Flowers for Algernon is a novel by Daniel Keyes about a man named Charlie Gordon who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. Charlie is a 32-year-old man with a low IQ who works as a janitor at a bakery. He is selected for the surgery after proving himself through a series of tests. The surgery is successful, and Charlie's intelligence rapidly increases, surpassing that of the doctors who performed the surgery. However, as Charlie becomes more intelligent, he also becomes increasingly isolated from those around him, struggling to connect with people on an emotional level. He also discovers that the surgery is not permanent, and his intelligence will eventually regress back to his previous level. In the end, Charlie's intelligence regresses, and he is left with the realization that he was better off before the surgery, despite the pain and isolation he experienced. The novel explores themes of intelligence, identity, social isolation, and the ethics of scientific experimentation.