LITERATURE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

So, Daniel Keyes' characterisations effectively portrayed the social issue of sentiments of people with impairment because these realisations created a sense of understanding towards the emotions of people with incapacities in society. The disabled diner boy's character also emphasised the theme of feelings of people with a mental inability because Charlie took a step back and was able to see himself in the boy "for the first time I was what I had been. I was just like him!- (May 20-p146). Charlie's guilt expressed after laughing with the others, accentuated core feelings within himself about his situation. "Now that I was intelligent it was something that had to be pushed out of my mind. A short time ago, I learned that people laughed at me. Now I can see that unknowingly I joined with them in laughing at myself. That hurts most of all- (May 20-p146) Thus, Daniel Keyes' illustration of characters like Charlie and the diner boy was effective in portraying social issues, as they created empathy and understanding which is needed to interpret the emotions of people with a disability. .
             Characterisations in Flowers for Algernon were effective in bringing out the theme of perception of difference. At first, most of Charlie's workmates were inconsiderate, cynical and sarcastic towards him and deceived him as they took advantage of his condition, "I got a big lump on me head.Joe says it was the cop they beat up drunks some times. I don't think so- (April 3- p137). By having Charlie not understand their insults, "I miss all my frends and all the fun we have up there- (Ma 23-p135), Daniel Keyes enhanced the reader's clear understanding of the people who were not accepting Charlie for who he was. Their intimidation by his increasing learning speed, "When I went over to Amos Borg and tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped up in the air- (Apr 22-p142), was effective to convey the social issue of acceptance of difference, as it showed how they reacted to Charlie's distinction, whether he was unintelligent or someone more brilliant than they expected him to be.