One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, is a novel written about the tyrannical control of a government-operated mental institution, and the struggle for freedom and self-confidence. The restrictions which are placed on the men are great, yet it only takes the influence of one man, Randle Patrick McMurphy, to overcome the power of the institution, and ultimately free his ward mates from the power of control. As the novel begins the reader is introduced to Big Chief, or Chief Bromden, as he is known, who has been an inmate of the ward for 15 years. Bromden is the narrator of the novel and introduces the reader to the struggle for freedom among the inmates inside the ward. The ward of the institution is separated between two types of individuals: the acutes and the chronics. The acutes are the individuals who still have a chance to "be fixed" (Kesey 19) and return to the outside world where as the chronics "are in for good" (19) and have no chance of leaving the ward. The inmates are under the control of Nurse Ratched, who runs the ward and controls their every thought and movement. She follows the same routine everyday, "She'll spend the day sitting at her desk and looking out h
This infuriates McMurphy, driving him to try even harder to overcome Big Nurse. A good example of this is when McMurphy wants to change the TV schedule so that he can watch the World Series. McMurphy gives his life so that his fellow Szpak 5friends could have the freedom, which they have longed for many years. The chance to go fishing gives the inmates an opportunity to feel as though they are in control of themselves and to interact with the outside world. One additional vote would allow McMurphy to change the TV schedule, so he moves over to Bromden trying to get his winning vote. McMurphy slowly began breaking the rules, starting with gambling for cigarettes and small change, nothing of real importance. The trip is a success! The trip allows the men to realize that they are, like everyone outside of the ward, capable of being their own individual without the control of Big Nurse. er window and making notes on what goes on for the next eight hours" (10). The men were now free of the nurse's tyrannical control and power, which they had been under for so many years. Big Nurse viewed him as a rebel, one she could not trust to follow her system of control. This gives the inmates an escape route to the outside world where they belong. It allows them to plan a fishing trip against Nurse Ratched's wishes, Doctor Spivey, who has also fought against the nurse's power, accompanies them. McMurphy realizes that Nurse Ratched has immense power over the inmates, which keeps them from fighting against her to gain freedom, so McMurphy takes it upon himself to stand up to Big Nurse in order to try and give the inmates a chance to be free. The "control panel" which was thought to never be moved was picked up and heaved out the window by Bromden.
Common topics in this essay:
Nurse Ratched,
Patrick McMurphy,
Nurse McMurphy's,
World Series,
Majority McMurphy,
Doctor Spivey,
Chief Bromden,
Nurse McMurphy,
Ken Kesey,
McMurphy Series,
nurse ratched,
control nurse,
outside world,
cuckoo's nest,
flew cuckoo's nest,
flew cuckoo's,
inmates free control,
mcmurphy realizes,
free control,
nurse's power,
randle patrick mcmurphy,
lift panel,
power inmates,
change tv schedule,
mcmurphy change tv,
|
Acceptance Essays
