One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Analysis

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey demonstrates a new perspective that rules must be broken. The setting takes place in the ward which is authorized by Nurse Ratched, and her impeccable schedule. Randle McMurphy, a tumultuous, lustful, and brawl-loving Irish disrupts this everyday monotone routine. McMurphy conveys the impression of being self-indulgent by gambling, inviting girls, and drinking. Many believe that McMurphy’s role is that of a selfish egomaniac, however, I believe that he is a martyr who sacrificed himself for not only the health, but the stolen manhood of the acutes as well.
In correspondence to Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” theme, the ordinary world in, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, consisted of the ward, …show more content…
Therefore, the “Refusal of the Call” is whenever McMurphy neglects his main role of going against Nurse Ratched’s methods of healing. A prime example is when McMurphy submits to leaving the radio or music on. “His face and neck are red. He draws a long breath and concentrates on his willpower, the way she did this morning, and tells her that he is very sorry to have bothered her, and goes back to the card table”(Kesey 107). The radio or music can be symbolized as Nurse Ratched’s healing or “brainwashing” of the ward. Although we can come to this conclusion due to the radio being a machine like the combine, there can be a deeper analysis. Like the “healing”, the music influences the whole ward, also, as it is the equivalent to Nurse Ratched’s healing, she is assertive and continues to enforce it. Another example is demonstrated when McMurphy’s struggle to watch the world series fails. Stated by McMurphy, laughing is his main weapon. “He’s safe as long as he can laugh…”(Kesey 117). Laughter can be symbolized as freedom and sanity, due to the fact that only McMurphy can have an honest laugh and that the rest of the patients are too scared. Seeing how his only weapon was unable to win over the rest of the acutes to vote, McMurphy was left completely defeated by Ratched. As a result, he was in a way, symbolically castrated like the other patients. Throughout the book, Ken Kesey has shown signs of misogyny. Most …show more content…
After the lobotomy of McMurphy, which is ironic because his treatment made him brain dead, Chief, euthanizes him.In stage 10, The Road Back, The hero goes back to the original world. In this case, it was before the arrival of McMurphy. Chief Bromden, a close chronic to McMurphy can be viewed as the new hero with the knowledge gained from McMurphy’s influence. Like George and Lenny in Of Mice and Men, Chief Bromden euthanizes McMurphy. He uses the tactic McMurphy tried to break out and succeeds. McMurphy’s death can be symbolized as a rebirth for Chief’s newfound confidence. His escape can also be symbolized as McMurphy’s