Create a new account

It's simple, and free.

One Flew Over The CuckooÆs Nest

The main theme of Ken KeseyÆs (1962) One Flew Over the CuckooÆs Nest is a battle between conforming to authority versus individual expression. From the moment Randall McMurphy is initially assessed by Dr. Spivey, we are cued in to this battle that will be fully waged between he and the head nurse, Nurse Ratched. McMurphyÆs lack of impulse control has landed him in the institution. He has been labeled a psychopath for getting into fights and not controlling his sexual impulses. When he explains to the doctor why he has been consigned to the institution, he says, ôHe told me that psychopath means I fight and uh-pardon me, ladiesùmeans I am he it put it overzealous in my sexual relationsö (Kesey 1962, 44). His rephrasing his sexual activity in front of Nurse Ratched is significant, because he and she will wage a battle that McMurphy ultimately loses. Their conflict represents KeseyÆs notion that it is better to risk consequences for questioning authority, than to lose all dignity and identity by completely conforming to authoritarian dictates.

The institution in which McMurphy is placed is filled with a cast of assorted dysfunctional individuals, from the mother-fearing, backward Billy Bibbit and the sadistic Taber to the immature Martini and insecure neurotic Cheswick. McMurphy attempts to coordinate the efforts of the men to overcome the totalitarian and authoritarian prescriptions of Nurse Ratched. The men become sheep in RatchedÆs presence, obeying her every command until McMurphy comes along. In one instance, McMurphy wants the men to watch a ballgame. He insists on a democratic process of voting. Through Nurse RatchedÆs manipulations and the fear the other inmates have of her, McMurphy loses but announces the ballgame in front of a turned off TV. McMurphy would rather risk consequences of disobeying authority, than give into one he views as emasculating and iden

...

Page 1 of 3 Next >

More on One Flew Over The CuckooÆs Nest...

Loading...
APA     MLA     Chicago
One Flew Over The CuckooÆs Nest. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 22:09, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1710445.html