You have just finished reading a classic piece of literature. Please describe your final thoughts, feelings and reactions to this powerful novel. What is Kesey's message? Who is the hero? What do you take away from this vibrant piece of American fiction? (Minimum of 8 sentences- quotes would be great too!)
As the novel progressed, one of the things I enjoyed most about One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was the three stories Kesey managed to tell at the same time. The way that the stories about the harsh treatment of mental patients, the attitude of society against things that are different, and the novel’s parallels to the life of Jesus fit together so well that I could not believe that anyone could keep track of them all while writing it. The story was so full of symbolism, allegory, and metaphor. From the first chapters all the main characters have been changed so much. Bromden, who used to be the deaf mute who just observed, becomes the speaking, interacting initiator of action, like killing McMurphy. Nurse Ratched goes from the all powerful dictator in the ward to a pencil and a notepad. When I read, I don’t usually take the time to analyze it like we do in class and really look deeper than just the surface story being told, so seeing how much more you can get out of a novel like this was a real eye-opener. While I might not remember the morals and themes of the story in a few years, I’m sure that I won’t forget the experience of reading it.
ReplyDeleteJosh
In my opinion, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a wise addition to the English curriculum, as it has really helped me to widen my literary horizons. The novel is packed with symbolism, allegories, and other various literary devices. It is because of these that while reading, I found myself attentive to many elements of the story that I would not previously have been. I found the last few readings particularly significant, as the characters' roles in the story and the themes all tie together for a nice close. The night of the party is my favorite scene, for it is a major moment for both allegories. The societal allegory is present, as the party is perhaps the most prominent example of the patients unification and McMurphy's effect on the ward. Looking back on the initial chapters, Chief played deaf and dumb, and they had all shied away from one another, and joy and change were rare. All of those things are what Nurse Ratched a.k.a. society wanted and expected from them. By the end, the tables had been turned. Chief emphasizes this, "Drunk and running and laughing and carrying on with women square in the center of the Combine's most powerful stronghold!" (Kesey, pg. 305) In the tone of the religious allegory, the party represents the Last Supper. It also sets up the roles for Chief as Peter and Billy as Judas. Lastly, I feel that seeing McMurphy's actions also gives me a different perspective of those of Jesus. Whatever religion one may be, I think that it is important to recognize the goodness of his actions. They may not necessarily be holy, but they were certainly done with unselfishness, integrity, grit, courage, and a drive to stand for an idea. "... a sane, willful, dogged man performing a hard duty that finally just had to be done, like it or not." (Kesey, pg. 319)
ReplyDeleteAbby
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, was an incredibly thought-provoking book. On the surface, it is relatively straightforward: a group of patients in a mental hospital try to fight back against the psychological abuse of a cruel nurse. Below this somewhat plain surface story, however, it is much more. It is a comment on society. It is remark about gender roles in America. It reflects on Kesey’s own experiences with insanity, in his case produced by the effects of LSD. It is even an allegory about Jesus Christ and the Christian religion. It is all these things and more; it is an intricate web of very different but coexistent symbologies, running its threads through every corner of the book, much like Bromden’s hallucinated Combine runs its gears and cogs and wires through all of society. And it manages to tell all these different stories all at the same time, the story about the patients in a mental hospital, the story about society’s outcasts fighting back against the system that disowned them, the story about a group of metaphorical eunuchs fighting to regain their manhood, the story about Jesus Christ and his disciples, and it tells them beautifully, relating each hidden narrative so subtly that it can easily be missed if the reader is not careful to look for deeper meanings, and seamlessly linking all of them together between the lines of the story being told on the book’s surface, the one about the mental patients, with one of the book’s many other meanings popping its head aboveground here, another there, until the reader can see the whole network of hidden allegory and metaphor and double entendre hidden within this masterpiece of a book.
