Evolution is a great phenomenon as long as you don't go back to the starting point. Sometimes even finding yourself back where you started can give the individual a lot to learn from. In the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, the protagonist Charlie Gordon undergoes an experiment to increase his IQ. It is illustrated that Charlie only becomes a whole and complete individual after becoming mentally retarded again by the end of the novel. Charlie develops and learns a lot during his journey. He matures as he grows in his intellectual capacity and has the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons; and realizes that it would be better to be mentally retarded than a genius. First, Charlie's operation turns him into an extremely intelligent person. Charlie becomes much smarter as the novel unfolds. Shortly after the operation, Charlie's IQ slowly begins to increase. He finally beats Algernon after repeatedly losing to him in a contest. After the victory Charlie says: "I beat Algernon. I didn't even know I beat him until Burt Selden told me... But after I beat him 8 more times. I must have gotten smart to beat a smart mouse like Algernon." (Keyes 30 ). Algernon is an intelligent mouse, who underwent the same operation as Charlie. Charlie's victory shows his increase in knowledge. This also shows that his brain is developing. Charlie then gains more knowledge. After writing a few more progress reports you can see a huge change in Charlie's writing, especially in his grammar. During a conversation with Joe, Charlie says, "Everyone on the floor came over and was laughing their heads off... you've been here long enough." (Keyes 34). By correcting his mistakes, Charlie shows that he is progressing towards a more polite environment... center of the card... five friends..." (Keyes 309). This shows that Charlie realizes that his friend likes him for whom it's not because of how smart he is. After all this Charlie becomes a more complete person because he realizes that it is better to be mentally disabled than to be very smart because he understands what he is turning into, he finally realizes he loves Alice and finds the his true friends. Therefore, although Charlie becomes mentally retarded in the end, he becomes a more well-rounded person as he undergoes many changes that contribute to his growth in intelligence, learns significant life lessons, and realizes that he is better off a mentally retarded person rather than a genius Charlie does not realize that, after becoming a genius, he is as far from his goal of being normal and integrated as he is a mentally retarded person...