Summary:
In One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, we meet Randle McMurphy, a rambunctious and defiant character who, having been diagnosed as a psychopath for his overly aggressive and sexual nature, has been sent to a psychiatric hospital ward. He soon finds himself under the control of Nurse Ratched, a controlling and power-hungry former Army Nurse.
In the film, Forrest Gump, there is a particular scene where Forrest, played by actor Tom Hanks, waits patiently for a bus. As he waits however, he begins to tell the story of his life, repeating the words his Mama once told him, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You'll never know which one you'll get." While this quote may sound innocent enough, it is still entirely true and profound nonetheless. After all, what makes life exciting and worth living is the mere fact that no one can ever predict the future. Therefore, it can be said that since literature is more often than not a direct representation of the experiences its author undergoes, it would then obviously make sense for us to frequently read about characters being thrust into confusing predicaments that force them to ultimately react to their surroundings.
In One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, we meet Randle McMurphy, a rambunctious and defiant character who, having been diagnosed as a psychopath for his overly aggressive and sexual nature, has been sent to a psychiatric hospital ward. He soon finds himself under the control of Nurse Ratched, a controlling and power-hungry former Army Nurse. As the head of the psychiatric hospital ward, she governs the entire place through ceaseless submissiveness and manipulative cruelty, something that McMurphy finds difficult to accept. As a result, he chooses to defy her authority by rebelling against her orders. In fact, right from the beginning, McMurphy behaves in a manner that upsets her greatly. Wanting to watch the World Series during the time allotted for chores, McMurphy brings up the idea to Nurse Ratched who, in turn, tells him that she will allow him to watch the baseball game if the majority of the patients vote for it. Unfortunately, he loses simply because the patients fear going against the wishes of Nurse Ratched. However, on the day of the ball game, McMurphy protests by sitting in front of the blank television screen, yelling excitedly as if it were truly on. Slowly but surely, the other patients join in as they all take part of the first of many actions all directed at Nurse Ratched.
Later on in the story, McMurphy organizes a secret fishing trip for himself and a few of the other patients. Aware of how vulnerable and hindered they've all become through years of residing under the totalitarian dictatorship of Nurse Ratched, he attempts to reach out to them by enabling them to feel powerful and masculine as they catch large fish. Sadly, the poor souls had previously been forced to read nothing but women's magazines. Aside from the fishing trip, McMurphy also sneaks in a prostitute for another patient, Billy Bibbit, so that he may finally lose his virginity. That same night, he also arranges a party filled with alcohol and marijuana.
The next morning, Nurse Ratched walks in to find her ward in a state of absolute chaos. She is infuriated and angrily promises to call Bibbit's mother despite his desperate protests. However, Bibbit soon commits suicide. This sets off McMurphy who attacks the nurse with full force. As a means of revenge, she has him lobotomized, finally stripping him of his free spirit and wayward manner. However, before the Nurse can use him as a symbol of what is sure to happen if one does not behave, Chief Bromden, a fellow patient and close friend, kills him.
In the novel, we see that with every protest and dispute, McMurphy becomes more and more emotionally tied to the patients of the psychiatric ward. Although, there are several occasions where McMurphy can certainly escape, he chooses not to utilize them, fully aware of his responsibility towards the group. After all, he is their savior. No doubt they were incredibly unhappy under the authority of Nurse Ratched, an uncaring woman who seems to only want to humiliate and strip the group of the emotions and desires that make them human. It is only when McMurphy enters into his predicament that the group finally begins to feel alive for the first time in years. In the end, McMurphy makes the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the patients. Though it seems that the authority of Nurse Ratched wins out at the end, this is not true. By having Chief Bromden suffocate McMurphy, the Nurse loses out on being able to use him as a symbol of her power. Also, by the time the Nurse comes back, she finds that she has ultimately lost the control she once had had upon the ward.
This is the complete article, containing 768 words
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