Hierarchy In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
A hierarchy is highly important to any societal structure. It establishes a ranking that allows individuals to fall into their specific role, which society gives to them.When the top of the hierarchy becomes too dominant, the members at the bottom can feel like an injustice has developed. This presents the opportunity for riots and lawlessness when a hierarchy becomes too controlling. During this period of confusion for the community, rioters often give an individual the chance to lead them to liberty. This is exactly what character Randle McMurphy strives for in Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In his novel, Kesey emphasizes just how important yet disastrous a hierarchy can be to society. In an Oregon psychiatric hospital …show more content…
When McMurphy arrives, the men on the ward are given a strict schedule to follow, one that includes specific times for bruising their teeth and going to the bathroom. They also are forced to take certain medications, and have regular meetings scheduled for specific times each day. McMurphy was not a fan of this strict schedule that Nurse Ratched gave them, and oftentimes spoke up about his displeasure. He thought of this schedule as cruel and unnecessary, because the men could not even go to the bathroom when they needed to. However, this schedule was helping Nurse Ratched control the men because it gave her a sense of power over them. When she walked out into the real world she had no control over men, so this was her opportunity. McMurphy was not going to let this happen, so he fought back against it. McMurphy is slowly bringing down the reign of Nurse Ratched because he understands that she is similar to a totalitarian leader, and she had an enormous amount of power in her ward. Because McMurphy is a hard headed man, he cannot live with being controlled by anyone, which drives his actions of rallying the men against the Nurse. This is also seen when McMurphy breaks the glass window that protected Nurse Ratched from the patients on the ward. It was her own little sanctuary, and it was quickly destroyed. McMurphy had the desire to break the hierarchy
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Research Paper
841 Words | 4 PagesIn both novels, the situation that the characters are placed in is fertile ground for any unscrupulous anti-hero’s perfect rebellion. In McMurphy’s case, Nurse Ratched has a chokehold on all the patients and almost all the staff, even though she isn’t the formal leader. She is a master manipulator, and through this, creates a sense of total powerlessness. “All twenty of them, raising not just for watching TV, but against the Big Nurse, against her trying to send McMurphy to Disturbed, against the way she’s talked and acted and beat them down for years” (Kesey 81). McMurphy constantly disobeys her wishes and plots events, ranging from minor to major, that rebel against the Nurse.
One Flew Times The Cuckoo's Nest Essay
1578 Words | 7 PagesHe is sent away for three weeks as a result, but when he returns, he is wheeled in on a gurney and is left over by the Vegetables, as he had been lobotomized. In lieu of his seeming defeat, his memory stayed with the patients while he was absent and provoked them to change things for the better at the ward. Nurse Ratched does not have the same power over the hospital that she used to given that she temporarily loses her voice, as “she tried to get her ward back into shape, but it was difficult with McMurphy’s presence still tromping up and down the halls...” (321). The patients learned to grow out of their fear and used the spirit of McMurphy as reassurance of their actions; Nurse Ratched’s little written commands could not effectively control the patients anymore.
Is Mcmurphy Presented In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
958 Words | 4 PagesAt the end of the book, after McMurphy has been lobotomized, the acutes in the ward decide that they will no longer be subdued to the cruelty of Nurse Ratched. As Chief says, “Sefelt and Fredrickson signed out together Against Medical Advice, and two days later another three Acutes left, and six more transferred to another ward” (246). Although McMurphy is no longer able to fight the Big Nurse, he has left a lasting impact that motivates the other patients to escape the system. McMurphy inspires change in the ward by showing the acutes that Nurse Ratched is less powerful than they believe, and that they have
Examples Of Authority In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1014 Words | 5 PagesNurse Ratched uses him as an example of “what will happen if someone challenges me”. Chief smothers McMurphy because he refuses to let his friend be an example of Nurse Ratched’s conformity
Examples Of Conformity In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1802 Words | 8 Pages“McMurphy eventually helps instill the other men on the ward with the confidence to face life again” (Slater 124). He comes to the realization of the power that Nurse Ratched has and becomes afraid; McMurphy succumbs to the pressures that all the other men have faced and conforms out of fear. Nurse Ratched spoke, “’Mr. McMurphy, I’m warning you!’” in “a tight whine like an electric saw ripping through pine” (Kesey 144). This supports that even if McMurphy is the leader or the strongest man alive, the fear of strength in large establishments destroys the confidence that McMurphy once had; it resulted in the thought of life and death-the outcome being death.
