What is leadership? Leadership is defined as an ability to take control of a group, or an organization. A leader is a role that many people want because of all the power and glory it possesses. However, not everyone could be a good leader. This idea is present in the novel One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. The story took place inside an asylum in the 60s, Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, retelling a story about McMurphy- a new patient who had a very questionable past- turns the mental institutions upside down with his erratic and unruly attitudes against it current leader-Big Nurse. McMurphy shows the other patients how to stand up for themselves to challenge the conformity of society and free themselves from their mind cage.
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However, her obsession with control and dehumanize treatments raises many questions about her being a suitable leader. At the beginning of the novel, during the first group meeting, Bromden retelling the story of Old Pete Bancini and how she treats Pete. Rather than trying to address Pete with his issue of being tired all the time, Big Nurse “ jumped back without getting the needle pulled out after the shot” and the needle “hang there from his pants like a little tail of glass” (Kesey 42). This description shows how Big Nurse treated her patients, instead of trying to cure the patients, she treats them like animals, and willing tranquilize the patient- just like he was an animal to her. Her ruthless, manipulation effort was going throughout the novel. At the end of the novel, right after Billy Bibbit killed himself, Big Nurse said “ [Big Nurse] hope [McMurphy] finally satisfied “ (Kesey 245). This quote indicates Big Nurse does not count herself accountable for the stress that cost Billy Bibbit life. Instead, she blames McMurphy. She did not cure or improve any patients mental states. Instead, she has weakened them to become puppets, who cannot have their judgment. Ultimately, these actions also show us that Big Nurse is not a good leader due to her unable to account her responsible and inhuman treatments for the
However, her obsession with control and dehumanize treatments raises many questions about her being a suitable leader. At the beginning of the novel, during the first group meeting, Bromden retelling the story of Old Pete Bancini and how she treats Pete. Rather than trying to address Pete with his issue of being tired all the time, Big Nurse “ jumped back without getting the needle pulled out after the shot” and the needle “hang there from his pants like a little tail of glass” (Kesey 42). This description shows how Big Nurse treated her patients, instead of trying to cure the patients, she treats them like animals, and willing tranquilize the patient- just like he was an animal to her. Her ruthless, manipulation effort was going throughout the novel. At the end of the novel, right after Billy Bibbit killed himself, Big Nurse said “ [Big Nurse] hope [McMurphy] finally satisfied “ (Kesey 245). This quote indicates Big Nurse does not count herself accountable for the stress that cost Billy Bibbit life. Instead, she blames McMurphy. She did not cure or improve any patients mental states. Instead, she has weakened them to become puppets, who cannot have their judgment. Ultimately, these actions also show us that Big Nurse is not a good leader due to her unable to account her responsible and inhuman treatments for the