Arguments Of Nurse Ratched And Randal McMurphy example essay topic

Although I have read One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest prior to the assignment, I decided to reread it to refresh myself on the little details I may have forgotten. I thought that it would be an interesting book to write on although it is a pretty disturbing book at times. As I read the book I found that it actually kept my attention and was intriguing. I found out the full meaning of the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover". Through out the book Kelsey used symbols of the 1960's thoroughly through out. Symbols of rebellion and of individuality.

These are most evident in the on going arguments of Nurse Ratched and Randal McMurphy. The entire book is narrated by a half Indian patient of ten years, that pretends to be deaf and mute so as not to draw attention to himself. He, along with many others, is considered to be a chronic, a patient who has no hope for healing, while some others are considered to be acute. Patients who do have hope for recovery. The heavy relation to the sixties in this book is evident to me in that every character represents a certain aspect of the sixties population. The hippies, oppressors, and the people who stood out from the crowd to make a difference.

The hippies are best show through the characters of the patients that are considered chronic. I think this because, correct me if I'm wrong, but people may have seen the hippies as people who were too high to do anything and there was no hope at all for any of them in the future. Characters such as the lifeguard, Martini, Colonel Matters on (who keeps talking about past war experiences day and night), Ruck ly, Sandy Gilfilliam, and Candy Star (both prostitutes). Warren, Washington, Williams, and Ge ever; who were all hired because of their cruelty, best represent the Oppressors. Nurse Ratched is probably the most powerful example of this category.

She is a former Army Nurse who believes that supreme power is the only power and therefore she rules her ward with an iron fist. Lastly the people who try to make a difference are best shown through the character of Randal McMurphy. He was transferred to the Mental Institution because he pretended to be crazy at a work farm cause he thought it would be easier at the sanitarium. He is the ideal con man who can get anyone to follow him.

He first starts out by encouraging the gambling for more than matches, which is against Ratched's rules, and finally ends up encouraging rebellion, at its highest level, against the Ward staff. The book as a whole is a very bizarre book and it took me some time to get through it due to re-reading to make sure I caught it all the first time around. Even though many people may not enjoy reading this book, I would recommend anyone to read it. It may open many others perspectives on the 60's!