Kesey uses symbolism and diction to portray that truth may be cruel and illusions may appear tempting, and it further emphasizes that one must take ricks and face possible failures before achieving his goal. Kesey uses symbolism when Bromden gives a flashback of his past experience in Europe. He looked at the fog machines and states, “You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself” (131). Kesey symbolizes the fog as the fear in front of the truth. The fog can help one to escape from the cruel truth, but it also blocks the vision of the one who wants to see through it. The two choices are fairly simple, if one wants to know the truth, then the pain and fear is the sacrifice one needs to pay; on the other hand, if one wants to relax and feel comfortable, then the loss of self-individuality is the sacrifice. Kesey describes the advantages and disadvantages clearly and it reveals that harvests and sacrifices always come together. Sometimes there are less harvests than sacrifice, but there are definitely no harvests without sacrifice. Kesey also uses diction to describe Bromden’s sacrifice. After McMurphy asked him to lift his hand for the vote, Bromden lift his hand and thought, “No. That’s not the truth. I lifted myself” (142). Kesey uses diction to show that Bromden’s …show more content…
One examples appeared as McMurphy been removed to the Disturbed Ward, “Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns” (283). The phrase “crown of thorns” is an allusion of how McMurphy is being put on the cross just like how Jesus had been tortured. Here, as McMurphy is the hope and god of the patients, he had sacrificed himself and willing to face the tortures he is going to have. Even though before he was at the Disturbed Ward, he has plenty of times and opportunities to run away, but he did not. He still chooses to stay and help other patients. He has angered Nurse Ratched, and he did rebel, thus the shocks he had becomes the sacrifice he must have. Kesey’s allusion suggests that as soon as McMurphy had choose to carry that burden, he is doomed to have the same fate as Jesus that had to sacrifice himself for the whole. Another example appears when McMurphy is eventually going to have the lobotomy and becoming a vegetable. Bromden describe McMurphy as, “But they can’t do that look. There’s nothin’ in the face. Just like one of those store dummies¬¬” (321). Kesey uses simile to compare McMurphy with a store dummies emphasize how fake and how hollow McMurphy becomes after the lobotomy. The therapy destroyed him completely, and from Bromden’s word, it