Цветы для Элджернона

           Howstrangeitisthatpeopleofhonestfeelingsandsensibility,whowouldnottakeadvantageofamanbornwithoutarmsorlegsoreyes—howsuchpeoplethinknothingofabusingamanbornwithlowintelligence.Itin­furiatedmetorememberthatnottoolongagoI—likethisboy—hadfoolishlyplayedtheclown.

           AndIhadalmostforgotten.

           Onlyashorttimeago,Ilearnedthatpeoplelaughedatme.NowIcanseethatunknowinglyIjoinedtheminlaughingatmyself.Thathurtsmostofall.

           Ihaveoftenrereadmyearlyprogressreportsandseentheilliteracy,thechildishnaivete,themindoflowintelli­gencepeeringfromadarkroom,throughthekeyhole,atthedazzlinglightoutside.InmydreamsandmemoriesI’veseenCharliesmilinghappilyanduncertainlyatwhatpeoplearoundhimweresaying.EveninmydullnessIknewIwasinferior.OtherpeoplehadsomethingIlacked—somethingdeniedme.Inmymentalblindness,Ihadbe­lieveditwassomehowconnectedwiththeabilitytoreadandwrite,andIwassurethatifIcouldgetthoseskillsIwouldhaveintelligencetoo.

           Evenafeeble-mindedmanwantstobelikeothermen.

           Achildmaynotknowhowtofeeditself,orwhattoeat,yetitknowshunger.

           Thisdaywasgoodforme.I’vegottostopthischild­ishworryingaboutmyself—mypastandmyfuture.Letmegivesomethingofmyselftoothers.I’vegottousemyknowledgeandskillstoworkinthefieldofincreasinghumanintelligence.