The book takes place in a mental institution some where in the Northwest. The entire story is told by a resident at the institution, Chief Bromben. Everyone at the asylum calls him Chief Broom and thinks that he is deaf and dumb, but they are soon to be proven wrong.
             The main problem in the story is the evil nurse that runs the asylum who treats the patients very poorly. She is a very cold woman who has a precise way of doing everything. In the hospital it seems that things run her way, or no way at all.
             Towards the beginning a man named Randal Patrick McMurphy (called McMurphy in the book) is admitted to the ward. He is a strong man with a strong purpose. He is also a die-hard gambler. He believes that the way the nurse treats the patients is uncalled for, and decides to take matters into his own hands to dedicate his time to rebelling against Nurse Ratchet. This isnot the smartest thing to do because he probably knew all along that his plan to rebel against the authority could (and did) backfire on him, leading him into great punishment.
             In the ward they have lots of meetings where they all get together and share difficulties they are having within the ward and at home. The nurse addresses the problem that one of the patients, Mr. Harding, is having with his wife, and McMurphy disagrees with how they address the issues so openly. He tells Harding that the way the meetings are run is like a "pecking-patry" and all the patients turn on each other. Harding explains to him that everyone, even the staff that work there are afraid of Nurse Ratched, but they supposivly need her to show them there place in life.
             The next portion of the book tells the rebellious acts that McMurphy shows against Nurse Ratched. These include complaining about not being able to brush his teeth when ever he feels like it...and standing before her in only a towel threatening to take it off (even though he had
             shorts on)...and...