One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Manipulation Analysis

The author, T.F. Hodge, known for writing the book From Inside I Rise said, “Manipulation, fueled with good intent, can be a blessing. But when used wickedly, it is the beginning of a magician's karmic calamity”. The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is about a psychiatric ward where the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, hold control over her patients through immoral means. A new patient, Randle McMurphy, doesn’t like the ideals of the ward and fights back. Manipulation is very prevalent theme within One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest seen in most of these characters, manipulating or being manipulated. Nurse Ratched is shown in the novel manipulating the patient through her log book and insinuating, while McMurphy combats this with his gambling and manipulating the ward staff. In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey argues that manipulation is immoral if it is not in the best …show more content…
He’s not chewing his cheeks anymore but he still stares ahead, past McMurphy’s shoulder. “Is this the usual pro-cedure for these Group Therapy shindigs? Bunch of chickens at a peckin’ party?” (Kesey 57).
McMurphy uses the phrase peckin’ party as an analogy of how chicken will peck at each other if they see a blood spot and comparing it to how Nurse Ratched starts criticizing a patient and the rest of the patient will follow. The patient still think that the Nurse has the right intentions and denies McMurphy allegations toward the nurse. An additional way Nurse Ratched manipulates the patients of the ward is by insinuation. Insinuation is one of her primary ways to stay in control at the ward. She like to maintain that control and one person she needs control over is Doctor Spivey. He would be in control of the ward if it weren’t for her control over the ward. Harding, patient in the ward, explains to McMurphy how Nurse Ratched insinuates to maintain