“Flowers for Algernon” has shown me that mentally handicapped are still people just like you or I. With real emotions and real needs. Emotionally handicapped people still want to feel loved and accepted, but unfortunately sometimes won’t realize the difference when someone is making fun of them or laughing with them. Which might not necessarily be a bad thing. Since the times that this book was supposed to take place in, I think that mentally handicapped people have earned much more respect in a public social environment. If a mentally handicapped/disabled person were to have a public outburst, or embarrassing moment (such as in “Flowers for Algernon” where the boy in the diner dropped the dishes) It would be socially unacceptable and taboo for someone to point, laugh or visibly make a big deal out of it at the mentally handicapped persons expense. In this situation, bystanders will usually ignore such a situation as to not get involved in any way so that they don’t have to face an awkward situation in which they would be confronted with a mentally handicapped person. Which in my opinion, even though it is not completely right, is definitely a step towards the right direction, away from a society where social issues regarding race, sexuality, sex and ethnicity are still issues in everyday life.
Grant, I completely agree with everything you have to say. I think that times have changed since back then, and that people are a lot more respectful and understanding more of the mentally handicapped people these days. But I still think there will always be those certain people who make the handicapped feel inferior to them to make themselves feel better. I hope that people can start to make more of an effort to make the handicapped people feel even more accepted in the world because you’re right, they are just like you and I! They have emotions and feelings too and just because they don’t know the difference between someone laughing at them or with them doesn’t make it right to make them embarrass themselves! Poor Charlie didn’t know any better! Next time I see someone make fun of someone who is mentally handicapped, I’m going to stand up for them rather then ignore it because you’re right, it can be an awkward situation. But I think if we can get more and more people to stand up for those kind of people then more and more people will do it and it can become a huge success and everyone will be happy! :)
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