Feminism In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

“We are all one people, but we live as if divided.” (THE GURU) Author Ken Kesey fabricates a hierarchical division between men and women in his novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, to convey what some readers believe is a questionable message. Set in a psychiatric hospital located in Oregon, third-person narrator Chief Bromden witnesses a power struggle between a male and female character. Due to the existence of the glorified actions of rebellious character Randall McMurphy against the antagonistic and demonized character Nurse Ratched, the novel advises men to take advantage of their strength and aggressive tendencies to subjugate any woman who attempts to detract from their masculine superiority. In consequence, the novel also cautions that if men were to allow females to remain in positions of power, they would become weak and inferior like women supposedly are. The aforementioned message is in reality harmfully misleading and chauvinistic. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ultimately promotes a misogynistic perspective on the roles of genders in society, and it is necessary to contemplate and discuss the stereotypes, female characters, and climax of Kesey’s novel to understand its undeniable implications. Why did Kesey write this novel? During the 1950s women were regarded as housewives while men were seen as economic providers for the …show more content…
During the climax, or turning point, of most novels and films, the main character triumphs over evil in a dramatic and intense scene, and he accomplishes his task or goal. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ’s climax illustrates McMurphy’s final gambit, a seemingly provoked and violent attack on Nurse Ratched. McMurphy did not just attempt to kill Nurse Ratched. In fact, he enacted rape, or sexual violation, the best way Kesey believed would completely guarantee the men total victory over Nurse Ratched. By tearing open her shirt