Charlie's got tons of memories, but they're not exactly the greatest, which leaves him with a pretty heavy load to carry. You could even say that he lives in the past as he's trying to figure out how to cope with his newfound emotions. We only get a snapshot of Charlie's pre-surgery life in Flowers for Algernon, but it seems like all these weird memories only pop up after he's really ready to cope with them. His memories are mostly painful, but enough good ones are sprinkled in to make him hopeful for the future. After all, he's always been a survivor.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- Are Charlie's memories productive, or do they just dredge up bad stuff he doesn't want to think about?
- How do Charlie's memories change after Norma's birth?
- When does Charlie remember being happy?
Chew on This
Memories help Charlie gain the know-how to cope with his current state of emotions.
Charlie is never totally able to let go of the past, but he figures out how to push forward into the present.