ReplyDeleteElias
My thoughts on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey, is a literary classic for good reason. The book ties religious allegories with a view of what society had become post-war to create a concoction of epic proportions. Kesey attempts to tackle some of the hardest topics in his society, including the ideas of masculinity, of self-identity, and of standing up and rebelling against conformism. McMurphy, the red-haired Irishman, is seen as a Christ figure. However, he is a bit different from a Christ figure in some aspects. He is violent, and at times, seems to have ulterior motives. At the end, although McMurphy is profiting at times from the men on the ward, he also feels a need to lead them, and in doing so bring them up to his level. The men have been forever changed by "McMurphy's spirit still romping up and down the halls" (Kesey, p307) and will continue to provide a striking example of nonconformity and self-identity for generations to come.
ReplyDeleteSchuyler
When I started reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I had no idea how much I would have enjoyed it. The events that took place in the novel and progression the attitudes of the characters symbolized an array of different situations in society. For example, the polar difference between masculinity and what the men thought they were was similar to gender rights struggles going on during the 1960s, when the book was written. “We comical little creatures can’t even achieve masculinity in the rabbit world, thats how weak and inadequate we are.” (Kesey, p 65) This scene occurs just before Cheswick sticks up for himself, and tells the men that he is not a rabbit, and he will not be treated that way. This is significant because in this society, a woman never would have been in charge of a group of men in the way that Nurse Ratched was in charge of the patients. This book also contains many religious symbols, with McMurphy as Jesus and Nurse Ratched being a Roman, against his beliefs. This was clearly portrayed when Nurse Ratched said, “He seems to do things without thinking of himself at all, as if he were a martyr or a saint.” (Kesey, p 252) McMurphy risked it all for the sake of the men on the ward, just as Jesus did for the world. Jesus was accused of being a traitor for not worshipping the king, just as McMurphy did not follow all of Nurse Ratched’s rules, but rather created a change that would stay in the ward forever. This is parallel to the way Jesus changed our world and what people believe. They were both willing to die for what they believed in and wanted to make a difference in others' lives.
ReplyDeleteMolly Giles
The ending of,”One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey I thought was amazing. It truly was an amazement how Kesey was able to secretly show his readers that McMurphy was like Jesus. He even gave little examples like when McMurphy (Jesus) took his pals on the fishing trip (12 disciples). I truly thought that was amazing how he was able to sneak that one into play. I also liked how McMurphy was able to allow the men to not feel like rabbits, and instead have them feel like men and get their (balls back), from nurse Ratched, who is cruel, manipulating, and a (ball cutter.) The ending was very surprising I would have never seen Chief as a murder but in a way I think he was doing McMurphy a favor because he was killing only his body. I say this because when McMurphy had his lobotomy done he was not really their any more just his body. I really enjoyed how Chief felt big and strong again and broke out of the ward. I wonder what Chief is goind to end up doing after visiting his home to
ReplyDeleteJames Bagnell
As I was reading One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, my pages kept turning as each one was filled with imagery and details of each occurring event. The plot of this book I thought was very well planned out and each event flowed as if Kesey were actually telling of an event that occurred in his life time. As I read further into the novel, the allegory became more and more apparent. Nurse Ratched began to refer to McMurphy as a saint or a martyr. “‘And yet,’ she went on, ‘he seems to do things without thinking of himself at all, as if her were a martyr or a saint. Would anyone venture that Mr. McMurphy was a saint?’” (Kesey 264). Many of the patients’ attitudes change throughout the story beginning to end. McMurphy gave the patients hope, although he was more focused on winning. The patients grew stronger together and bonded more than ever before. Because of this, I believe the ending of the story fit into how the beginning of the story played out. I was surprised to read that McMurphy ended up having to get a lobotomy, but after discussing the motifs in class, the event and many others started to make more sense thinking about it from a different standpoint. The way the novel ended for the rest of the patients was heartwarming in contrast to McMurphy’s end. “Everything was changing. Sefelt and Fredrickson signed out together Against Medical Advance, and two days later another three Acutes left, and six more transferred to another ward.” (Kesey 319). Many of the patients left the ward to go to new ones. As the book narrowed down to the last few characters, the remaining few events left a lasting thought in my mind. My favorite part of the book was when Chief finally lifted the control panel to break the window and escape as the black boys came after him running down the hallway. This was my favorite part because all of chief’s life he felt so small, but when he didn't have anything standing in his way, he could do whatever he wanted.
