Flowers for Algernon Point of View Diary Entries- Rose Gordon

October 19, 1937

Dear Diary,

My life is the worst it can be right now. I am constantly fighting with Matt about our son Charlie. EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING THAT HE ISN'T NORMAL BUT HE IS! He is just a little slow but it is just a phase and it will pass. He just needs time and he will be fine. Today Charlie was kicked out of the P.S. 13 class and put in the P.S. 222 class. The P.S. 222 class is for all the retarded children who can’t keep up so they are put in their own class. WHAT THE HELL?! Charlie is NOT retarded and I will not accept him being moved into that stupid class! He is NOT stupid!! He is normal just like all the other kids in P.S. 13!

That stupid Matt again keeps saying that Charlie needs to be in that class because he is retarded and we need to accept that. Well, I’m not going to accept that. I will not take this. First thing tomorrow, I am marching into that school and screaming at that stupid teacher until he is put back in the P.S. 13 class. Charlie is a normal child and he needs to be kept where he belongs… IN P.S. 13! He can keep up with all the other kids and he doesn’t need to be put in P.S. 222. Maybe he is a little behind but he will catch up because as I said before, this is obviously just a phase! He will snap out of it.

                                                                                                                                  November 3rd, 1937

Dear Diary,

I am under so much stress right now. I have officially accepted the fact that Charlie is behind but I will not however accept the fact that nothing can be done. Charlie’s retardation can be cured and it will be cured. Today we took Charlie to be examined to see if he is a candidate for Dr. Guarino’s machine that is supposed to make Charlie smarter. Matt doesn’t think that it is going to work and he thinks that it is a load of crap to get you to waste your money. I AM SO DONE WITH THAT MAN. Charlie is normal! He will be like normal children! This machine will make him smarter!!! Matt keeps saying that he’s accepted the fact that Charlie is different and that nothing can help him. I AM NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CHARLIE IS NORMAL!!!!! This machine really is expensive but I don’t care because I am positive that this will help him.

When Charlie was at Dr. Guarino’s office, he started screaming like someone was abou to murder him! Then he made in his pants. Why does he always do that?! Is he a puppy? I had to give him a spanking when we got home. He doesn’t learn! For God’s sake, he knows when he has to go but NOOOOOOO  he doesn’t even control himself. Dear lord why does my life have to be this way? I am a good person who wants the best for her children and this is what I have been given???!

December 21, 1938

Dear Diary,

We need to send Charlie away from home. He will have a bad influence on Norma and he will make her weird too!! PLUS, who knows what Charlie could do to her. I refuse to leave her in a room alone with her because Charlie will probably drop her on her head or bite off her finger or something!! Charlie is very dangerous for Norma in a mental and physical way!

I’ve accepted that Charlie isn’t normal but now he needs to go. Norma deserves better and I will not allow Charlie to be the reason that Norma isn’t normal. I’ve had enough of that. I’ve had enough of abnormal children. There is a home for the mentally retarded called Warren State. I’ve decided that he is going to be sent there. I dropped the hint to Matt and he seemed completely against it. He kept saying that Charlie belongs at home and that he is part of the family but I disagree. Charlie is our child however I will not allow him to be the reason that Norma turns out weird!  Norma is our child now and Charlie will screw her up. He cannot be in this house any longer. Norma must have a normal life!!!

This evening Matt and I got in a big fight and I forced him to take Charlie out of the house and move into that Warren State home. Our argument got so heated that I picked up a knife out of hysteria. I do feel kind of bad for doing that but I don’t care. It was the only way to make Matt see things my way.

I was worried that Charlie would hear us fighting because we were right outside his bedroom but then I remembered that HE’S STUPID and didn’t understand anyways. Matt packed up his bags and and took him away to the Warren State Home. I am so relieved that Charlie is gone and I won’t have to worry about Norma anymore. Plus, Charlie will have a better life there where people are like him and he will learn at his own pace.
I admit, at first I was denying the fact that Charlie was abnormal and I wanted him to be perfect but now that Norma is here and I have realized Charlie isn’t normal, I don’t want Charlie around anymore. Norma needs to have a good life and I won’t keep Charlie around for the price of Norma’s life!

Child Labour Survey Results

Child Labour

Child labour is when children are forced to work extremely long hours in very hazardous conditions and are being paid practically nothing. These children are being treated very poorly and are performing in jobs that are meant for adults. In other words, they are underage for this type of employment.

I created a survey with the following questions;

1. What are some of the main causes of child labour?

2. Where is child labour a large issue?

3. What are some solutions to end child labour?

4. What are 3 (or more) companies that are guilty of child labour?

5. How can we protect the children who are forced into child labour?

6. How can we further prevent these children from being exploited again?

The results were the following;

1. “Large industries taking advantage of of impoverished villages and families”, poverty, and “Unethical companies and organizations”,

2. Developing countries

3. “Don’t support places that use child labour”, install a system that eliminates child labour where it is commonly found, and “Stimulate economic growth so that child labour is no longer needed”.

4. Kitkat, Mars, Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Apple, Disney, H&M, Walmart, Nestle, Forever 21, Hershey's, Abercrombie, and Calvin Klein

5. Create rules and regulations against the use of child labour and implement consequences if these laws are broken, further educate the children.

One answer for this question that did not come up was to educate the families and parents of the children. Although educating the children is very important, the priority is the adults of the family because they are the ones who are desperately sending off their children as a result of not being able to support their family themselves.

6. “Enforce laws and business rules that only allow businesses who don’t use child labour to be certified and a legal business”, do not support companies who use child labour.

Conclusion

Child labour is when children are taken to work in hazardous conditions for long hours for practically no pay. This is not only poverty and lack of education in developing countries but it also occurs in large companies in first world countries although it is kept a secret (for obvious reasons). Some solutions to this problem is to not support companies that use child labour, implement a system that eliminates child labour, and enforce severe punishments for breaking the laws against child labour.

To follow up, we can stop buying from and supporting companies who use child labour. These children and frightened, depressed, underage, and in danger.