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Cuckoo's Nest Femininity Analysis

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In Cuckoo, physical and metaphorical sexual repression is exemplified in the actions of Nurse Ratched. For instance, Kesey writes that she possesses ‘big, womanly breats’, which juxtapose her youthful, innocent appearance, consisting of baby blue eyes, a small nose, and skin ‘like flesh-coloured- enamel’. Her overall appearance encompasses perfectly the equilibrium between her natural form, and her professionalism in the hospital. However Kesey’s portrayal of the Big Nurse leads us to believe that she is sacrificing her femininity to conform to the rules of the establishment in order to be efficient at her job. This means that Nurse Ratched is repressing her natural femininity through her uniform, yet the men in the ward still sexualise her,

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