ReplyDeleteOlivia
I thought that the book One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest was a great read and loved it. The imagery and symbolism that Kesey used really brought the book to life. Though the beginning of the book had me puzzled, as we read more into it, I began understand the garbled and confusing way Bromden narrated his story. For me, the climax of the story was when McMurphy took his final stand against Nurse Ratched and took away her voice. Without her voice, she was nothing because her power was in her controlling voice. "We couldn't stop him because we were the ones making him do it. It wasn't the nurse that was forcing him, it was our need that was making him push himself slowly up from sitting, his big hands driving down on the leather chairs. It was us who had been making him go on for weeks, keeping him standing long after his feet and legs had given out." (Kesey, 318) This was probably my favorite quote in the novel because it showed how far McMurphy was willing to go for them. The men doubted him earlier in the book, saying he was helping them to win and for money, but he proves them wrong. Kesey portrays him as Jesus, the ward's savior who sacrifices himself so that the men can get away from Nurse Ratched's evil rule. All the characters in this book can be related to characters in the bible and this book can be considered McMurphy's bible. I also liked how Bromden suffocated the body. McMurphy is no longer in there, his soul is gone and he is a shell of a man. Bromden takes away the power Nurse Ratched has of using McMurphy's body as a lesson.
ReplyDeleteAnabelle
I really liked the ending of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. In the beginning of the novel, the when the patients discuss Nurse Ratched, they are terrified of her. Harding explains his postition as a rabbit, "This world ... belongs to the strong, my friend! The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak. We must face up to this. No more than right that it should be this way. We must learn to accept it as a law of the natural world. The rabbits accept their role in the ritual and recognize the wolf as the strong. In defense, the rabbit becomes sly and frightened and elusive and he digs holes and hides when the wolf is about. And he endures, he goes on. He knows his place. He most certainly doesn't challenge the wolf to combat. Now, would that be wise? Would it?" He believes that standing up to the Nurse is a lost cause before he even tries. Yet, after McMurphy's influence, she is scared of them. McMurphy succeeded in his quest to make the patients feel like men and unlike rabbits. Nurse Ratched is no longer a "wolf". Without her rude and condescending voice, Nurse Ratched is virtually powerless. After our class recognized that McMurphy is meant to represent Jesus, the rest of the book was even more interesting than it was before. It was really exciting to make connections between the role of the fictional characters found in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to Jesus and those who surrounded him. It is really impressive that Ken Kesey was able to tell a tale of men in a mental world, a story about Jesus and a story about society all in one. The symbolism found in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next is superb.
ReplyDeletePhoebe
My reaction to the ending of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was very surprising. I honestly did not think that Chief Bromden was going to be set free. Well, I was happy for him was let out of the mental hospital and set free to find his tribe. My reaction to Mcmurphy was also upsetting because I thought he was going to end up being set free too. The reason I was upset because he was given a lobotomy then Chief Bromden suffocates him with pillows. I was surprised because I thought that Bromden liked Mcmurphy because he helped the other patients step out of their comfort zones. But was Mcmurphy doing that for the patients or for himself? I also thought that Chief Bromden was actually one of the normal ones in the mental hospital. And my happiest moment of the whole book was when Chief Bromden was when he kept running though because I was so happy for him.
