In paragraphs 132 - 134, we see a new attitude in Charlie. Especially in his relationship with Dr. Strauss, how would you explain Charlie's new attitude (what would you call that attitude)? Contrary to my earlier impressions of him, I realize that Dr.
Nemur is not at all a genius. He has a very good mind, but it
struggles under the specter of self-doubt. He wants people to take
him for a genius. Therefore, it is important for him to feel that his
work is accepted by the world. I believe that Dr. Nemur was afraid
of further delay because he worried that someone else might make
a discovery along these lines and take the credit from him.
Dr. Strauss on the other hand might be called a genius, although
I feel that his areas of knowledge are too limited. He was educated
in the tradition of narrow specialization; the broader aspects of
background were neglected far more than necessary—even for
a neurosurgeon.
I was shocked to learn that the only ancient languages he
could read were Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and that he knows
almost nothing of mathematics beyond the elementary levels of
the calculus of variations. When he admitted this to me, I found
myself almost annoyed. It was as if he’d hidden this part of
himself in order to deceive me, pretending—as do many people
I’ve discovered—to be what he is not. No one I’ve ever known is
what he appears to be on the surface.