One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - 875 Words

In â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest† by Ken Kesey, Nurse Ratched symbolizes the oppression of society through archetypal emasculation. The male patients at the ward are controlled, alienated and forced into submission by the superior female characters. Throughout the novel, there is a constant fear of female superiority; Randle McMurphy, the sexually empowered male protagonist, states how they are essentially being castrated. Castration, in the novel, symbolizes the removal of freedom, sexual expression and their identity. Furthermore, Nurse Ratched, the mechanical enforcer, represents American society: corruption, surveillance and the deterioration of individuality. The suppression that the male patients face traces back to the suppression of American society. McMurphy refuses to be another robot following orders aimlessly, he fights to maintain his individuality and to spread that individuality to the other patients. Just as the novel, society in America is very mechanical, citizens follow mundane orders like machines and when a unique individual breaks through and expresses themselves, they are eliminated. The power that Nurse Ratched feels against the male patients is similar to the power that Society holds on their people, order and control is essential. Both entities fear individuals whom have original thought, those people cause a threat since they can influence others to think the way they do--control is then lost. Accordingly, McMurphy serves as the characterShow MoreRelatedEssay On One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest1487 Words   |  6 PagesWard Power is defined as the controlling entity that cannot be escaped from those who are less superior. In Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, there is an evident theme shown throughout particular instances of how power can turn into something catastrophic. From this novel, many characters undergo highs and lows of this concept. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tells a story through the perspective of Chief Bromden. The setting takes place in a mental institution located in Oregon, whereRead More One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay864 Words   |  4 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Written by Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was published in 1967 by Penguin Books. This story was written based on the author’s experience while working in a mental institution. He held long conversations with the inmates in order to gain a better understanding of them. It was during this period that he wrote the first draft of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Most of the characters in the novel are based upon actual patients he met while working atRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest2390 Words   |  10 Pages3 May 2011 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest In the novel, â€Å"One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest,† by Ken Kesey, the book has a lot of meaning, symbolism, and imagery. This book has been criticized by many around the country and has even been considered to be banned in high schools nationwide. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is seen as obscene, racist, immoral, and sexist to some eyes. It does have some bizarre language, and some obscene scenes, but every great literature attempts to give anRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey1137 Words   |  4 Pages In 2010 one in five Americans experienced some sort of mental illness, and only about 60 percent of people with mental illness get treatment each year1. In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, by Ken Kesey, the wrong people seem to be getting the treatment. The novel is the story of a gambling addictive man, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who is a committed mental patient, serving out his time as an â€Å"Acute† instead of a Prisoner . Ultimately, the story tells of how insanity can be broughtRead MoreTheme Of Women In One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest1766 Words   |  8 Pages One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest In the 1960s the views of women were not as they are today. For centuries women have been objectified and not treated as equals, only being viewed as property or looked at for their physical features. Ken Kesey the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with the character McMurphy, learned towards the superiority of the male sexuality over female authority (123 Helpme). The women in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are portrayed as weak, sex objects,Read MoreOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. Essay668 Words   |  3 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a controversial novel that has left parents and school authorities debating about its influence on students since its publication in 1962. The novel describes the inner workings of a mental institution, how the patients are emasculated and mistreated by the terrifying Nurse Ratched, who will go to any length to control them. But in comes McMurphy, a criminal who chose to go to an asylum rather than serve physical labor; he disrupts the order of the hospital withRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Research Paper1764 Words   |  8 PagesDrugs and Insanity Against Society The author of the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Ken Keasey, received his inspiration for the book while volunteering at a veterans hospital. This is where he was first introduced to LSD. The moment he tried it, he became addicted, and began experimenting on himself with the drugs, observing the effects. The novel deals with the tyrannical rule of head Nurse Ratched in a mental hospital somewhere in Oregon. She runs all business and daily life in the asylumRead MoreOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey1916 Words   |  8 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Ken Kesey Final One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, written by Ken Kesey, was a very successful novel which was impactful on the world in the past, and still is today. Ken Kesey, a big believer in individuality and the freedom to be oneself, brought new meaning to the world of psychiatry that changed treatments forever. This book didn’t just affect American society, it had a global impact. All around the world there are people that are admitted into mental institutionsRead MoreOne Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey580 Words   |  2 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is an enthralling book which depicts the lives of the insane and their struggles regarding the authority of a healthcare facility ward. The healthcare facility ward develops into a restaurant of disobedience while the wise-guy hero, attempts to reform the establishment while dignifying individuals within. The story is written in the first person perspective by Chief Bromden a big client that is sharing his psychologi cal facility experience. He is a man who has actuallyRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest - Analytical Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesAnalytical Essay – One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest is a creation of the socio-cultural context of his time. Social and cultural values, attitudes and beliefs informed his invited reading of his text. Ken Kesey was a part of The Beat generation and many of their ideologies and the socio cultural context of U.S post WWII were evident through characters and various discourses throughout One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, giving us his invited reading.