153 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2023
    1. feel even worser than the other one

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

    2. dint know that mice were so smart

      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

    3. Algernon won every time

      due to the mouse's artificially-induced intelligence

    4. I woudnt see it so I tryed not to look and that made me nervus

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

    5. he was trying to hide

      Bert is kind enough to try not to stress Charlie

    6. I dint see howe we could have the same amazed if Algernon had a box and I had a paper

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

    7. amazed and that Algernon and me had the same amazed

      **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). **

    8. like a race

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

    9. He's just a mouse.

      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.

    10. Algernon.

      Bert patiently teaches Charlie to say the name

    11. CHARLIE laughs.

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

    12. Al-ger-non.

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

    13. Miss Kinnian

      he is seeking assurance in the form of his teacher

    14. I'm not scared

      Despite obviously being scared, Charlie tries to be brave

    15. Don't be scared, Charlie.

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

    16. Where are we going?

      Charlie reveals uncertainty and fear

    17. Ill try reely hard to see the pictures.

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

    18. my frend Bert

      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.

    19. I tryed the hardist and I reely wantid to lem

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

    20. bestest pupil

      this is how Charlie has understood "star pupil"

    21. I don't care if it hurts.

      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.

    22. Do you know that it will probably be temporary?

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

    23. Are you going to use me?

      his eagerness shows he does not mind being objectified

    24. all my life I wanted not to be stupid

      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.

    25. Why did you want to learn to read and to spell?

      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

    26. Her best pupil

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

    27. stares blankly at him.

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

    28. Miss Kinnian tells us you're her star pupil.

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

    29. to learn to read and spell good

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

    30. No. I asked people

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

    31. Did someone tell you to go there?

      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

    32. How did you find the night school,

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

    33. Miss Kinnian never gives me tests like that one.

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

    34. Tell us about the night school you go to.

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

    35. I didn't spill it.

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

    36. It doesn't matter.

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

    37. I couldn't see the pictures. I'm really sorry.

      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

    38. Right . . .

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

    39. Sit down please.

      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.

    40. Nemur . . . How do you do?

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

    41. (memorising): Dr Strauss . .

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

    42. I dont think I passd the test

      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

    43. Im trying very hard.

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

    44. Miss Kinnians class for slow adults

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

    45. Im not so fast somtimes. Im a slow reeder too

      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

    46. please let me try agen

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

    47. reely tryed to see

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

    48. I couldn't see any picturs

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

    49. I told him I saw a inkblot but he wantid me to say what was in the ink

      Charlie sees things literally and struggles to look at things figuratively

    50. Other pepul

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

    51. when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spilled ink to

      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.

    52. I had my rabits foot in my pockit

      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.

    53. was very skared

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

    54. white cards with ink spilled all over them

      Charlie doesn't quite understand what the Rorschach test is

    55. I think that maybe now they wont use me

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

    56. I think I faled it

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

    57. a test

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

    58. I want you to look at these cards

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

    59. I'm very well, thanks

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

    60. unexpected formal politeness makes BERT stop his shuffling and look at CHARLIE properly for the first time

      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.

    61. How do you do, Bert?

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

    62. I'm Charlie.

      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.

    63. BERT

      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.

    64. jumps a little.

      Charlie seems to be nervous

    65. humming tunelessly

      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.

    66. We'll do some tests.

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

    67. I'm not in favour.

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

    68. Average for his development. Perhaps slightly above.

      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

    69. IQ, sixty-eight

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

    70. Three sessions.

      Miss K reluctantly acknowledges Charlie's struggle

    71. Not long

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

    72. How long did it take him to learn to work the recorder?

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

    73. Dr Strauss?

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

    74. Well, doctor?

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

    75. maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. I have nuthing more to say now.

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

    76. tape hiss and room atmosphere. More mic bumps

      again, Charlie struggles to manage the tape recorder

    77. nuthing more to say now.

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

    78. I want to be smart

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

    79. maybe they can make me smart

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

    80. I hope they use me

      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.

