BETWEEN LINES AND LIMITS

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, EXCLUSION, AND AGING IN “FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON”

Abstract

The novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes presents a sensitive and complex literary narrative about the life of a man with an intellectual disability who undergoes an experiment that temporarily enhances his cognitive abilities. The protagonist, Charlie Gordon, allows readers to follow his intellectual and emotional transformation, revealing the different forms of exclusion faced by people with disabilities, from veiled contempt and infantilization to the meritocratic overvaluation of intelligence. The story also raises important reflections on how society deals with the decline of cognitive abilities, drawing a symbolic parallel with the aging process of people with disabilities, a group still underrepresented in academic, literary, and public policy discussions. This study, built through a qualitative and interdisciplinary reading approach, aims to connect the fields of literature, disability studies, and inclusive education in order to discuss the subtle and structural forms of exclusion that affect these individuals throughout their lives. By taking the protagonist’s experience as the central axis, the research highlights the urgent need for social, educational, and political practices that recognize human dignity beyond productivity, ensuring care, listening, and belonging for people with disabilities at all stages of life, especially in old age – a stage marked by multiple vulnerabilities and still lacking recognition.