The film One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest gives insight to a mental hospital during the 1960’s. Criminal Jack McMurphy is arrested and convicted of statutory rape of a 15 year old girl. To avoid being in jail and a sentence of hard labor at the work farm, McMurphy gets himself transferred to the mental institution where he is under the order to be further observed for signs of having a mental illness. Due to the setting of this film being in a mental hospital, there are many examples and mental illnesses. The film does a good job showing the various levels of functioning of different individuals that are mentally ill. Some of the men, like Harding, are highly functioning. He appears to be fairly educated, and in many circumstances and
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McMurphy does not treat any of the other patients like they are mentally ill. He is rude to them and manipulates them, but he still speaks to them like he does to all the other characters of the movie. He also makes attempts to do different things that healthy people commonly do to socialize them. When McMurphy takes them fishing, they all seem normal by the standards of society. The interactions of the patients with McMurphy also show how the patients have their own thoughts and feelings. On more than one occasion McMurphy is able to get the patients riled up and defensive about their situations. He also brings out excitement over things that are considered to be normal. Most of the patients are there voluntarily, and when given the opportunity are scared to leave with McMurphy even though they frequently talk about how they don’t like being cooped up in the hospital the way they are. This shows that structure is often comforting for patients that are mentally ill. The environment of the mental hospital in the film is very accurate for the stereotype that can often be associated with mental hospitals and those with mental illnesses. Everything is white, there is music playing loudly to “calm” the patients, all the doors and windows are locked, there is a very strict schedule, the patients that are able are required to attend group therapy sessions, and all the patients are medicated to the point of seeming
McMurphy does not treat any of the other patients like they are mentally ill. He is rude to them and manipulates them, but he still speaks to them like he does to all the other characters of the movie. He also makes attempts to do different things that healthy people commonly do to socialize them. When McMurphy takes them fishing, they all seem normal by the standards of society. The interactions of the patients with McMurphy also show how the patients have their own thoughts and feelings. On more than one occasion McMurphy is able to get the patients riled up and defensive about their situations. He also brings out excitement over things that are considered to be normal. Most of the patients are there voluntarily, and when given the opportunity are scared to leave with McMurphy even though they frequently talk about how they don’t like being cooped up in the hospital the way they are. This shows that structure is often comforting for patients that are mentally ill. The environment of the mental hospital in the film is very accurate for the stereotype that can often be associated with mental hospitals and those with mental illnesses. Everything is white, there is music playing loudly to “calm” the patients, all the doors and windows are locked, there is a very strict schedule, the patients that are able are required to attend group therapy sessions, and all the patients are medicated to the point of seeming