Austin Nolen, Week 4

I personally preferred Flowers for Algernon over Of Mice and Men. I thought Flowers For Algernon was overall a more interesting book. The plot was more eventful and the characters had more substance. It was intriguing to see someone go from mental inferiority to mental superiority so quickly. It was like I was reading about two different people. I think both novels convey the societal expectation that people should be mentally competent. In Of Mice and Men the ranch owner and the workers didn’t expect Lennie to be able to function on the farm because he was mentally challenged. The scientists in Flowers for Algernon claimed they had ‘fixed nature’s mistake’ when they turned Charlie into a genius, suggesting that mental retardation is not socially acceptable. I think both books portray themes circulating the idea that ignorance is better than intelligence. In Flowers for Algernon the evidence supporting this theme is Charlie’s experiences after he becomes smart. He is never happy even when he is with his girlfriend, Alice. Also, he recalls hurtful memories about his mother and father fighting over his condition as a child. In contrast, Lennie, in Of Mice and men, is always happy even when he kills Curley’s wife. He is so focused on the things he enjoys that he is unaware of the tragic events that happen around him. This is a result of his mental condition thus suggesting that ignorance is better than intelligence. Overall both books were worth reading and they both carry meaningful lessons and themes.