Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Key Facts: Allegorical novel Written in late 1950s Published 1962 First person –Narrator—Chief Bromden Told as a flashback after his escape Setting—mental hospital, Oregon Protagonist—Randle P. McMurphy

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Genre: Fiction Tone: Primarily pessimistic; moments of optimism. “They’re out there.” Chief Bromden (pg. 3). This establishes paranoia of the novel’s 1 st person narrator, Chief Bromden.

—the central idea or ideas explored by a literary work. Theme:

Themes: 1.Struggle for power/control 2.Women as Castrators 3.The Power of Laughter

Themes (contd.): Imagination vs. Reality Violence Self-sacrifice vs. Selfishness Courage Freedom vs. control Individuality sacrifice Euthanasia

—recurring elements that develop and inform the major themes. Motifs:

Invisibility Bromden’s deaf and dumb act Fog Hallucinations Power of Laughter Reality vs. imaginary Motifs:

— use of objects to represent things such as ideas and emotions —something that represents itself and something else Symbolism:

Symbols: The fog machine The white whales on McMurphy’s boxer shorts The electroshock therapy table

Symbolism (contd.): McMurphy as Jesus Christ Other men on the ward as Christ’s disciples

Characters Acutes: Hope for a cure Chronics: No hope for cure Chronics are classified as Walkers (can still move independently), Wheelers (in wheelchairs), or Vegetables ( unable to do anything for themselves).

Setting Mental hospital somewhere in Oregon; late 1950 Combine; the ward is a factory for the Combine.

Conflict Conflict: person vs. person. “The System”, person vs. self

Foreshadowing: The story of Maxwell Taber Electroshock therapy table shaped like a cross The deaths of Rawler, Cheswick, and Billy Bromden’s dreams and hallucinations

Types of Characters: Flat or Static Characters— Minor characters who do NOT undergo substantial change. Round Characters— Major characters who encounter conflict and are changed by it.

Chief “Broom” Bromden: Chronic…..The narrator Six feet seven inches tall, but believes he is small and weak Son of the chief of the Columbia Indians and a white woman Faked being deaf and dumb Has paranoia and hallucinations, received multiple electroshock treatments, been in the hospital for ten years—longer than any other patient in the ward Bromden sees the hospital as a place meant to fix people who do not conform

Billy Bibbit: Acute….31 years old Stutters Paranoid Immature Deathly afraid of his mother Shy and impressionable Looks up to McMurphy Commits suicide

Charles Cheswick: Acute The first patient to support McMurphy’s rebellion against Nurse Ratched’s power Talks a lot… does little Drowns in the pool as a possible suicide

George Sorenson: Chronic Big Swede Former seaman; recruited to captain the fishing excursion Nicknamed “Rub-a-Dub” because of his cleanliness fetish

Dale Harding: Acute A college-educated patient who voluntarily entered the institution A homosexual Dominated by his wife He checks himself out of the ward

Maxwell Taber: A former patient before McMurphy arrived Like McMurphy, Taber questioned the nurse’s authority Made docile by the electroshock therapy Permitted to leave Used as an example to other patients

Sefelt and Fredrickson: Acutes Two epileptic patients They don’t receive the care they require

Rawler: A patient on the Disturbed ward Commits suicide by cutting off his testicles

Doctor Spivey: Mild-mannered doctor Addicted to opiates Easily cowed; dominated by patients Often supports McMurphy’s unusual plans for the ward Chaperons patients on a fishing trip.

Warren, Washington, Williams, and Geever: Hospital aids Hired because they are filled with hatred Completely submissive to Nurse Ratched

PROTAGONIST— The main character and one the author wants you to cheer on. ANTAGONIST— Villain or character that causes trouble for the character the author wants you to support.

Anti-hero: ANTI-HERO—Character whose actions or morality may be flawed, yet he/she is not a villain. The Anti- hero accomplishes a useful deed or even does good deeds, so the audience supports him/her even though there are no traditional heroic qualities.

Randle P. McMurphy: Thirty-five years old, built, with red hair, a scar on his face and tattoos on his body Transferred from a work farm Diagnosed as a psychopath, but he is not really insane Loud, confident, laughter Outgoing and uninhibited

Anti-hero Qualities: Accused of Statutory Rape Five fights Vulgar/sexual comments Racist behavior Insults Dr. Harding Uses the men Self-serving

“Big” Nurse Ratched: The head of the ward; middle-aged; former army nurse Very harsh and controlling Hires staff if they are submissive, and easily controlled

Antagonist Qualities: No World Series. No changes. Belittles the patients. Makes patients worried. Offers no solutions to the problems. Uses threats. Causes trouble for the main character.

Lobotomy: Surgical procedure severing the nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus as a relief of some mental disorders.

Plot The plot culminates when Ratched forces McMurphy to under go a lobotomy. Lobotomy leaves him unresponsive and uncommunicative. Bromden suffocates McMurphy and then finds the strength to escape.

Electroconvulsive Therapy: A medical treatment for severe mental illness in which a small amount of electricity is introduced to the brain.

Works Cited