ReplyDeleteGrace
The last section of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was extremely eventful, containing a betrayal, a suicide, a murder, an attempt of murder, a lobotomy, and an escape from a mental ward. The way in which Kesey ended the novel was, in fact, with "a bang," as he manages to cram a great deal of action into fifteen pages of the novel. What I find fascinating about Kesey’s style is the way he provides a religious overtone to the story. It was not until the end of the book did I tie the novel to the Christian religious beliefs about Jesus Christ. The character symbolizing Judas is Billy Bibbit, as he blames the ordeal of sneaking the girls into the ward on McMurphy and the rest of the men. Just as Judas had done after he betrayed Jesus, Billy Bibbit killed himself. Another example of the religious allegory Kesey incorporated is how McMurphy has a lobotomy, caused by his attempt to kill Nurse Ratched. This is parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I found that the way in which Kesey concluded the novel was a perfect summary to the story. The man that was deaf and mute, always clouded by a thick fog, finally steps out into the open. Bromden, embracing his strength and confidence lifts up the panel and escapes the ward. The last line states, “I been away a long time,” (page 325, Kesey) allows the reader to see that Bromden is ready to leave, ready to reveal the tall, hulking Indian man he was hiding for such a long time. I believe that Kesey ended the novel in this way in order to prove that Nurse Ratched, even though she was able to “kill” McMurphy, would never be able to kill his everlasting effect he had on the men and the ward as a whole.
ReplyDeleteBrooke
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ReplyDeleteTypically, my initial reaction to the books taught in English class is along the lines of, “this is awful, and it makes no sense.” That is how One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest started for me. At the exposition, I found myself confused and bored with this book, and I could not see where it was taking me. I would count the pages each night as I read, looking at how many pages were left before I was finished. This feeling of contempt and dislike for this novel changed abruptly very near the end of the story. In class, when the symbolism was pointed out, that struck a chord for me. I love symbols and figuring out what each event or object represents on a deeper level. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was filled with interesting motifs that provoked some very thoughtful and insightful discussions. The way it alluded to the Bible and religion entranced me. In our final reading assignments, I became lost in the story, forgetting about the time, where I was, or how much more I had to read. I was often disappointed when I finished the night’s reading, as I hoped I could go on and read more. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest gives us hope that, together, we can win our battles, we can take down dictators, and we can share our fighting spirit with others. It also displayed that one must fight as hard as they can, not because they want to win, but because so much depends upon them doing so. In the grand scheme of things, our battles are not about us, they are about everyone rooting for us, and everyone rooting against our opponent. This story made me realize that so many people have the burden on dependency on them: so many others depend on one person to help them, to be there for them, to save them. So many powerful individuals have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and they must fight for all those who depend upon them winning. As Chief points out shortly after returning from Disturbed, “I wondered how McMurphy slept, plagued by a hundred faces like that..” (Kesey, pg. 279). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest taught us we can win if, and only if we band together; and our battles are fought for much more than us: they are fought for all those who need to see us win.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first began to read, The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I was puzzled and taken off-guard at the unique and foggy atmosphere Ken Kesey created. I enjoyed his insightful out-look on life; it was evident in the novel that it was meant for America, a direct mirror held to its face. What I find captivating is how Kesey was able to do this in a way that had numerous religious overtones. From the very first page, it was evident that it would not be, by any means, an easy read. The story is from the point of view of a mental ward patient, Chief Bromden, who has suffered from shock-therapy treatments that cloud his perspective on life and cause hallucinations. “When the fog clears to where I can see, I'm sitting in the day room. They didn't take me to the Shock Shop this time. I remember they took me out of the shaving room and locked me in Seclusion.” The reader is quite confused because the story is through the eyes of an unreliable narrator. When the story is being told by Kesey, it becomes evident to the reader the parallels between Cuckoo’s Nest and the Bible. McMurphy has overwhelming influence of the men on the ward, he is willing to fight for what he believes in, and is even willing to die for it, as he eventually does. McMurphy did not want the men belittled by Nurse Ratched, and wanted them to “man up.” In this way, Murphy can be related to Jesus, who had to die for peoples’ sins. I believe that McMurphy knew that his death was inevitable, but still put on a strong face for the men and having one final hurrah, for the men to remember him by. The betrayal of Billy Bibbet resulted in the death of Murphy, and his own. Billy Bibbet symbolizes Judas, he told the nurse all of his wrong doings, and because of the tremendous amount of guilt, he ended his own life. Despite the gloomy ending, it was a true triumph for all the men, no longer compared to “rabbits” and defeating the malevolent nurse. It shone a spot light on how society looks the other way and punishes away people who were different, according to social norms.
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