One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The role of the hero in Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is played by Randle P. McMurphy, a wrongly committed mental patient with a lust for life. The qualities that garner McMurphy respect and admiration from his fellow patients are also responsible for his tragic downfall. These qualities include his temper, which leads to his being deemed "disturbed," his stubbornness, which results in his receiving numerous painful disciplinary treatments, and finally his free spirit, which leads to his death. Despite McMurphy being noble man, in the end, these characteristics hurt him more than they help him. Throughout the novel, McMurphy displays that he has a wild temper. This temper aids him in his battle with the "Big Nurse" Nurse Ratched for control of the mental ward. However, his temper eventually works against him. Upon McMurphy's arrival to the ward he establishes himself as a con man and a gambler. One of his first bets with the other patients is to see if, within a week, he can put "a bee in [Nurse Ratched's] butt, a burr in her bloomers. Get her goat. Bug her till she comes apart at those neat little seams" (Kesey, Nest 69). McMurphy makes this bet after he learns
As a result, he receives numerous Electro-Shock Therapy treatments. It is part of his fighting spirit as he will not accept defeat. Knowing that McMurphy would not want to live his life in that state, a fellow patient decides to kill him. Upon his arrival to the Disturbed Ward, Electro-Shock Therapy is administered to McMurphy as punishment. McMurphy also radiates his rebellious nature to the others by standing up against all the ward policies that he disagrees with. And you? With your red hair and black record? Why delude yourself" (68). This is one reason why the others look up to him so much. but mainly, they become able and willing to struggle for life" (Hicks, Criticism 234). When McMurphy is committed to the Disturbed Ward, he has the opportunity to return to his old ward as long as he admits to being wrong. Throughout the novel, McMurphy's free spirit is demonstrated. If McMurphy admitted he was wrong, he could avoid the Electro-Shock Therapies. A second important personality trait of McMurphy is his stubbornness. During an argument with one of the black aides to the Big Nurse, a punch is thrown and a fight breaks out.
Common topics in this essay:
Electro-Shock Therapy,
Disturbed Ward,
Hicks Criticism,
Randle McMurphy,
Electro-Shock Therapies,
Kesey Nest,
Nurse Ratched,
Knowing McMurphy,
Despite McMurphy,
McMurphy McMurphy's,
disturbed ward,
free spirit,
electro-shock therapy,
throughout novel,
electro-shock therapy administered,
mcmurphy makes,
novel mcmurphy,
fighting spirit,
mcmurphy displays,
mcmurphy's free spirit,
stubborn allow,
kesey's novel flew,
mcmurphy's free,
flew cuckoo's nest,
novel flew cuckoo's,
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Acceptance Essays
