Having an altered perception of the world, Ken Kesey created the captivating novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In his novel Kesey has constructed a world within a psychiatric ward, which becomes a microcosm of society. In this world the assumed deaf and dumb Chief Bromden, and other timid patients are heavily controlled by Nurse Ratched, an authority apart of the powerful and dehumanising combine. Through figurative language, foreshadowing and motifs readers are warned about the influence of societal expectations can have, particularly on a person’s power, sexuality and individuality, and thus Kesey ultimately leads us to question what it means to be human and an accepted member of society.
Through the unreliable and delusional narration of Chief, who believes his experience on the ward was ‘the truth even if it didn’t happen’, Kesey allows us to see how societal expectations may affect a person’s …show more content…
Other ways which Kesey conveys his beliefs on how McMurphy influences the patients is Through Kesey’s use of religious allusion, for example his description of McMurphy as leading the men to the sea ‘to be the fisher of men’ he effectively portrays McMurphy to a Christ-like figure, whose role in the novel is to act as a saviour for the intimidated patients. Chief allowed us to understand this when Kesey had him narrate that ‘McMurphy was a giant come out of the sky to save us from the combine’. Thus whilst Kesey shows that McMurphy’s influence and guidance gave characters confidence, which helped them to unlearn their helplessness inflicted upon them by Nurse Ratchet and the combine, he also conveys that without societal or an authorities’ influence, people would be lost. Implicit in this is Keseys warning that the pressures of society are what can cause
Through the unreliable and delusional narration of Chief, who believes his experience on the ward was ‘the truth even if it didn’t happen’, Kesey allows us to see how societal expectations may affect a person’s …show more content…
Other ways which Kesey conveys his beliefs on how McMurphy influences the patients is Through Kesey’s use of religious allusion, for example his description of McMurphy as leading the men to the sea ‘to be the fisher of men’ he effectively portrays McMurphy to a Christ-like figure, whose role in the novel is to act as a saviour for the intimidated patients. Chief allowed us to understand this when Kesey had him narrate that ‘McMurphy was a giant come out of the sky to save us from the combine’. Thus whilst Kesey shows that McMurphy’s influence and guidance gave characters confidence, which helped them to unlearn their helplessness inflicted upon them by Nurse Ratchet and the combine, he also conveys that without societal or an authorities’ influence, people would be lost. Implicit in this is Keseys warning that the pressures of society are what can cause