Flowers for Algernon Progress Report 12 Summary

  • Nemur keeps on being a jerk to Charlie, especially about those darned progress reports. Everyone's gearing up for the International Psychological Convention in Chicago, but Charlie doesn't seem so psyched.
  • The nightmares are getting worse, and Charlie keeps on seeing ghostly figures chasing him down—he's pretty sure it's some kind of warning signal from his subconscious. Spooky.
  • It wouldn't be a progress report without another flashback, now would it? This time Charlie dreams of bratty Norma getting an A for a test and demanding the dog her mom promised her as a reward.
  • Norma wants the dog all to herself, because she's just that kind of sister, and when her dad tells her she won't get a dog if she's selfish, Norma gets mad at Charlie.
  • Charlie and Alice have their first lovers' quarrel, although they really aren't lovers. He tries to go back to her old classroom to see her, and all his former buddies recognize him.
  • Alice tells Charlie he's basically out of her league—he's super-smart now and a showoff, to boot.
  • Charlie's not too cut up about it, though—he has an IQ of 185, and Alice isn't all that great, anyway.
  • While wandering around Central Park at night, Charlie meets a woman wearing a heavy coat who tells him all about how her husband used to beat her up.
  • She offers to have sex with him. Charlie's down until he realizes that she's pregnant. It freaks him out and makes him think of when his mother was pregnant with his sister.
  • The lady starts screaming when Charlie grabs her shoulder. She tells a crowd that he attacked her, even though Charlie wouldn't hurt a fly.
  • Here's the weird part: Charlie wants to get caught. He's not really sure why he wants to be punished, but he is one miserable guy.