Read the following excerpt from "Flowers for Algernon." Then answer the questions that follow. I feel a lot better today, but I guess I’m still a little angry that all the time people were laughing and making fun of me because I wasn’t so smart. When I become intelligent like Mr. Strauss says, with three times my I. Q. of 68, then maybe I’ll be like everyone else and people will like me and be friendly.

I’m not sure what an I. Q. is. Dr. Nemur said it was something that measured how intelligent you were—like a scale in the drugstore weighs pounds. But Dr. Strauss had a big argument with him and said an I. Q. didn’t weigh intelligence at all. He said an I. Q. showed how much intelligence you could get, like the numbers on the outside of a measuring cup. You still had to fill the cup up with stuff.

“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

Part A

What is ironic about Charlie’s description?