poor Charlie feels even more inferior as a result of losing to an animal

Despite being made to feel inferior, Charlie has no resentment against Algernon and only seems to be amazed by him - this reveals how gentle and kind Charlie is

due to the mouse's artificially-induced intelligence

Charlie is perceptive enough to realise what others are trying to hide from him - much smarter than people give him credit for

Bert is kind enough to try not to stress Charlie

Charlie is unable to see how a 3D maze can be mapped into a 2D drawing on paper

**Due to his poor literacy, Charlie uses "amazed" instead of "a maze" - this is a malapropism (the wrong use of a word to replace a similar-sounding one). **

This was a test to compare Algernon's artificially-induced intelligence with Charlie's

Charlie unthinkingly stereotypes Algernon as being beneath him, as he is an animal - the same way other people have been stereotyping Charlie. However, what Charlie does not know is that Algernon has super-intelligence from the experiments.

Bert patiently teaches Charlie to say the name

Charlie's innocent laughter conveys his delight at seeing an adorable white mouse - Charlie is easily entertained and has a simple heart

Although Charlie struggles with the multi-syllabic word, he still tries his best to pronounce it properly.

he is seeking assurance in the form of his teacher

Despite obviously being scared, Charlie tries to be brave

Bert's response is kind and compassionate - Bert understands Charlie and is willing to comfort him

Charlie reveals uncertainty and fear

Touchingly, Charlie has not given up - he is determined to once again try his best, revealing his innate sense of optimism.

Charlie is so innocent that he now considers Bert a friend, despite their shallow and brief interaction. This reveals how simple and good-hearted Charlie is.

Again we see Charlie's admirable attitude of optimism and perseverance - a disposition only Ms K seems to appreciate so far

this is how Charlie has understood "star pupil"

Charlie is so desperate to be like everyone else that he is willing to endure anything. Again, this reveals the deep suffering he has endured due to his disability.

**Dr Strauss is ethical enough to responsibly inform Charlie of the risks. **

his eagerness shows he does not mind being objectified

Charlie reveals a heartbreaking self-consciousness here. While others may assume him to be too stupid to have deep feelings, this makes it clear he feels deeply inferior.

Dr Nemur is puzzled by why Charlie would want to improve himself; he does not seem to think him capable of wanting to be better

Dr Nemur explains the meaning of "star pupil" to Charlie

Charlie appears to not be able to comprehend what "star pupil" means - again, he shows a difficulty with figurative language

Dr Strauss kindly tries to affirm Charlie - this also reveals that Miss K is very proud of Charlie

Charlie is aware of his poor literacy and is driven to do better - however, the doctors do not seem to see this as admirable

Charlie proves all of them wrong by stating he himself had a desire to better himself

Even Dr Strauss does not consider Charlie capable of seeking out education himself. He assumes that Charlie would have had to be told to do so

Unlike Dr Nemur, Dr Strauss asks Charlie questions, trying to connect with him

*Charlie is desperately trying to explain his poor performance, trying to rationalise that he can be taught to do better *

Again, Dr Nemur's communication to Charlie is phrased as a command, as if he feels Charlie is unable to respond to normal conversation

again, Charlie seems to feel he will be blamed for everything - he seems especially vulnerable to others

Dr Strauss kindly tries to comfort Charlie. However, in saying this, he also reveals that Charlie's hard work is insignificant

Charlie pre-emptively apologises, before Dr Strauss can even tell him the results. He bursts out in an apology because he feels that he is likely to be blamed for his poor performance, revealing that Charlie seems to have been blamed before

the hesitation in Charlie's voice makes it clear that he is aware Dr Nemur has ignored his greeting

Dr Nemur is uninterested in responding to Charlie's greeting. He issues this command because he does not see Charlie as being worthy of conversation.

Charlie repeats the name to memorise it, and greets them with courtesy

as usual, Charlie does his best to be polite, putting in his best effort to memorise Dr Strauss's name

The scene ends on a depressing note - Charlie is clearly devastated and disappointed in himself, and the finality of his statement suggests that he considers himself a failure

again, Charlie shows a heartbreaking sincerity and dedication - despite his disability, he is willing to try harder than anyone else

Charlie reveals that the class he attends is for people already labelled deficient by society - a group of people considered different from others

Charlie's humility here is sad and touching. Charlie knows that he is deficient compared to other people - he is pleading for others to accept him and give him a chance

Charlie is determined and persistent, showing resilience due to his desperation to fit in

Charlie's earnestness and sincerity are clear here - despite the troubles he faces, Charlie seems to always try his best

Charlie repeats that he saw nothing. The repetition conveys his sense of failure and disappointment

Charlie sees things literally and struggles to look at things figuratively

Charlie is aware he is different from "other pepul" - he is unable to see what others see, due to his disability

Through this, we learn that Charlie frequently got into trouble for his academic failures and clumsiness in school. It is evident from this that people viewed Charlie negatively despite his cheerful and gentle nature.

a rabbit's foot is meant to bring luck. Charlie already believes himself incompetent and thus, out of his deep sense of insecurity, feels compelled to use such tokens.

