Question

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Program Report

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Dr. Strauss says I should write down what I think and everything that happens to me from now on. I don't know why, but he says it's important, so they will see if they will use me. I hope they use me. Miss Kinnian says maybe they can make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon. I am 37 years old, and two weeks ago was my birthday. I have nothing more to say now, so I will close for today.

Program Report 2 - March 6

I had a test today. I think I failed it, and I think that maybe now they won't use me. What's happy is a nice young man was in the room and he had some white cards with ink spilled all over them. He said, "Charlie, what do you see on this card?" I was very scared even though I had my rabbit's foot in my pocket because when I was a kid I always failed tests in school and I spilled ink too:3

I told him I saw an ink

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That was all, but when I got up to go, he stopped me. He said, "Now sit down, Charlie, we are not through yet." Then I don't remember so well, but he wanted me to say what was in the ink. I couldn't see anything in the ink, but he said there were pictures there. Other people saw some pictures. I couldn't see any pictures. I really tried to see. I held the card close up and then far away. Then I said, "If I had my glasses, I could see better." I usually only wear my glasses at the movies or on TV, but I said they were in the closet in the hall. I got them. Then I said, "Let me see that card image. I bet I'll find it now."

I tried hard but I still couldn't find the pictures; I only saw the ink. I told him maybe I needed new glasses. He drew something down on a piece of paper, and I got scared of failing the test. I told him it was a very nice inkblot with little dots all around the edges. He looked very sad, so that wasn't it. I said, "Please let me try again. I'll get it in a few minutes."5

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Because I'm not so fast sometimes. I'm a slow learner too in Miss Kinnian's class for slow adults, but I'm trying very hard.

He gave me a chance with another card that had two kinds of ink spilled on it: red and blue.

He was very nice and spoke slowly, like Miss Kinnian does, and he explained to me that it was a raw shock test. He said people see things in the ink. I said, "Show me where." He said, "Think." I told him I think an inkblot, but that wasn't right. He said, "What does it remind you of? Pretend something." I closed my eyes for a long time to pretend. I told him I pretended a fox pen with ink leeching all over a tablecloth. Then he got up and left.

I don't think I passed the raw shock testprogram report

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CLOSE READ

Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur said it didn't matter about the inkblots. I told them I didn't spill the ink on the cards and I couldn't see anything in the ink. They said that maybe they would still use me. I said Miss Kinnian never gave me tests like that, only spelling and reading. They said Miss Kinnian told me that I was her best pupil in the adult night school because I tried the hardest and I really wanted to learn. They said, "How did you come to the adult night school all by yourself, Charlie? How did you find it?" I said I asked people, and someone told me where I should go to learn to read and spell well. They said, "Why did you want to?" I told them, "Because all my life I've wanted to be smart and not dumb. But it's very hard to be smart." They said, "You know it will probably be tempting." I said, "Yes, Miss Kinnian told me. I don't care if it hurts."

Later today I had more crazy tests. The nice lady who gave them to me:Beginning: March
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
Charlie at the Beginning
● What is Charlie like?
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● How does Charlie see himself?
________________________________________________________________________________
● How do others treat him?
________________________________________________________________________________
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Answer 1

Charlie at the Beginning

- What is Charlie like?
Charlie is earnest, simple, and very eager to learn. He is 37 but writes in a childlike way and calls himself a "slow learner." He works hard, tries to please others, and gets nervous during tests (he clutches a rabbit’s foot, asks for his glasses, keeps asking for more chances). He wants to improve and is honest about his difficulties.

- How does Charlie see himself?
Charlie sees himself as "dumb" or slow and wants to become smart. He repeatedly says he wants to learn and not be "dumb" anymore. He is aware of his limitations (he admits he is not fast and that school is hard for him) but believes effort can change him and is willing to endure difficulty to get smarter.

- How do others treat him?
Most of the adults treat Charlie gently and with patience. Miss Kinnian praises his effort and calls him her best pupil in the night class. The testers speak slowly and give him chances, though they also test and examine him in ways that make him anxious; sometimes their reactions (looking sad, stopping him) make him worry he failed. Overall they are kind but a bit clinical or condescending because they know his limitations.