Socratic Egg Notes

7Eleven:
Surgery is harming Charlie because... he has become too smart and others are noticing it.  Good: he can write and read well.  Bad: he realizes that people are making fun of him.  The more intelligence a person has, the fewer worries that they  have: Charlie is actually worried and has concerns about his past and his flashbacks.
A person should be paid based on their IQ: It's all about work ethic.  86- Gimpy was skimming some money off the top and he was an average guy. 
Ignorance is bliss, to a point.  He realizes that the Donner's guys are making fun of him.
Alice encourages him to trust himself and have some confidence.
IQ measures knowledge of analogies.  Motivation and dedication are not measured by the IQ test. 
Alice is being helpful amongst the doctors who are concerned about the experiement, whereas she is concerned about his well-being.
Charlie's past could hold keys to his future by helping him discover from where he's come. 
Technology is making Charlie feel like a lap rat.  It's a risky surgery and could be very harmful... they've only tried it on a mouse!
Without your past, you can't understand why you are the way that you are at this moment in your life. Question: How does his family play into that?
Past helps you to learn from your mistake.  He doesn't want to get in trouble because he remembers that his mom used to spank or smack him.
Raising a person with a disability requires time and patience... which Rose does not have.  Temple Grandin was being helped by lots,  but only a few understood her and were able to be supportive.
Society judges each person, and so Charlie has become convinced that he is "dumb."
Alice and Charlie: He acts like a teenage boy instead of a 32-year-old man.  He is reliving what he missed out on in his childhood.  HE's almost reborn.
Dating Alice is a bad idea... she had a different role as teacher, not as a GF.  She understands that it's not time for him since he's struggling so much.
Charlie==lab rat.  As if he has no feeling or emotions and that he's going to be going through a lot personally.
Alice understands him and has been encouraging all along.  She's his only support system and real friend. She gives him time to adjust to his new life and perspective.
Charlie was a victim of technology.  They took advantage of his prior state by preying upon his desire to be smart.  He was convinced.  Strauss and Nemur knew the options and went to his sister, who clearly doesn't care about him. 
Surgery fears-- the setting was not that technologically advanced, a lot could have gone wrong.
If Alice goes away, he loses his one person.
Emotions and intellect-- as one goes up, does the other go down?
Alice and Charlie: Charlie didn't like Alice before, now he likes her.
Intelligence makes a person more likeable: "You've got beyond my intellectual reach.  In a few weeks you might become a different person."
Alice is helpful and gives advice.
Charlie has become impatient, even though she is being patient with him.
Charlie has been fired because of his intelligence and what he notices now about what's going on (Gimpy).
Why wouldn't Charlie tell Mr. Donner about Gimpy?  Mr. Donner has been loyal up until this point. Charlie doesn't let others walk all over him like he used to when he was in the dark.
The dreams and flashbacks of his family.  They put these feelings into his mind.  His dad abandoned him when Rose was picking on him.
His realizations about his childhood may morph him into someone new-- good or bad?
Rose was trying to support him... but was it too much??  Matt supported and accepted him, but he abandoned him... ??
They approve surgery only to make him smart... who cares if something goes wrong.  Socially awkward --> flashbacks
His mind is being renewed and refreshed.  The world is really all new to him.
Families of disabilities: It's a neverending committment.
So... how IS Charlie a product of his childhood?  Can you relate Charlie to other character about which we read this year?
We learn from life, but Charlie's has been a large void physically and developmentally.
Self-confidence: Before surgery, somewhat confident.  After, he loses... do you think it's possible for a person to have TOO much confidence?
Rose's role as mom is BAD.  She was pushy and ignored the obvious instead of teaching him with patience (like Temple's mom).
Why is Charlie both a man and a teenager?  As a man, he carried a job.  As a teen, he's exploring his feelings for Alice.  As a child,  he's overeager to learn.  Think about when little kids learn something-- they want to do it and show it again and again.
Fewer worries? If you're smart, you can go to college and get a job... which, really, he sort of has, right?
He missed out on a chunk of his life and his foundations.
Academic development has sky-rocketed, but he's like a robot.  He's not really very human.  He is under surveillence and study all the time.
Rose: Roses have thorns and can be harmful.
Norma: "normal" there's nothin "wrong"
Matt: like a doormat, and Rose walks all over him.  He doesn't stand up to her.