The concept of justice is dependent on a character’s view point on a situation. Randel McMurphy is the latest addition to the psychiatric ward, and is able to witness the extent in which the patients are being neglected with fresh eyes. In response to the injustices that McMurphy observes, he takes it upon himself to be the one to stand up to the authority of Nurse Ratched, as Kesey writes, ““Just what I said: any of you sharpies here willing to take my five bucks that says that I can get the best of that woman—before the week’s up—without her getting the best of me?”” (Pg. 66). While it is in McMurphy’s nature to gamble, he is also a man of justice. He has seen the effects of the tyranny of Nurse Ratched on the patients, and finds it necessary to see to what extent he can make a difference. …show more content…
This sense of justice causes McMurphy to put his own self-preservation at the bottom of his list of importance, as Kesey writes, “—light arcs across, stiffens him, bridges him up off the table till nothing is down but his wrists and ankles and out around that crimped black rubber hose a sound like hooeee! And he’s frosted over completely with sparks” (Pg. 245). McMurphy stood up for the wellbeing of George and his fellow patients, and ultimately paid the price of numerous electro-shock therapy sessions. McMurphy put his well-being behind that of those in the facility because he knew that without him, the patients would not have stood up for themselves. McMurphy’s influence through his search for justice prompted an overall positive change for the
To begin, similar to how Aquinas asserts that spiritual truths in the Scriptures are related through the use of figurative language, Kesey’s work utilizes figurative language to enrich and more effectively express its thematic content. For instance, consider when McMurphy, who provides much wisdom to both his fellow patients and the reader, dramatically imparts to the men the virtues of selflessness and sacrifice. Late in the novel, McMurphy is provided with a difficult ultimatum—he may apologize to Nurse Ratched, but lose the esteem of the men and, consequently, all of the progress he has made in building up their self-esteem, or he may suffer electroconvulsive therapy until he is willing to come to heel. McMurphy, of course, chooses martyrdom for the sake of the men. The importance of selflessness and sacrifice is effectively communicated to the reader by McMurphy’s decision, but this lesson gains more import as a result of McMurphy being developed as a symbol for Christ.
During McMurphy’s stay at the ward, he has created a name and reputation for himself as the tough guy. Despite the fact that the nurses perceived simply as a troublemaker and a disturbance to their daily routine, the other patients look up to him as their lifesaver. It is evident that this is the case when they begin to adopt his habits during the road trip. Kesey writes that they act “like he did” to articulate the way that others perceive him as superior and want to be like him.
Manipulation and the struggle for control in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest In “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey, the role of manipulation is integral to showing the complexities of each character, and creates a set of standards in which right and wrong become indistinguishable in a human struggle for dignity and survival. The characters of McMurphy and Nurse Ratched show this most vividly, and the complex combination of manipulation and a human lust for survival come together in the end, in which the dignity of all involved is compromised. As a strategy of self-preservation and a grab for power,, manipulation comprises both good and evil: both the deep human need to survive and the deep human desire to maintain control. This is shown through McMurphy’s manipulation of the other patients, Nurse Ratched 's manipulation of everyone, and the patients manipulation of McMurphy.
Nurse Ratched notices his behavior and says, "‘that is exactly what the new patient is planning: to take over. He is what we call a 'manipulator,' Miss Flinn, a man who will use everyone and everything to his own ends’”(Kesey, 27). She believes McMurphy wants to manipulate others at the ward to get what he desires, which is complete control over the ward. The irony of this is that Nurse Ratched is the manipulator who rules with an iron fist, and McMurphy, although wishing to become the leader of the patients, does not hope to take over the hospital as Nurse Ratched has. A more prominent reason McMurphy is willing to go to the asylum is because he is weary of the farm work he had been sentenced to and looks to the insane asylum as an outlet.
In Randle Patrick McMurphy’s life, it is a constant struggle with authority. When he is transferred to a mental institution, he realizes the oppressive control placed by Nurse Ratched. McMurphy notices that Nurse Ratched's
Is precisely expressed through Nurse Ratched and McMurphy’s relationship and their effect on the patients in the ward. Nurse Ratched is the antagonist in the book, she is the authoritative figure to the men in the institution and she is determined to continue to abuse her power over the men and remain in control. She emasculates the men in different ways to rid any chance of rebellion, Harding, remarks, “we are victims of a matriarchy here” (Kesey, 16). A few ways she emasculates men are by using public humiliation and embarrassment against the patients to exposes their greatest insecurities, controlling the direction of the conversation and the questions asked throughout a therapy session, but by also manipulating the patients to turn on each other so they remain occupied rather than work together to rebel against her.
“We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don 't know.” -W. H. Auden Auden’s sentiment is one I’ve pondered on many occasions as a husband, parent, and teacher. If I came across this quote in my youth, it didn’t register and I know why: as a child growing to adolescence, my focus was on my own needs. In psyche theory, Abraham Maslow identified and defined this process in his “Hierarchy of Needs”. Children and adolescents are focused on the 4 tiers below the apex of his pyramid.
There is an obvious idea presented by Kesey that the Nurse is dominant over Billy, who has become very vulnerable. Nurse Ratched is shown as a character of strength by the way the writer has created her character. Nurse Ratched is also seen as a strong figure by the way the other characters talk about her, for example when Chief says “To beat her you don 't have to whip her two out of three or three out of five, but every time you meet. As soon as you let down your guard, as soon as you lose once, she 's won for good.” The writer has used this line to show us how both Chief and the other patient give her the strong and authoritative
Throughout the beginning of the novel it is evident that some characters over use their powers, one of these characters being Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched uses her position in the ward to take advantage of the patients and make sure that they adhere to everyone of her daunting commands. Nurse Ratched “tends to get real put out if something keeps her outfit from running like a smooth, accurate, precision-made machine” (Kesey 28) because she has been on the ward for so long that when something doesn 't go according to her plan, she starts to get mad and will often try to use her power to come down on the patient 's. Nurse Ratched is in control of the whole ward and when someone does something that isn 't in her manuscript she gets irritated. The ward will be run her way and only her way, “ under her rule the ward inside is almost completely adjusted to surroundings” (Kesey 28).
The 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.
This part is very significant because through the breaking of the window, McMurphy is trying to tell the other patients that even though Nurse Ratched has control and power over them that they can try and break that power. Basically what it is saying is yes Nurse Ratched does have power over them but if they know that some things can upset her then they can try and break her power which means her power would be overtaken by the patients. We also see that McMurphy does all these things to bother Ratched but this also exhausts himself too. His humanity is a good thing but it can make him very run down and become weak, letting Ratched get the power back. I think this is significant because it means just because someone has power over you doesn’t mean you don’t have an opinion.
Logically, Nurse Ratched's regulatory ways promptly cause a battle between the two characters. Nurse Ratched moves in "precise, mechanical gestures" and she is stubborn about keeping a cordial order amongst the Acutes (4). Her mechanical ways and raise of group attitude contrast McMurphy's uniqueness, humor, and link to the Acutes. McMurphy takes it into his own hands to challenge against Nurse Ratched's system so she cannot emasculate him. He bets the men five dollars that he can break her down to where she has no more control in the combine.
The protagonist, Randle P McMurphy is a fiery, anti-authoritarian who was full of sarcasm and a mean left hook. Randle was physically described as red headed, with tattoos and physically fit. McMurphy was introduced into the story at admissions. He had been recently accused of statutory rape, although McMurphy claims that he the victim lied about her age and wanted him significantly. McMurphy’s strength exudes from him, possibly because he was a war hero shorty prior to his discharge from the Marine Corps due to insubordination.
His 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.
The 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.