One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

This is a psychological novel that describes the crazy lifestyle in a psychiatric ward, having participated in a drug trial before,where he had voluntarily taken psychoactive drugs like mescaline and LSD. The author Kesey advocates the use of psychotic drugs as a means of individual freedom by mentally ill patients. The main themes depicted in the novel are insanity, power, and gender. In the gender theme, the author has explored both feminine and masculinity by using prostitutes and Nurse Ratched a female nurse who was in charge of the ward. The theme of masculinity is portrayed by a male character who had pleaded guilty of battering and gambling. McMurphy is rebellious to authority, and as the novel comes to a conclusion, the author shows how he lost control and attacked nurse Ratched, and almost struggling her for blaming him for the death of Billy another male patient.

The main moral lesson of this novel is controversial because it discourages the conformity of men to authority by describing them as weak (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”). The author forcefully represents distinct political undercurrents, for instance by indicating that when men bow to authority it affects both their physical and mental state. However, it also reveals the oppressive nature of nurses in a mental facility as well as the conflict existing between patients and the medical staff. The theme of power is portrayed by the female nurse, Ratched, who is in charge of the ward. Being an authoritative figure in a male ward, she had to be very strict to gain respect from the patients and also ensure order in the ward. I would assume that mentally unstable patients can be difficult to deal with and therefore, she was within her rights to be tough on them. Discouraging some habits like, bring prostitutes into the ward, would ensure that all patients are not distracted from the psychological healing (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”). Besides, outsiders were not allowed in the ward according to the rules of the facility.

For this reason, McMurphy who is also a criminal wanted to rebel against the nurse. I would say that wanted to provide more recreational activities for his fellow patients. His intentions about Billy seem pure because the author portrays him as a good friend who wants his friend to experience sexual affection and even break his virginity. But these intentions were later fatal to as in the end, Billy when Nurse Ratched warns to tell his mother, he took his life. This actions drove McMurphy to an edge, he attacks (“Sparknotes”).  Nurse Ratched and strangles her almost killing her showing that he cared for his friend, indicating the theme of friendship.

Unfortunately, his actions force the nurse to order a lobotomy, which renders him helpless by confining him to a chair. He could only sit and stare at the photos of his wife and sometimes scream with frustrations. He was essentially a zombie and one other patient did not like that. Chief Bromden, was also a patient who most including the staff, thought was deaf and mute (“Sparknotes”). But this nature made him aware of so many dirty secrets going on in the ward and one was what happened to McMurphy. He did not like that McMurphy was reduced to a zombie so he killed him to take him out of his misery. I would say that subconsiously, Bromden, wished peace for McMurphy which can be on a power aspect. Brodmen, wanted to step up to the leadership role that McMurphy exercised, standing up against the oppressive nature of the medical staff.

 

 

 

Work Cites.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Novel).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo's_Nest_(novel)#Plo.

SparkNotes, SparkNotes, www.sparknotes.com/lit/cuckoo/quotes/character/chief-bromden/.

SparkNotes, SparkNotes, www.sparknotes.com/lit/cuckoo/.