One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest revolves around the theme of individual freedom versus social conformity. Ken Kesey uses symbolism and motifs to represent this issue; the Combine symbolizes a society that aims to produce obedient servants and sends those who don’t easily fit into society to be “fixed” at the hospital. Patrick McMurphy’s conflict with Nurse Ratched epitomizes the rebellion against social conformity. McMurphy serves as the anti-hero who struggles with serving both his self-interest and helping the other patients. McMurphy initially appears as a hero to the other patients. When he first appears, Chief notes, “I know he’s no ordinary Admission. I don’t hear him slide scared along the wall, and when they tell him about the
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On the way to the patients’ fishing trip, a man recognizes that they are from the asylum and harasses them. McMurphy claims that they are crazy murderers, and the others realize that they can use their illnesses as a source of power. Chief states, “He’d shown us what a little bravado and courage could accomplish, and we thought he’d taught us how to use it” (201). Nurse Ratched taught the patients that they did not belong in society, but McMurphy gives them confidence to face the rest of the world. This epiphany allows the others to relax and enjoy their day out. This experience inspires Chief to defend a fellow patient and fight the orderlies alongside McMurphy. For this act of rebellion, Nurse Ratched sends them to receive electroshock therapy. McMurphy senses Chief’s fear of this treatment and tries to help him. He tells Chief, “And if they can’t hurt me they can’t hurt you” (240). McMurphy puts on a brave front so that Chief stays strong during the electroshock therapy. He voluntarily lies onto the crossed-shape table and mockingly asks an orderly if he will receive a “crown of thorns”. After the electroshock therapy, Chief believes that he beat the Combine because he did not return to the fog. He wonders, “Maybe the Combine wasn’t all-powerful. What was to stop us from doing it again, now that we saw we could? Or keep us from doing other things we wanted?” (260). Before he meets McMurphy, …show more content…
McMurphy is a radical who contrasts with the rest of society. In the beginning, McMurphy surprises the other patients with his laugh: “But it’s not the way that Public Relation laughs, it’s free and loud and it comes out of his wide grinning mouth and spreads in rings bigger and bigger til it’s lapping against the walls all over the ward” (10). It is the first laugh that Chief has heard in years because the patients learned to repress their emotions. McMurphy shows them that a man has nothing if he does not laugh. Like Jesus, McMurphy supports beliefs that goes against those of society. Chief narrates, “You can never tell when just that certain one might come in who’s free enough to foul things up right and left, really make a hell of a mess and constitute a threat to the whole smoothness of the outfit” (34). McMurphy represents everything that clashes with Nurse Ratched’s rules: sexuality, freedom, and independence. He wreaks havoc in Nurse Ratched’s ward by encouraging gambling, drinking, and sex. Just as Jesus befriended the poor and the sick, McMurphy views the others as just people. He tells the others, “You ain’t crazy that way. I mean—hell, I been surprised how sane you guys all are. As near as I can tell you’re not any crazier than the average asshole on the street—” (55). The other patients stay in the hospital because they believe that they cannot survive in the real world. McMurphy teaches them that no one can
On the way to the patients’ fishing trip, a man recognizes that they are from the asylum and harasses them. McMurphy claims that they are crazy murderers, and the others realize that they can use their illnesses as a source of power. Chief states, “He’d shown us what a little bravado and courage could accomplish, and we thought he’d taught us how to use it” (201). Nurse Ratched taught the patients that they did not belong in society, but McMurphy gives them confidence to face the rest of the world. This epiphany allows the others to relax and enjoy their day out. This experience inspires Chief to defend a fellow patient and fight the orderlies alongside McMurphy. For this act of rebellion, Nurse Ratched sends them to receive electroshock therapy. McMurphy senses Chief’s fear of this treatment and tries to help him. He tells Chief, “And if they can’t hurt me they can’t hurt you” (240). McMurphy puts on a brave front so that Chief stays strong during the electroshock therapy. He voluntarily lies onto the crossed-shape table and mockingly asks an orderly if he will receive a “crown of thorns”. After the electroshock therapy, Chief believes that he beat the Combine because he did not return to the fog. He wonders, “Maybe the Combine wasn’t all-powerful. What was to stop us from doing it again, now that we saw we could? Or keep us from doing other things we wanted?” (260). Before he meets McMurphy, …show more content…
McMurphy is a radical who contrasts with the rest of society. In the beginning, McMurphy surprises the other patients with his laugh: “But it’s not the way that Public Relation laughs, it’s free and loud and it comes out of his wide grinning mouth and spreads in rings bigger and bigger til it’s lapping against the walls all over the ward” (10). It is the first laugh that Chief has heard in years because the patients learned to repress their emotions. McMurphy shows them that a man has nothing if he does not laugh. Like Jesus, McMurphy supports beliefs that goes against those of society. Chief narrates, “You can never tell when just that certain one might come in who’s free enough to foul things up right and left, really make a hell of a mess and constitute a threat to the whole smoothness of the outfit” (34). McMurphy represents everything that clashes with Nurse Ratched’s rules: sexuality, freedom, and independence. He wreaks havoc in Nurse Ratched’s ward by encouraging gambling, drinking, and sex. Just as Jesus befriended the poor and the sick, McMurphy views the others as just people. He tells the others, “You ain’t crazy that way. I mean—hell, I been surprised how sane you guys all are. As near as I can tell you’re not any crazier than the average asshole on the street—” (55). The other patients stay in the hospital because they believe that they cannot survive in the real world. McMurphy teaches them that no one can