Perspectives #3: Another Version of Algernon's Point of View

by queen4aday

Feeding-Time 73 of Consciousness

The big people don’t know I’m a lot smarter than they think. I can undo the latch on my cage and I found some report (it said Study on The Effects of...something something BORING.) and learned to write using it. I also found a TYPE-MATIC (that’s what it says on the side) and if I run over it right I can type. It’s hard and I have to wait until night-time when all the big people leave (I think they’re called “humans”). The food is nasty, but the mazes I do are fun. The report says I’m racing someone named Charlie but I don’t see him (maybe he’s one of the big people) and that my name is Algernon, and I’m a white mouse. I like Algernon, because it has Ns and I like Ns. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN


Progress Report – Feeding-Time 115 of Consciousness

I figured out how the big people communicate a while ago. It’s called talking and they make noises, like squeaks, but lower. The doctors, Strauss and Nemur (that’s who the report was by), talk a lot about how the other one is bad and just trying to...what are coat-tails? I looked and I don’t think they have tails.

I saw Charlie, and he told me we have to be presented to the International Psychological Convention in Chicago tomorrow. I realize he’s been talking to a lot, but before I didn’t understand. He said he isn’t writing about this in his progress reports, and I liked the term progress report, so now I’m going to use it.


Progress Report – June 16 (Charlie looked at my Progress Reports and explained what a date is.)

I met someone new today. She’s named Fay, and she’s crazy. However, I like her, because she’s nice too, and she thinks I should have a friend.

I have Charlie as a friend, but a mouse friend would be nice too. The only problem is that Charlie says I’m a lot smarter than other mice. Still, I do get lonely when Charlie’s away.

I wish I could go around like humans do, but Charlie says I shouldn’t leave the apartment.


Progress Report – June 21

I’m starting to dislike the maze. It’s just...too BORING. Sometimes I get really frustrated after them and thro myself against the walls of my cage afterward. I try to leave my Progress Reports out for Charlie to read, but I feel like he’s ignoring them.

Charlie has been something of a conundrum. He still refuses to refer to my level of intelligence in his reports, although with all the stuff he pours into them, it seems like this little anecdote. (It’s funny how my intelligence is an anecdote, even though it’s everything to me.)

I have a suspicion that, since his theories don’t make an allowance for my intelligence, in a quite vain (and rather ironic) attempt to preserve his right-ness, he refuses to acknowledge I exist as a person, not just a test animal.

I don’t think he’s my friend anymore.


july 10

its hard to type and i cant remember most of the words so ill try to make this short. im getting stupid and I feel sick. a while ago I bit someone. I don’t know who it is. I cant understand charlie very well now.


(There are no more “Progress Reports” from Algernon. This excerpt is from a complete group of papers that were found buried with some flowers next to Algernon’s grave.)