One of the interesting aspects about this fascinating novel is
the way that windows are used to symbolise the way that Charlie is separated from those around
him. A number of the memories he has when he becomes intelligent involve Charlie looking through
windows, which indicates the way that emotionally Charlie is so separate from others. Note the
following example as Charlie is just about to have his first journey in a
plane:
Through the
window--in the clouds--I see Charlie. Age is difficult to tell, about five years old. Before
Norma...
The window therefore seems to
represent all the ways in which the emotionally retarded Charlie is kept separate from those
around him, and the ways in which he is unable to engage in life. The symbol of the window makes
us realise that Charlie is a passive observer of so much of life: he doesn't understand what he
sees and he is unable to participate.
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