What defines a "hero" can vary wildly, depending on who you ask: some heroes may be veterans fighting for their country, while others may simply be citizens municipalities that help and save others. But can someone who survives a risky operation have the qualities of a hero? In the short story "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, the main protagonist Charlie Gordon, a thirty-seven-year-old adult with an IQ of sixty-eight, undergoes a life-threatening operation to triple his IQ. After the operation, when Charlie realizes the after effects he will soon have, remorse and suicidal feelings grow. As a result, he experiences more and more regret and suicidal feelings. Although Charlie Gordon feels hopeless and suicidal, Charlie Gordon possesses heroic qualities because he saw his fate through Algernon and chooses to accept it. Furthermore, Charlie has the courage to abandon his past and start over in a new environment just so his friends don't have to feel sorry for him. Even though Charlie Gordon didn't directly help anyone, he still possesses the qualities of a hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFor example, Charlie Gordon takes part in an operation that he does not fully understand, but afterward he begins to have suicidal thoughts but Charlie has the courage to persevere. “I want to be left to my own devices. I became touchy and irritable. [...] It is difficult to banish suicidal thoughts” (533). Charlie's feelings are very negative, but even then he still tries to push them away and says it's very difficult. Instead of crying and giving up, Charlie Gordon is still aware of how his participation in the operation will help others like him in the future. After the effects of the operation wear off completely, Charlie does not feel sad, but feels grateful for what he experiences during his moment of intelligence, even if for a fleeting moment. "If you ever read this, Miss Kinnian, don't feel sorry for me, I'm glad I got a second chance to be smart because I learned a lot of things I didn't even know existed in this world and I'm grateful that I saw it all for bit. bit." Even though Charlie experiences all the pain and suffering, he still feels grateful for what he still has, despite the amount. In addition to focusing on what he has lost, Charlie focuses on how to grow from his previous experiences. Charlie Gordon is a very kind and extremely thoughtful man, he doesn't have the slightest negativity in him. Charlie is heroic because he has the courage to start over in an unfamiliar environment where all sorts of people can belittle and insult him, simply so everyone he knows doesn't have to feel sympathy for his plight “I don't want Miss Kinnian to feel sorry for me. Everyone is sorry in the factory and I don't want that…” (538). Charlie is very attentive to the feelings of others; he doesn't want them to feel sorry or guilty about himself. He loves and cares for all the people from his past and is willing to sacrifice himself for a new world just so they don't have to feel bad about anything. Charlie also knows how to defend himself from bullies when they insult him; it does so without harming them, as seen in its progress reports. “I told myself, Charlie, if they make fun of you don't get mad because you remember they weren't as smart as you once thought they were your friends once and if they laughed at you it doesn't mean anything because they liked you too” (536 ). Here, Charlie reassures himself that he doesn't need to react when his friends insult him. Instead, he tells himself that those who laugh at him "[don't.