to be helping. Whether you are reading this for a book club, a high school class, or a college course, these questions will push beyond emotional response and into real analysis. Originally published as a short story in 1959 and expanded into a novel in 1966, Flowers for Algernon is told through the progress reports of Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68 who undergoes an experimental procedure to increase his intelligence. As Charlie becomes a genius, he gains knowledge but loses the human connections that once sustained him. The novel's power comes from its first-person form — we watch Charlie's language and perception change in real time. These 25 questions are organized by theme. Flowers for Algernon Discussion Questions: Intelligence and Human Worth Keyes structured his novel around a question that most societies would rather avoid: does a person's value increase...