One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Literary AnalysisOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a grim story depicting the lives of workers and inmates in a mental ward. It is narrated by Chief Bromden, a seemingly deaf and mute Indian who actually, on the outside seems like a strong, fierce man, but is weakened by past experiences in life and in the ward. A nurse in the hospital, Nurse Ratched, uses punishment and torture to show her power over the inmates, with electro-shock therapy and lobotomy at her disposal. In the beginning of the story, Randle Patrick McMurphy brings light into the institution by opposing the all-powerful nurse and dignifying the inmates by doing battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. McMurphy helps each inmate grow in some way, and helps Chief Bromden realize that hiding from reality only hurts him more than the torture brought on by the mental ward.
British nurse in nurses' station.
The American student nurse Miss Lydia Monroe of Ri...
Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in the 1975 film.Being held in the ward doesn't help the men; it only cuts them down from society and life. Throughout the novel, symbolism is shed through each of the characters, situations, and surroundings, and with that, the interpretation of life through Bromden's eyes and McMurphy's actions shows that strength and resistance from society's rulers gives strength to those who need it most.
Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, talks about the nurse, ward, and McMurphy, but throughout the story, finds his own path to sanity. He is six foot eight inches tall, but feels he used to be big, but because he has been belittled for so long, he is weak and vulnerable. His father also was a strong and tall man, and married a white woman, who became the dominant force in the relationship. Bromden took his mother's last name as well, showing his father's...
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Literary Analysis
This essay suffers from certain flaws. First, consider one that is visible: this essay consists of a string of very long paragraphs. It looks hard.
Second, following up, the writing does not move easily. Sentences are strained, forced, and difficult to follow. Consider one example: "I believe the theme of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that is being conveyed by Ken Kesey is society's destruction of individualism and sanity." This certainly could have been stated more directly, more forcefully, and in a way that was much easier to follow.
Third, this essay, by its own terms is derivative of derivative material. The writer cites as his sole source of information the "Cliff Notes" on the book. This raises a serious question: did the writer actually read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," or just the Cliff Notes? Cliff Notes specifically advertise themselves as a study aid and not a substitute for reading the actual novel, and any student who handed this paper in with only this biography would probably receive the cold response of an "F" for the paper with explicit instructions to read the novel, not just some notes.
Is there any real problem? I see two problems. First, this writer never mentions the nicknames for two of the characters who are prominent in this discussion. Nurse Ratched is famous for her nickname: Big Nurse. On his part, Chief Bromden is known as Chief Broom. (On a minor note: Bromden did not pretend to be a deaf mute. He pretended to be a mute, but always indicated that he could hear.) Second, the writer describes what Nurse Ratched does as "torture," using that term three times. Big Nurse is oppressive and demeaning, but "torture" is far too melodramatic a word for what goes on in the novel.
1 out of 1 people found this comment useful.