One to One

A deep analysis of Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest reveals the intriguing development of Randle McMurphy. McMurphy is the bold protagonist of the novel who exemplifies sexuality, freedom, and confidence. Kesey established a depressing atmosphere within the psychiatric ward where most of the story takes place. Throughout the novel, McMurphy experiences difficult situations that lead to his development as a role model the other patients follow. As the novel progresses, patients…

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest revolves around the theme of individual freedom versus social conformity. Ken Kesey uses symbolism and motifs to represent this issue; the Combine symbolizes a society that aims to produce obedient servants and sends those who don’t easily fit into society to be “fixed” at the hospital. Patrick McMurphy’s conflict with Nurse Ratched epitomizes the rebellion against social conformity. McMurphy serves as the anti-hero who struggles with serving both his…

literature pieces. One piece of literature that gender roles and stereotypes can be found in, is in the novel written by Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Throughout the novel, leaders presented themselves, a leader is one “who leads or commands a group, organization, or country (Oxford)”, a leadership role can be taken on by any gender and this idea is portrayed in the book “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey through the characters of Nurse Ratched and McMurphy. One Flew…

Literature is often said to belong to one of four genres: romance, tragedy, comedy, and satire/irony. However, in some cases, a piece of literature can be argued to be placed in more than one genre. A prime example of this is the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. The novel takes readers behind the scenes of what life in a totalitarian-like mental hospital is like through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a schizophrenic Native American man who is perceived to be deaf and mute. Chief…

reassemble desks and reattach the tires onto their cars. In Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, people do in fact “go nuts,” and wrenches are indeed used, but not in the exact same ways. Randle McMurphy, the main character of this novel, frequently causes mishap in the insane asylum he lives in, causing him to go “nuts”; he constantly messes with its orderly and mechanical schedule. In other words, in Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Mr. McMurphy is the wrench in the machine…

people, there is always someone who actually controls everything. In the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the notorious1 big nurse, Nurse Ratched rules the mental hospital and keeps everyone under her control. Democracy is cynical and in the novel it is developed through the diverse2 events occurred in the hospital. Through an analysis of literary elements and techniques in the acclaimed novel entitled, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, it is demonstrated that democracy…

Freedom or Dictatorship Who has the authority to say what is and is not moral? Should people have the freedom to do whatever they please, or should they be restricted in the name of safety? In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, the culturally accepted idea of morality in 1960’s America is constantly questioned. Kesey writes the novel through the perspective of Chief Bromden, a man in the ward who acts deaf and dumb but can still speak and hear. In this institution, Nurse Ratched has…

exact opposite? In the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest not only is the sanity of the patients questioned but the staff’s too. The methods of the institution are questionable ethically and morally. Giving the patients unknown pills and taking away their masculinity is very dubious. The ways of the institute is soon questioned because of the arrival of Randle McMurphy. Due to the control, different perspectives, and issues inside the asylum the major conflict of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s…

Strength and Vulnerability in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Throughout his famous novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey shows that power and vulnerability are largely subjective, and people often only have power because others think that they do. Chief Bromden’s unreliable narration depicts all kinds of power as physical size despite a character’s real size or physical ability. Nurse Ratched’s power over the rest of the characters, and McMurphy’s ability to resist it, shows that…

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: A Literary Analysis In Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, readers are thrust into the unknown and sometimes terrifying world of mental patients at a psych ward. In the novel, narrator Chief Bromden describes the events that happen in his day to day life after a new ward patient, Randle McMurphy, is admitted. Throughout most of the story, McMurphy constantly challenges the Big Nurse in charge of the ward, Nurse Ratched, and ridicules her futile…