Tracy Uong
Boston Latin School
English Language Arts 9/7
June 16, 2017 Failed Sex Standards in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey “Three geese in a flock. One flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo's nest. O-U-T spells OUT, Goose swoops down and plucks you out.” This verse is from a children’s nursery rhyme. There are geese that fly east and those that fly west. These groups are going in opposite directions, like the patients against Nurse Ratched and the hospital staff in Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The goose that flies over the cuckoo’s nest is Randle McMurphy, because he is the one that ends up “cuckoo” in the end because of his lobotomy. One goose escapes and is plucked from the "cuckoo’s nest" or in this context, the asylum. That one goose would be Chief Bromden. Kesey portrays an anti-women view in a male oriented novel and to get a better understanding of the novel, the oppression of sex role standards has to be examined. Kesey shows this oppression by depicting failed perception of femininity, failed perception of power, and a failed perception of masculinity. Failed Perception of Femininity In society, there is often a poor understanding about femininity and in the novel it is …show more content…
McMurphy has a conversation with the Japanese nurse and says, “‘It’s not all like her ward,’ she said. ‘A lot of it is, but not all. Army nurses, trying to run an Army hospital. They are a little sick themselves. I sometimes think all single nurses should be fired after they reach thirty-five.’ ‘At least all single Army nurses,’ McMurphy added.” (214). This is a failed perception because not all women are sexual and are incapable of treating patients. If a woman is thirty-five and is single what does that have to do with helping patients? Men like women who hate other women because they know what their role pertaining to men, to be
Boston Latin School
English Language Arts 9/7
June 16, 2017 Failed Sex Standards in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey “Three geese in a flock. One flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo's nest. O-U-T spells OUT, Goose swoops down and plucks you out.” This verse is from a children’s nursery rhyme. There are geese that fly east and those that fly west. These groups are going in opposite directions, like the patients against Nurse Ratched and the hospital staff in Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The goose that flies over the cuckoo’s nest is Randle McMurphy, because he is the one that ends up “cuckoo” in the end because of his lobotomy. One goose escapes and is plucked from the "cuckoo’s nest" or in this context, the asylum. That one goose would be Chief Bromden. Kesey portrays an anti-women view in a male oriented novel and to get a better understanding of the novel, the oppression of sex role standards has to be examined. Kesey shows this oppression by depicting failed perception of femininity, failed perception of power, and a failed perception of masculinity. Failed Perception of Femininity In society, there is often a poor understanding about femininity and in the novel it is …show more content…
McMurphy has a conversation with the Japanese nurse and says, “‘It’s not all like her ward,’ she said. ‘A lot of it is, but not all. Army nurses, trying to run an Army hospital. They are a little sick themselves. I sometimes think all single nurses should be fired after they reach thirty-five.’ ‘At least all single Army nurses,’ McMurphy added.” (214). This is a failed perception because not all women are sexual and are incapable of treating patients. If a woman is thirty-five and is single what does that have to do with helping patients? Men like women who hate other women because they know what their role pertaining to men, to be