Charlie has a deep psychological trauma from failing tests before - this reveals that he has suffered mentally from feeling incompetent all his life

Charlie doesn't quite understand what the Rorschach test is

the pessimistic tone reveals that Charlie feels hurt and disappointed. Despite what others may think of him, Charlie is sensitive and has deep feelings.

Charlie is sharply aware of his deficiencies and is aware of how difficult it is for him to pass any assessment.

Charlie perceives it to be an academic examination, rather than just a form of feedback.

Bert is administering the Rorschach test, a psychological test meant to reveal someone's personality.

Bert responds to Charlie with kindness, suggesting that Bert is willing to see beyond the stereotype.

Bert has not expected Charlie to be capable of good manners. Like everyone else, he has not considered Charlie to be a fully-functioning human with thoughts and feelings.

Charlie is kind and courteous, revealing a gentle nature behind his disability.

Although Bert has already stated his name, Charlie echoes it again. This reveals that Charlie's conversation is simple and thoughtless, reflecting how basic his thoughts are.

It is interesting that the playwright Bert Coules names the lab technician Bert after himself. Perhaps Coules does so because Bert is kind and patient to Charlie, suggesting that Coules's message to us is emulate this compassion.

Charlie seems to be nervous

Charlie's inability to carry a tune is again a sign of his intellectual disability. However, the fact that he is humming indicates a good mood and an optimistic disposition, suggesting that Charlie is a cheerful person despite his problems.

Dr Strauss overpowers Dr Nemur - he seems to have more authority

Dr Nemur has already made up his mind, before ever meeting Charlie - he is prejudiced and not open to new views

Although Miss K acknowledges Charlie is not exceptional, she still tries to push that he is "slightly above" - Miss K is an optimistic teacher who wants the best for her students

Charlie's IQ falls in the bottom 2% of the population; his IQ reveals a mild disability

Miss K reluctantly acknowledges Charlie's struggle

Miss K is reluctant to acknowledge that Charlie struggled with the recorder - she is trying to help Charlie get a place in the experiment

Dr Strauss has picked up on Charlie's struggle - he is sharp and discerning

Miss K persists in the face of Dr Nemur's hesitation - pressing on for Charlie's sake

eager tone - Miss K is urging the doctors to accept Charlie for the experiment

this is an intensely personal narrative; the doctors are listening to Charlie's inner thoughts

again, Charlie struggles to manage the tape recorder

Charlie is simple-minded - runs out of things to say once he has exhausted his intense emotions

the simple monosyllables and tone of yearning here reveals how intensely Charlie desires this

the tone of hope reveals how badly Charlie wants to be like other people

despite being objectified as something to "use", Charlie doesn't seem to mind - he just wants to help and to improve himself. Charlie is sincere and simple-minded.

diction of "use" reveals that in this experiment, Charlie is treated like an object, not like a human.

diction of "they" reveals that Charlie does not know exactly who is in charge of this project - he trusts them blindly

Charlie is obedient and follows instructions, even when he does not really understand why.

frequent misspellings reveal that Charlie is not very literate (not very good at reading or writing); again, a symbol of how he struggles with intellectual tasks.

the awkward sentence structure reveals that Charlie struggles to express himself clearly.

Charlie requires preparation and effort to speak

the repetition conveys Charlie's uncertainty and hesitance, suggesting that he is not confident about speakimg

Although Charlie has been taught to use the microphone, he is still clumsy and awkward with it, revealing how much of a struggle he faces in daily life.

the longing tone of "at last" and the drawn-out prolonged vowels contain her intense yearning to find true love, as well the long duration of time she has waited!

