“Even a feeble-minded man wants to be like other men,” writes Charlie Gordon, the narrator of the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. (Keyes, 184) This novel is known for its apparent respect and understanding of people with intellectual disabilities. But, as Brent Walter Cline points out in his article "You're Not the Same Kind of Person: The Shift from Pity to Horror in Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon," the novel is actually about mental disabilities as a massive devaluation for a person. Although certain storylines and character interactions help readers begin to see people with intellectual disabilities as valuable, there is also endless negative language used to describe mental disability. Although Flowers for Algernon is praised for treating the mentally disabled as complex, the constant and strong negative language used to describe mental disabilities ultimately leaves the reader feeling otherwise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The scientists using Charlie in their experiment are the most obvious example of using shameful language to describe retarded Charlie . For these scientists, Charlie Gordon is first and foremost a test subject, and secondly a human being. Especially after the operation, the team of scientists has very little respect for the disabled Charlie. This lack of respect culminates at a science conference where Charlie and Algernon are presented as nothing more than the creation of the team. Dr. Strauss, a neurosurgeon and psychiatrist, describes Charlie preoperatively as "dull" and having "one or more hollow facial expressions." (Keyes 147) Soon after, Doctor Nemur, the leader of the experiment, reads private and embarrassing excerpts from Charlie's progress reports. The crowd laughed, completely ignoring Charlie's presence. Immediately following is perhaps the most moving quote in the novel: "'We (...) have the satisfaction of knowing that we have taken one of nature's errors and (...) created a being higher human. (...) You could say that Charlie Gordon didn't really exist before this experiment...'” (Keyes 148) Charlie's delay is described as an error, which must be modified by science to become valid. These actions, these words used in Charlie's treatment pre-op are extremely disrespectful and are common throughout the novel. These examples of mistreatment are intended to generate empathy for Charlie. Readers are meant to view his mistreatment as disgusting, even heartbreaking. But they are too common and do not generate enough opposition to appear truly false. These examples weigh on the reader's psyche until such mistreatment is expected. The most emotionally intense case of disability shame is found in Charlie's family, particularly his mother Rose. She is a flat, simple-minded woman who cares far too much about what the neighbors think. As such, the presence of a son with an intellectual disability in his life is unbearable. As Charlie's parents prepare to take him to another doctor who claims he can make Charlie smart, Charlie's father Matt questions the doctor's credibility. In response, Rose loses control: “'Don't say that,' she shouts. “Don’t tell me they can’t do anything. » She grabs Charlie and presses his head to her chest. 'He's going to be normal, whatever we have to do, whatever it takes.' » (Keyes 125) The key words here are “normal” and “whatever, 2012.