The Cost of Cognitive Ascension

This reserach seeks to investigate the impact of intelligence on individual growth and emotions, as depicted in the novel Flowers for Algernon. It aims to analyse a comprehensive range of factors related to intelligence, including both internal and external factors that contribute to the development of character. Additionally, the study aims, on a smaller scale, to shed light on the mistreatment experienced by marginalised groups in society, particularly individuals with disabilities. For this purpose, the study utilises a combination of both a psychological and a philosophical approach to the subject; introducing science fiction and the monomyth hero, as well as psychoanalysis, relationships, and disability, along with theories of happiness, then delving into the character Charlie Gordon and his traumatic childhood, analysing his personality before and after the surgery and the subsequent regression while examining the effect of the enhanced intelligence on his character growth and the emotional toll that increased intelligence takes on the character, illuminating how it impacts his overall happiness.