Examples Of Asylum In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
818 Words | 4 PagesIn the ward, most patients aren’t like McMurphy; he's loud, bold, and has no filter. Other Patients are scared of Nurse Ratched, while he refuses to obey
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest By Ken Kesey
902 Words | 4 PagesFor example, when McMurphy proposes that they change the television time to the afternoon, the group unites as one to fight against the villain, Nurse Ratched, for what they want. The novel states that the men were “raising [their hands] not just for watching TV, but against the Big Nurse… against the way she talked and acted and beat them down for years” (Kesey 140). Because McMurphy helps the patients recognize the oppression and control that Nurse Ratched and the staff have over the ward, they unite to gain more influence and power, starting with small changes such as changing the television time. With this, the society transforms from a weak group of individuals to a more influential and united community of patients.
Madness In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
688 Words | 3 PagesThe patients dont question his violence with Nurse Ratched because no one has ever standed up to her. Nurse ratched is the reason they dont have confidence in themselves. As McMurphy stays longer, the other patients become more aware as to what is happening. Before McMurphy came in the ward the men believed everything that was done to them was for their own good Nurse Ratched was able to manipulate the men and had full power to boss them around. After McMurphy came he was able to show them that Nurse Ratched uses their weakness against them and was just a manipulator.
Examples Of Mcmurphy In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
870 Words | 4 PagesMcMurphy initially sees Nurse Ratched as an obstacle to his freedom and the freedom of the other patients. However, he quickly realizes that he can use her to his advantage. He begins to flirt with her and tries to seduce her, hoping to undermine her authority and gain power over the other patients. He also tries to provoke her into making mistakes, which he can then use to his advantage. For example, he encourages the other patients to rebel against her, knowing that she will respond with harsh punishments.
Conformity In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay
1380 Words | 6 PagesIn the struggle between freedom and power, McMurphy’s sacrifice allows freedom to prevail. His leadership in a rising rebellion parallels many of the countercultures that arose during the 1960s. His rebellion fights against Nurse Ratched in the way that the countercultures fought against the government and society in the past to the present. The men in the asylum are unknowingly unhappy before the arrival of McMurphy. Through his antics, the men are saved from society in the form of Nurse Ratched’s regime.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Should Be Banned Essay
1669 Words | 7 PagesIn the novel, McMurphy attacks the nurse brutally and attempts to kill her, “doctors and supervisors and nurses prying those heavy red fingers out of the white flesh of her throat as if they were her neck bones, jerking him backward” (Kesey 319). Also, the narrator shows mercy towards McMurphy by smothering him in his sleep, “and scissor the kicking legs with mine while I mashed the pillow into the face. I lay there on top of the body for what seemed days. Until the thrashing stopped” (323).
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Mcmurphy Tragic Hero Analysis
529 Words | 3 PagesIt can’t be caused by anyone else, an accident, or a twist of fate. McMurphy’s downfall was brought about by his own actions. If he just sat back and did nothing none of this would have ever happened. The final action taken by McMurphy that really sent Nurse Ratched over the edge was when he ripped open her shirt and tried to choke her after the party. He acted completely by his own free will and let all his built up emotions take over.
Authority In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1459 Words | 6 PagesBy weakening McMurphy’s power in the ward, she creates an environment where can continue to thrive in her power through the systems she has set in place. However, Nurse Ratched’s plan does not succeed and McMurphy is allowed to proceed with his fishing trip. He continues to undermine the nurse’s authority to the point where he physically assults her after she blames Billy’s death on him. His actions give Nurse Ratched an opportunity to give him the ultimate punishment, a
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Analysis Essay
1288 Words | 6 PagesHis rebellious and free mind makes the patients open their eyes and see how the have been suppressed. His appearance is a breath of fresh air and a look into the outside world for the patients. This clearly weakens Nurse Ratched’s powers, and she sees him as a large threat. One way or another, McMurphy tends to instigate changes of scenery. He manages to move everyone away from her music and watchful eye into the old tube room.
Psychological Issues In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1010 Words | 5 PagesThe movie was mostly focused on the feud between the warden/nurse Ms. Ratched and McMurphy. McMurphy tried to go against the hard-set plan set by the institution. More he tried to establish dominance and leadership within the group. This threatened the nurse’s ways of subduing patients, and they felt of less importance in their own institution. This led to a bitter rivalry and because of it the nurse tried to subdue, with same techniques as with other patients, McMurphy even after realizing that he was not a mentally unstable person.
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