On-Mirror's-Edge Forums

I thought of this my first time through the game but couldn't remember how the story ended. I had meant to go back and read the story but never got around to it. very astute observation Maniac536

That theory does indeed fit very well, especially considering the childish drawings and incorrect grammar on the papers found around his office.

Nice observation!

Maniac536 wrote:

First let me be blunt.  I am an english teacher.  My credentials are important to this.

There is a short story written a while ago which is very popular to post in high school english textbooks.  It is called "Flowers for Algernon".

The story is written as journal entries by a mentally retarded man named Charlie, who, while he's in his thirties, writes and reasons like he's six.  He works as a janitor and attends special classes.

At the start of the story Charlie is about to undergo an experimental operation.  Specifically, brain surgery.  A procedure was invented they believe could fix his mental handicap, and it was originally tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.  The mouse was born mentally handicapped and had already undergone the surgery.  Field tests in mazes before and after showed the mouse had incredible improvement in mental capacity and Charlie was selected as a test subject.  The mouse constantly beats him at racing the maze.

To make a long story short, Charlie undergoes the operation, which is a success, and slowly learns years worth of studies in mere weeks.  He falls in love with his teacher.  Eventually Charlie becomes so smart he becomes distanced from most of the intellectuals around him. 

However the mouse's intelligence starts to wane and eventually it stops eating, eventually starving to death.  Charlie leaves flowers at Algernon's grave.  Charlie reasons the same will eventually happen to him and he works day and night to publish a thesis of his experiences before he reverts to his previous state.  Eventually he does become handicapped again and starts falling back into his old habits.  He stops writing his journal entries and instead plans to leave NYC so he didn't have to see anyone who knew he was smart.

Okay, now onto the Janitor.  He appears to be in a mental state of about six years old, idolizes his pet mouse (who appears to be alive) who probably is his only friend (like Charlie).  He is a Janitor like Charlie was.  Could the Janitor be a "Flowers..." reference?  It is considered a very popular and well known story, espessially among nerds, or people who would design or play video games.

That sounds like a great book, i might look into that.
Back on topic i doubt it's a reference but maybe that is what inspired EA/DiCE to create a 'Character'(Yet not a main one) such as the janitor.

****! Thar resembles the Silent Hill series (The "Hard to understand" game type)

Congratulations!

I have to read that story.

But EPIC observation and connection there. I finally get the Janitor sidestory.

UPDATE: Just finished reading it a few days ago. Good book. But when Charlie was retarded, he didn't spell the word "remember" (in his early and last progress reports) the same as the Janitor in his closet (Charlie-remembir vs. Janitor-rember).

Last edited by SgtPikachu (2010-02-14 17:06:55)

No, you don't 'get' the Janitor. No one does.

Maniac536 wrote:

It is considered a very popular and well known story, espessially among nerds, or people who would design or play video games.

YOU just called us nerds!!!!!

lol xD

nah, uhm, yeah, I've read, somewhere in this forum, about the "flowers..." book, and, yeah, It has a lot of coincidences with the janitor in ME. it almost is considerated as an easter egg.

In fact, many people thought that the 88.7 actually it's a reference for the 88 page of the book, and the 7th paragraph. I don't know, I don't have the book xD