Setting
What is the name of the bakery where Charlie worked?
Donner's Bakery
How old is Charlie in the beginning of the book?
32 years old
What color is Algernon?
White
What is Alice's job?
She is Beekman Universities teacher in the Center for Retarded Adults.
How did Charlie meet Fay?
He got locked out of his apartment.
Where was Charlie supposed to be sent after the effects of the procedure wore off?
The Warren State Home and Training School.
What are the names of Charlies living relatives?
Rose, Norma and Matt
What is the name of the mouse that Fay brings to be a friend to Algernon?
Minnie
What does Alice tell Charlie when he explains the situation about Gimpy stealing?
Alice tells Charlie that he needs to figure out what is right and what is wrong on his own. That she can't influence his way of thinking.
What does Fay like to do more than anything?
Dance
When Charlie comes back from the conference with Algernon, what part of New York does he want to be close to?
Times Square
Why doesn't Charlie let them freeze and incinerate Algernon's body?
Charlie feels as though Algernon is a friend, someone he's close to, almost a part of him. He wants him to be buried respectably.
Why is Algernon so important?
Algernon was the first animal to have success in becoming smart after the procedure. After Charlie had the same operation, Algernon was the one who would tell the professors what was going to happen next.
What does Alice like about Fay?
She likes her open trust, her frankness and her unselfishness.
Why does Fay keep the parking tickets behind a chair?
She feels guilty about having them and not paying them off.
Where in New York did Charlie spend his childhood?
4136 Marks Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
How long did the operation work on Charlie?
About 9 months
What is the date of Algernon's death?
September 15th
Why does Alice think drinking is bad for Charlie?
She thinks it interferes with the work he is trying to do.
Why does Fay drink?
To erase the straight lines, to get rid of stress.
What hotel were Charlie and some of the other professors supposed to stay in while in Chicago?
The Chalmers Hotel.
Why does Charlie have to write progress reports?
To show the progression from the operation and eventually the deterioration of his brain.
What caused Algernon's death?
His brain had decreased in weight, his cerebral convolutions had been smoothed and there was a deepening and broadening of brain fissures.
Why does Alice leave when Charlie asks her to at the end of the book?
She knows what is happening to him and knows that it is time for her to leave so she doesn't see him deteriorate anymore.
How does Fay help Charlie's character development?
When Charlies was first thrown out into the world with new perception on everything he was precise, he had a lot of "straight edges". But when Fay comes into the picture she starts to wear away at the clear concise lines that Charlie has made of his life, he becomes more laid back, slightly lazy.