One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel written by Ken Kesey that was first published in 1962. The story is about a man, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who arrives to an insane asylum pretending he is mentally ill to escape some jail time from some criminal activities. In the asylum, he meets many other inmates and tries to change their lives by devising plans. With his wild behavior and tricks, Randle eventually becomes more of a leader for the men than a patient.
One night after having trouble with one of the nurses that runs the place – who happens to have a strong power over all of her patients – Randle decides to break out of the asylum by getting on a work boat and going fishing. One of the other patients on the boat, Chief, reveals Randle that they are not even out on a lake – rather a stagnant pond filled with open sewage. Randle has a mental break down and is forced to return to work at the ward.
One night while under Nurse Ratched’s care, he decides that he had enough and breaks free from his ties in an attempt to escape once more. This time he fails as he is caught by two orderlies who help bring him back into the ward. He returns only to find himself feeling useless against Nurse Ratched’s power over all of her patients so he willingly takes shock treatment for his “illness” – leading ultimately to brain death.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel that discusses various themes such as one’s will to take their life back against the system, and the consequences of not doing so. One must choose whether or not they want to live or die and be remembered as a “hero” by those around them – Randle chooses this for himself; however we never see him achieve his goal. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is painted through symbols and quotes that give deeper meaning into its literary depth. One such symbol is Nurse Ratched – who uses her power over all patients to control them in daily activities.
She has full authority over them and does whatever she pleases until one day she encounters Randle Patrick McMurphy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is narrated by Chief who describes what happens in the ward through his eyes and experiences with Randle. One of Chief’s quotes is “That woman destroyed you, broke you down like no other enemy could do . . . ” (Kesey 40). This quote speaks to how much power Nurse Ratched has and how much control she has over everyone else – even those that try to escape her grasp such as Randle.
Although this book was written around 50 years ago, it is still a topic of discussion today. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has many symbols and quotes that still seem applicable even now, perhaps even more so with the way that large institutions treat patients with mental illnesses. One quote from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is: “It may look like I’m doing nothing, but at the cellular level I am hard at work trying to make this place a little more like home.
It helps pass the time and gives me something to do besides watching an ant crawl across the floor or listening to them talk about quinine as though it was God Himself who put those little white pills in whiskey (Kesey 105). This quote shows how McMurphy tries to make the ward feel like home. One of McMurphy’s main goals is to make sure that everyone has fun; even when they are in a depressing environment, he wants them to enjoy themselves.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest also contains many symbols which can be interpreted in numerous ways. One symbol in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is Nurse Ratched’s hair; it is always seen tightly pulled back into a bun, showing her strictness and rules by not letting her hair out of its set place. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest includes many symbols of different things, but Nurse Ratched’s hair seems to stand out the most. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is full of symbols and quotes which are still applicable today.
The popular book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was eventually adapted into a Broadway play. One of the characters that stood out in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was Randle Patrick McMurphy. He is often referred to as “Mac,” and there are many symbols and quotes about him throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest . One of the most important symbols in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the fishing trip that Randle Patrick “Mac” McMurphy takes on behalf of his fellow patients.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was brought to life as a movie based off of Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is a story that takes place in an Oregon psychiatric institution. One of McMurphy’s quotes, “Anyway you slice it, I’d rather be out there takin’ chances than sittin’ here watchin’ you fry” is one of McMurphy’s many quotes in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is about a man named Randle Patrick “Mac” McMurphy that replaces an old treatment plan with his own. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a book about mental health and is set in 1960. One of the quotes that describes how he feels about his fellow patients and their problems is “We’re all crazy in this place! ” One of the most important symbols in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was Randle Patrick McMurphy taking over treatment for his fellow patients.