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One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Themes

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‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is an American comedy-drama filmed in 1975 which was directed by Milos Forman. The film is based on a 1962 novel ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ by Ken Kesey. The film is about the protagonist Randle McMurphy, who was a recidivist criminal which avoided going to prison by serving the rest of his sentence in a mental asylum. He later finds out that the ward is run by a strict Nurse Ratched who is the antagonist in the film. Throughout the film many literally devices were explored such as themes, symbolisms, situational irony, setting, allusions and more. The main focuses were themes which were depicted in the film through manipulation. Another was situational irony which explored how McMurphy first entered …show more content…

In spite of the fact that McMurphy’s doctrine is not exactly the same principals as Christs, some of the messages portrayed are similar as he acts as a guardian/saviour for the patients. Christ required somewhat more than just miracles, to lead humanity to salvation, he needed support and a responsive gathering of people. He selected twelve disciples to spread the news of the Lord and sent them to purify malicious spirits. McMurphy likewise does the same by teaching the arts of their manhood to his own disciples. Though Christ and McMurphy have a difficult time convincing everybody, other’s doubts lead to their downfalls. One area, for instance, Christ took the devotees to show them was on a vessel in the sea of Galilee. McMurphy did the same thing because he took the eleven patients and the doctor with him on a fishing expedition, hence he could teach them about a “manly life”. He was able to impact and change the lives of a few people in the ward, for instance, Billy Babbit, he gained confidence and courage and was finally able to stand up to Nurse Ratched. Another was Chief who was viewed as “deaf and dumb”, was later on able to finally escape the ward and regain his

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    When McMurphy comes to the ward, he is baptized through a shower, symbolizing the baptism of Christ before commencing his mission on earth. The author introduces the readers to Ellis who foreshadows the future events. Chief Bromden who describes the state of patients in the mental institutions by saying that Ellis is a chronic “nailed against the wall in the same condition they lifted him off the table for the last time in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped” (Kesey 16). The author evokes the imagery of Christ where just like other patients going to therapy; McMurphy approaches the nurse and says, “I wash my hands of the whole deal” (Kesey 279). The phrase is similar to the words said to Pontius Pilate before sentencing Jesus.

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  • Use Of Christian Imagery In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    462 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through Ken Kesey’s use of Christian imagery throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but especially in this final section, Kesey allows McMurphy’s altruistic ways to shine through, giving the men of the ward a sense of individuality. Foremost, Kesey utilize a biblical reference when Bromden describes McMurphy as “a giant come out of the sky to save us from the Combine” (234). Bromden’s description is a direct reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the book of Mark, it is described that “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). In this way, Kesey compares McMurphy to Christ’s second coming.

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  • One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest By Ken Kesey

    445 Words  | 2 Pages

    One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a story written by Ken Kesey that is about people in a psychiatric ward. The story is narrated by Chief Bromden, someone who pretends to be deaf but in reality is not. Nurse Ratched runs the ward. McMurphy arrives at the ward, and appears to be sane and does not seem to have any sort of mental disorder. McMurphy attempts to fight nurse Ratched’s stern way of running the ward.

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  • Differences Between One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    545 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the main character, Randle McMurphy, has a great impact in changing the attitudes and perspectives of the patients after he arrives at the hospital ward. McMurphy soon realizes that Nurse Ratched’s actions does more to ensure her superiority over the patients than to help them improve. When the other patients see that McMurphy’s accusations are true, they begin to follow his lead of rebellion. The transformative fishing trip that McMurphy organizes for the patients represents a resurgence of the patients’ virility. Although there are some differences between the novel and the film, McMurphy’s motive for the fishing trip remains the same: he wants the patients to realize that they actually have the strength to make decisions for themselves and to achieve their sense of self-worth.

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  • One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Christ Like Figure Analysis

    435 Words  | 2 Pages

    Christ has always been a symbol of caring, hope and freedom to many people and is often embedded into personalities and traits of characters of popular literature. These “Christ like figures” stand by the same principles as Christ by helping and caring for the other characters. In the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey, McMurphy emerges as a Christ like figure as he is seen as a savior in the eyes of the patients, he sacrifices himself to save the men on the ward and he teaches his friends the way to a better life. Upon McMurphy’s arrival on the ward, he is quickly seen as a leader to the patients and to many of them is a symbol of hope. However, as the story moves on, the patients begin to see McMurphy more as their

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  • Compare And Contrast One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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    The novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” written by Ken Kesey in 1962 touches on many controversial topics, including sexality, rebellion, racism and feminity. The novel gained attention worldwide, and was even included on Times Magazine’s “Top 100 English novels from 1923-2005” list. The novel was eventually adapted into a film in 1975 directed by Milõs Forman, and went on to win five Academy Awards. Although the film was highly praised, it failed to communicate the same themes depicted in the original novel. I am proposing the creation of a new film, in which major changes will be made on how characters are conveyed, the addition of a scene, and the use of imagery to help effectively communicate the same theme depicted in the novel.

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  • Symbolism In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    234 Words  | 1 Pages

    Kesey utilizes the symbolism of fish and a similar circumstance to Jesus's disciples to help McMurphy appear as a Christ figure. McMurphy organizes a fishing trip for the patients in his ward to do something for entertainment. Nurse Ratched continuously tries to scare the patients out of going to sea with continuous reports of rough seas and fishing accidents. However, despite her efforts, twelve of the patients agree to go to sea with McMurphy. He,“led the twelve of us to the ocean”(203), McMurphey took the patients that had grown to follow him to the ocean, to help develop them more and help them to be more normal.

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  • Theme Of Insanity In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    1033 Words  | 5 Pages

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  • Allusions In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay

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    After Jesus was crucified, he lay in his tomb for three days and then was resurrected. When he came across his disciples, they failed to recognize him. Once again, McMurphy symbolizes Jesus and the resurrection and McMurphy’s most dedicated followers, or Jesus’s disciples, cannot recognize the face of their savior. But, like Jesus on Easter Day, McMurphy must go to heaven as Chief Bromden lies on his body and suffocates McMurphy “until the thrashing stopped” (270). The ending of McMurphy’s life and his ascent to heaven demonstrates the conclusion of the Easter story allusion and the completion of the sacrifice to save the patients and allow them to feel as though they can leave the psychiatric ward and free themselves from the Combine and Nurse Ratched.

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    1244 Words  | 5 Pages

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    179 Words  | 1 Pages

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