    81. use me

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

    82. they

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

    83. dont know why but she says its importint

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

    84. shud say about what I think and evrey thing that happins

      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.

    85. I am 37 years old and two weeks ago was my birthday

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

    86. gathers his thoughts

      Charlie requires preparation and effort to speak

    87. Hello? Hello, hello

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

    88. mic bumps, and the first words are much too close and distorted

      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.

  2. Feb 2023
    1. At last

      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!

  3. Mar 2022
    1. the distant pain

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

    2. persisted

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

    3. Who then

      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)

    4. Not Kevin

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

    5. shook my head weakly

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

    6. realized that these men were trying to blame Kevin for "hurting" my arm

      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

    7. "Accident," I heard myself whisper. "It was an accident."

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

    8. Didn't they think I knew it was gone?

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

    9. Hurt. As though I'd scratched my arm

      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"

    10. Who hurt you?

      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

    11. I had to struggle to understand

      Dana is in a state of complete confusion

    12. shad­ows

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

    13. I had to convince the police that he did not belong in jail

      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

    14. he came to the hospital and stayed with me so that I would know I hadn't lost him too

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

    15. the comfort and security I had not valued

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

  4. Feb 2022
    1. about a year of my life

      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

    2. My left arm. ​

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

    3. I lost an arm

      implying a grievous and serious loss and injury

    4. last trip home

      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

    1. convince the police that he did not belong in jail

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

    2. so that I would know I hadn't lost him too

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

    3. comfort and security I had not valued until it was gone

      her time in the past has permanently scarred her

    4. a year of my life

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

    5. left arm.

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

    6. my last trip home

      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

  5. Nov 2021
  6. Sep 2021
    1. There was nothing more to say.

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

    2. “I wish I had a hundred years,” she said, very quietly. “A hundred years I could give to you.”

      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

    3. administered painkillers so strong she was never able to stay awake after she took them

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

    4. bent in two, like he was being torn right through his middle.

      Conor feels agony at his mother's impending demise

    5. ou feel bad for being so angry, if you feel bad for being so angry at me that you couldn’t even speak to me,

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

    6. “You be as angry as you need to be,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your grandma, not your dad, no one. And if you need to break things, then by God, you break them good and hard.”

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

    7. so weak, so weak

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

    8. pretty angry, too

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

    9. It’s okay that you’re angry, sweetheart,” she said. “It really, really is.

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

    10. It’s probably what’s kept me here so long, Conor. Believing it so you would

      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

    11. “You lied,” Conor said, looking back up at her. “You’ve been lying this whole time.”

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

    12. even though she kept up her smile

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

    13. “I’ve never been more sorry about anything in my life.”

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

    14. “There aren’t any more treatments.”

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

    15. Conor frowned. “How can it not be working?”

      Conor refuses to accept that his mother may not recover

    16. deep breath to speak, which set her off into a terrible, heavy-sounding coughing fit.

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

    17. He knew he was asking a question. He knew she knew it, too.  

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

    18. both turned to look at Conor

      sense of suspense and worry for what may happen to Conor

    19. “Lily–” he started to say,

      Conor reaches out to Lily to mend their friendship

    20. had to swallow before he could speak

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

    21. She saw him, really saw him

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

    22. Looked him right in the eye.

      Lily is honest and courageous with Conor

    23. she was blushing furiously

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

    24. read it again. And again.

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

    25. I underlined about a hundred times

      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

    26. I see you

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

    27. Are you okay?

      Lily expresses concern for Conor's wellbeing

    28. miss being your friend

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

    29. I’m sorry for telling everyone about your mum, read the first line.

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

    30. and the world went quiet

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

    31. folded what seemed like a couple of hundred times

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

    32. Conor reached across the aisle and took the note

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

    33. “Take it,” she whispered out of the side of her mouth

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

    34. for Conor.

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

    35. where she’d sat throughout all the years they’d been in school together

      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

    36. this time more insistent.

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

    37. Making fun of him no doubt. Look at Conor O’Malley, just sitting there like a lump. What a freak.

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

    38. everyone who had a life, anyway

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