Describe how Charlie reacts to the ink blot test in "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes.

In "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, Charlie Gordon is given a series of tests to determine whether or not he will be a good candidate for a surgery that might increase his intelligence. One of the tests Charlie is given is the Rorschach Test, also called the Inkblot Test. Charlie does not understand the test, and he becomes nervous because it reminds him of when he was a child and failed tests, often spilling ink on them. When the test proctor asks Charlie what he sees, he responds that he sees an inkblot. The proctor tries to get Charlie to understand that most people look at inkblots and see pictures, but Charlie still does not get it. He wants to put his glasses on, so that he can see better. He says,

"I told him it was a very nice inkblot with little points all around the edges" (Keyes 2)

Eventually, the tester gives up, and Charlie thinks he has failed the test.