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Flowers for Algernon Progress Report 7
Charlie resumes his progress report three days after the operation, when the bandages are finally removed from his eyes. Though being strapped down on the table in the operating theater was frightening, Charlie reports that the operation did not hurt; to his surprise, the doctors even performed it while he was asleep! A nurse teaches Charlie the correct spelling of "progress report," and he makes an effort to spell it correctly through the rest of his entry. Charlie hopes the operation will make him smart enough to discuss religion and politics with Joe Carp, Frank, and Gimpy, his chatty co-workers at Donner's bakery. He believes that, "If your smart you can have lots of frends to talk to and you never get lonley by yourself all the time." PR 7, pg. 11 Professor Nemur encourages Charlie to write more about his thoughts, feelings, and memories. Charlie complains that he does not know how to remember, and he feels impatient to know the "fancy things" already understood by smart people.
A skinny nurse named Hilda suggests that Charlie has tampered with God's plan by allowing doctors to operate on his brain. This worries Charlie, but the busy-body nurse is soon replaced by a pretty blond named Lucille. Charlie looks forward to the day when he will show his friends at the bakery and his mother that he can be smart like everyone else. Miss Kinnian visits and tells Charlie to be patient. Becoming smart will take time and a lot of hard work, but she has faith that he will succeed.
