In "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, by the time we reach the Progress Report when Charlie goes back to the plant to try to get his old job back, he has regressed to the same level of intelligence he was in the beginning. Mr. Donnegan gives him the job, but when a new worker makes a remark about his intelligence, Joe Carp comes to Charlie's defense--something he had never done before.
"I felt bad but Joe Carp came over and grabbed him by the shirt and said leave him alone you lousy cracker or Ill break your neck. I didn't expect Joe to take my part so I guess he's really my friend" (Keyes 40).
Then Charlie forgets he is no longer in Miss Kinnian's class, and when he shows up, she gets very upset and leaves the room crying.
Charlie decides to leave New York for good at that point because he does not want anyone feeling sorry for him, neither at the factory nor at his class--especially not Miss Kinnian. Charlie does not want people he cares about feeling badly for him and for what he is experiencing as he loses his once superior intelligence.
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