One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Dead Poet’s Society | Comparative Essay
There are many similarities between One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and Dead Poet’s Society by Peter Weir, as both texts strive to deliver the message of independence. Characterisation between the texts showed the power of authority and the weakness in the majority by way of different methods to keep strays in check. Additionally, there are many symbolic meanings that reference freedom, domestication and sacrifice. Both of these literary techniques allow the author to demonstrate the rise and fall of independence.
R.P McMurphy and Mr Keating where brought into the scene by the authors in a unique way, both having an unusual effect on the characters. When …show more content…
While Keating attempts to teach the students about individuality he fails to caution that it comes with responsibility. This significantly hindered the decisions of the naïve children especially Neil, so much so that he felt he was unable to fulfil his individuality. McMurphy however is a prominent symbol within the novel and is especially shown when he sports boxers with white whales. These boxers sporting the whales suggest the connection between the novel Moby-Dick, this whale is associated with many symbolic connotations like freedom and power. There is much symbolism within both texts including the black birds in Dead Poet’s Society which symbolise freedom while the pure snow symbolizes purity until he vomits on it. Whereas in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest the scene showed geese that belonged to the wild; undomesticated, a car belonging to an automated society and a dog who stood in the middle; domesticated. Bromden then notices the “dog and the car making for the same spot of pavement” (pg. 127), the suggestion that the dog will be killed by the oncoming car. This scene signifies when one attempts to challenge the structure of society, the outcome will more likely lead to demise than
There are many similarities between One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and Dead Poet’s Society by Peter Weir, as both texts strive to deliver the message of independence. Characterisation between the texts showed the power of authority and the weakness in the majority by way of different methods to keep strays in check. Additionally, there are many symbolic meanings that reference freedom, domestication and sacrifice. Both of these literary techniques allow the author to demonstrate the rise and fall of independence.
R.P McMurphy and Mr Keating where brought into the scene by the authors in a unique way, both having an unusual effect on the characters. When …show more content…
While Keating attempts to teach the students about individuality he fails to caution that it comes with responsibility. This significantly hindered the decisions of the naïve children especially Neil, so much so that he felt he was unable to fulfil his individuality. McMurphy however is a prominent symbol within the novel and is especially shown when he sports boxers with white whales. These boxers sporting the whales suggest the connection between the novel Moby-Dick, this whale is associated with many symbolic connotations like freedom and power. There is much symbolism within both texts including the black birds in Dead Poet’s Society which symbolise freedom while the pure snow symbolizes purity until he vomits on it. Whereas in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest the scene showed geese that belonged to the wild; undomesticated, a car belonging to an automated society and a dog who stood in the middle; domesticated. Bromden then notices the “dog and the car making for the same spot of pavement” (pg. 127), the suggestion that the dog will be killed by the oncoming car. This scene signifies when one attempts to challenge the structure of society, the outcome will more likely lead to demise than