How Is Figurative Language Used In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Gunnar Shumate

Mr. Irby

English 3

23-May-2023

Decision Point

“The average amount of books read by an American in a single year is 12” (Zauderer). Twelve books a year may seem small but that means reading a book every month. A question that is continually considered is what to allow and what books need to be censored? One example of a highly contentious book is, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. Despite this book teaching kids literary value, the sheer amount of abuse, sexualization, and faulty teachings outweigh the positives of the book.

Chief Bromden has been the longest resident of the psychiatric ward and pretends to be deaf and dumb. He explains fear of the big nurse and the Combine that controls the rest of the

For instance, Kesey uses figurative language and writes a simile, “bald grey metal head set in a black turtleneck like a gun turret on a U-boat.”(Kesey 204). This simile may show a good example of figurative language; however it exposes children to violent acts which can lead to direct effects later in life. Movies, like books that contain violence and harmful language, especially at a young age, lead to bad reactions down the road. As Schmitt says, “Most bad reactions are caused by movies that contain horror, graphic violence, or sexual violence.”(Schmitt) Although this is a movie, the same principles apply from early introductions to violence. Furthermore, Kesey uses a metaphor and compares a hand clench and pump blood, bigger and bigger to a rusty ball and chain. (Kesey 53) This although this shows a good metaphor, other books can do this while also not containing violence, sexism, and drug use. The biggest issue is making new readers aware of the sheer amount of figurative language and also how the operate differently(Littlemore). As Littlemore says, the prescence of figurative language has multiple roles and is present in our culture of writing. Lastly, Kesey uses another type of figurative language, allusion. On page 24 he references Eisenhower and the politics of voting for which president is supported. This may seem

(2019, October 28). Sex, Nudity, and Satanism Are Why Parents Believe In School Book Censorship. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/why-parents-censor-books/

Laquintano, T., & Vee, A. (2017). How Automated Writing Systems Affect the Circulation of Political Information Online. Literacy in Composition Studies, 5(2), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.21623/1.5.2.4

Littlemore, J., & Low, G. (2006, January 1). Promoting Figurative Language Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230627567_10

Pickhardt, C., Dr. (2009). CommonLit | Rebel With a Cause: Rebellion in Adolescence. Teenage Rebellion, 5(2). Common lit. https://doi.org/10.21623/1.5.2.4

Short, M. M., Penney, A. M., Mazmanian, D., & Jamieson, J. (2015). Lottery ticket and instant win ticket gambling: exploring the distinctions. Journal of Gambling Issues, 30, 5. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2015.30.4

Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: A Novel. Viking Press & Signet Books, 1971.

Zauderer, Steven. “39 Reading Statistics and Facts You Should Know.” Cross River Therapy, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/reading-statistics. Accessed 24 May