"distant" here refers to also the pain from the past, not just the pain from beyond the medication

the police's persistence shows that the welfare of black people is treated seriously in the present

the question of "Who" implies that in the present, justice is delivered to black people and their attackers are rooted out, unlike in the past where anyone could be their assailant (and it would not be addressed)

"Not Kevin" is a repeated motif throughout the novel: Kevin is not like the other white people

despite her pain and exhaustion, Dana exerts herself to express her protectiveness of Kevin

Kevin, a white man in the present, is now placed in the position of the oppressed, treated and "blame(d)" the way white people used to treat slaves

Dana refers to her injury as an accident; an allusion to how Rufus also suffers many "accidents"

Dana's indignation at being treated like an idiot; defending her intelligence and agency

her indignation at the low word intensity of "hurt" conveys that she considers her injury grievous and traumatic, perhaps even impossible to heal from unlike a "scratch"

in the present, the police are focused on addressing the harm done to a black woman (Dana), contrasting with the past where it is accepted that black women may suffer pain

Dana is in a state of complete confusion

connoting darkness, suggesting that perhaps the police in the modern day are black people (thus implying equality: the powerless become the enforcers of law)

an inversion of how black people lack liberty in the past in the present, black people have the power to report white people to the police, and white people can be prosecuted

Kevin is a loving and devoted husband, a contrast / foil to Rufus: where Rufus takes security from Dana, Kevin restores it to her

she no longer feels safe, after her experiences in the past

literal meaning: she has lost a year spent in the past figuratively: she has lost a year of her life due to stress and fear

implying that Dana will now never be complete or whole again; half of her remains in the past

implying a grievous and serious loss and injury

Dana is going between the past and present; it is unclear whether she is referring to the past or present as "home", suggesting she is equally familiar with both

the inversion of power: in the present, Dana has the power to place a white man in jail

indicating the fragility of their relationship, yet the love between them

her time in the past has permanently scarred her

both literally (in the past for a long time) and figuratively (the stress / fear)

suggesting the severity of the loss - half of her is stuck in the past

Dana has travelled to both the past and present - which is the "home" she refers to here? Could be either past or present, indicating she is torn between both

test

Conor is filled with grief at the finality of his mother's death

the hyperbole of "hundred years" conveys the mother's deep and lasting love for Conor, as she wishes to spend an entire lifetime with her beloved son

tells us that the pain Conor's mother feels is so intense that the painkillers knock her out

Conor feels agony at his mother's impending demise

she understands Conor's feelings and forgives him for all of them

his mother tells him to express his feelings freely, showing that she loves Conor and wants the best for him

repetition of "so weak" conveys Conor's increasing fear at how her strength is draining away

conveys her resentment at not being able to stay longer with her son

she allows and encourages Conor to express his feelings, even if they are unkind to her, showing her deep love for him

Conor's mother makes it clear that she has stayed alive all this while ("kept me here so long") simply out of love for Conor

Conor feels betrayed and hurt, still wanting to believe that things will get better

she tries to smile to comfort Conor, despite her deep grief, conveying her love for him

Conor's mother deeply regrets her early death and feels guilty about leaving Conor early

Conor is forced to accept the finality of his mother's death

Conor refuses to accept that his mother may not recover

Conor's mother is struggling to speak, which also conveys the tremendous sacrifice she makes to communicate her feelings to Conor

Conor feels a sense of tension and fear, worried about what may happen

sense of suspense and worry for what may happen to Conor

Conor reaches out to Lily to mend their friendship

Conor is so touched that he feels like crying, and thus cannot speak

Conor begins to trust that Lily really does care for him and value him

Lily is honest and courageous with Conor

the imagery of "blushing furiously" tells us Lily feels shy and embarrassed, because the note reveals her deep personal feelings

Conor reads it "again" because he is in disbelief, but also deeply moved

Lily emphasises repeatedly she cherishes Conor, emphasising that regardless of how others treat him, she will always "see" him and care for him - suggests Lily is a loyal friend

Lily understands that Conor feels invisible - shows how well she knows him.

Lily expresses concern for Conor's wellbeing

the tone is lonely and sad; implies that Lily dearly cherishes Conor and wishes to be close to him again

Lily has accepted her mistake - her first act is to apologise for hurting Conor, suggesting that she has matured enough to accept responsibility

"quiet" implies that Conor is solely focusing on Lily's note to him, conveying how touched he is by the letter.

Lily put in effort into folding the note, showing her sincerity and affection for Conor

Conor accepts her effort - a change from earlier on when he rejected her

Lily repeatedly tries to reach out to Conor - moving that she tries to re-establish their friendship

emphasising that it is uniquely a gift for Conor, intended for him alone, thus making him feel special and valued

sense of familiarity with Lily's position in class; the physical nearness and familiarity emphasise how close they usually were and thus, how far apart they now are

Lily is determined in trying to reach out to Conor and hence keeps trying!

Conor expects mockery now; he has become pessimistic and hopeless, expecting others to mistreat him

Conor feels isolated; unlike others who have "a life", he is alone and feeling depressed / insignificant