"Narratives concerning the struggle of the individual who battles with power structures of society make absorbing reading" Discuss at least one NOVEL describing the elements of such a battle and why they are of interest.
             In Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a psychiatric ward becomes a metaphor for the oppressive nature of American society. This symbolic novel is a clear example of the struggle of the individual battling with the power structures of society. However, it represents much more than a classic case of "man versus the establishment". The questions raised by Kesey are almost as chilling as his descriptive tale of inmate abuse. Kesey compels us to think about just how thin the line is that separates sanity from insanity, treatment from control, as well as the similarity of a psychiatric ward to the rest of society. Representing a heroic struggle of personality against an institution of mindless conformity makes One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a truly powerful and absorbing piece of literature.
             On a broad scale, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (OFOTCN) could be thought of as the classic case of good versus evil. The patients evoke warm, human emotions while the hospital workers are portrayed as cruel and cold hearted.
             We take into example the manner in which Kesey portrays both the protagonist (Randall Patrick McMurphy) and the antagonist (Nurse Ratched) of this story. Through the background information given to us throughout the book, we are given a fairly accurate description of these two characters. There is a distinct difference between them, McMurphy representing the counterculture of Nurse Ratched.
             However, the interesting idea is their given personality. McMurphy is described as a gambling addict, violent and as a sex maniac, whilst Nurse Ratched is described as a model citizen, generous and able to put the problems of others before hers. However, there is a ve...