AND
150+ your words: What are your favorite passages and why? Type at least two excerpts, with page numbers properly placed in parentheses before the periods, to show Kesey's techniques.
- W.11-12.2b Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant
and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations,
or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge
of the topic.
- W.11-12.2c Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships
among complex ideas and concepts.
- W.11-12.2d Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and
techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity
of the topic.
- W.11-12.2e Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while
attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they
are writing.
- W.11-12.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from
and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating
implications or the significance of the topic).
81 comments:
Story 5
Inspire . . . to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence (Dictionary.com). Defining life and with its gruesome hidden features, accomplished by Ken Kesey many years ago. What can the mind do for any human being when put to full potential? Clearly an exotic, once in a lifetime achievement, becomes reality and no longer imaginary. Yes Kesey saw most that others could not, and dedicated bountiful amounts of time and thought to the book of the century. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest inspires . . . . Conformity proves to be a deadly fiend, and to overcome such an enemy, one most point out flaws of the system. Why do we create “concentration camps” to implant trees that never grow? Poor restless souls being brainwashed and screwed over, as many Americans feel at points in their life. A Christ figure becomes shown, revealing the peoples own will, to overthrow corrupt ruling. Watching acquaintances, friends, and strangers being dissected until they are physically incapable of being classified as a human, the fewest witness events similar to these every day. Fewer observe tragedies like this every other week, while few watch every so often. We relate. Conclusions are unknown to this book, for now, as all compare reality . . . to truth. We gradually become inspired to stir about change, and see imperfections, as I continue to read the novel.
“He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder like she was a wooden rack” (99). Comic relief. Mr. McMurphy shows his humor greatly at any angle and perspective he can. The reasoning to re-humanizing the lost and programmed souls . . . develops an army stronger than any conformist leader, such as nurse Ratchet. While I read this part, I understood the first giggles out of the chronics and acutes finally erupted. No machine laughs or even feels comedian-like. The first break through arrives; McMurphy inspiring a change in being the change. To enter any depressing building, and use wicked wits to stir up laughter, I have respect for any whom do so. I myself laughed while reading this particular part, and loved the short discussion about it all in class. “‘Now . . . The cross is . . . Mex-i-co.’ He looks up to see if I’m paying attention, and when he sees I am he smiles at me and goes on. ‘Mexico is . . . the wal-nut. The hazelnut. The ay-corn. Mexico is . . . the rain-bow. The rain-bow is . . . wooden. Mexico is . . . woo-den’” (135). I admire the morals of this passage. Most would judge and pay slim-to-none attention to any poor fellow trying to express his opinions on a topic. Chief ceases his own thoughts and actions to pay attention to one less fortunate than himself, and learns something that no one else may have taught him. Mexico is like a walnut, hazelnut and more. Matterson knew what he was talking about in relating a country to objects, speaking in literary devices that none others accomplish in this novel. This passage tells any reader to really listen to the others around you, no matter the state of mind they are in. This scenario here was a simple description of landscape, but for all anyone knows, any lesson can come from whomever . . . even lessons carried with through life. Pay attention.
Rogen5
Kesey’s work in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest pushes the reader’s personal thought boundaries. This book does what should be done by novels in the canon. The reading repeatedly: Discusses the un-discussable, implores us to explore our beliefs and views, and gives the reader perspective. The novel offers more than a plot—it creates inter turmoil in the reader, and questions what the reader finds correct and appropriate. Kesey brings the problems of society to the reader’s attention with the aid of Bromden’s Combine symbol. Kesey again challenges the social norm by writing a “classic” while experimenting with illegal drugs. Should we trust this hippy jargon? Or is LSD just a performance enhancing drug that all authors should use to keep my attention on the 100th page? Regardless, the literature is pure gold.
This is best exemplified when Chief is explaining the chronics:”What Chronics are—or most of us—are machines with flaws inside that can’t be repaired, flaws born in, or flaws beat in over so many years of the guy running head-on into solid things that by the time the hospital found him he was bleeding rust in some vacant lot (16).” The section causes the reader to think about the flaws consuming the patients in the ward, and what flaws have caused our narrator to think the way he does. Another excerpt from the novel that I find spectacular takes place during McMurphy’s introduction to the ward. It states: “I been a bull goose catskinner for every gyppo logging operation in the Northwest(21)…” I enjoyed this section for ironic use of diction in a serious section of the novel. It allows the reader to become acquainted with McMurphy’s sense of humor and superiority complex that he brings to the ward.
Hallstrom 1
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of the impact on the readers. This book encourages the reader to question their beliefs and it discusses all aspects of human nature that some people try to avoid. It makes us question reality and it takes what we’ve been taught, and shows us the realness of it. Being that Kesey was on LSD when he composed this novel, he challenges us by making us rethink about our values on what’s right and wrong. Although this book has been hard to follow, I think knowing Kesey was on LSD has definitely made is something worth reading because it sort of gives me a different perspective on what goes on in the minds of someone on drugs as strong as that. The head of the ward being a girl also made me look at society in a different way and wondering what it would be like if everything was reversed and women were at a higher rank.
One of the passages I found intriguing was when Chief was talking about the patients who came into the institute as Acutes, but are now Chronics. He first told us about Ellis and how his experience in the “Shock Shop” didn’t end so well and now he’s nailed to a wall, in the same position he was in when he came out (16). In reality, I don’t think this would ever be the case for a patient, but it makes me wonder how patients get treated when they are in mental institutions like this. Another interesting passage was the one when Bromden talks about Miss Ratched’s ability to set the clock at whatever speed she wants (76). This passage sends the reader the message as to how much power Nurse Ratched really has. She has. Once she realizes that everyone seems to be at their breaking point, she loosens up on the dial and lets it go back to normal. On days when you have something to savor or enjoy, she tends to speed things up.
Marso 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of Kesey’s willingness and ability to explore society’s treatment of the mentally insane, as any experimental novel should. In the history of the United States—and many cultures in general—the approach towards mentally handicapped or ill was one of spite, condemnation, and avoidance. I believe that the ill-will towards these individuals has declined steadily, although there is still an aura of avoidance they carry around. I believe that Kesey’s novel possibly wields more power than any scientific discovery or experiment in effort to change our approach. The story does this by demanding introspection not only into one’s personal “crazy,” but to our outlook on others as well. Furthermore, Kesey is able to intricately integrate a fully literary work with use of symbols, motifs, allusions, feminism, and Marxism. Additionally, Kesey’s use of an unreliable narrator—via his ability to relate to mental instability—creates a thrilling aspect that demands a reader’s full attention in order to comprehend. Furthermore, the often unannounced flashbacks Chief recalls offer an element of history, another admirable aspect of the work.
One of my favorite passages is when Chief is cleaning the staff room while a meeting is taking place. In the room, Chief notices a picture of a fisherman in the mountains. As the meeting continues to envelop, Chief finds himself both absorbed in the painting, feeling all five sensations, while also flashing back unannounced (126). This short chapter shows Kesey’s integration of both an unreliable narrator and non-linear plot. Another fascinating scene occurs as Chief peers through the window of the ward at night. He observes a dog that curiously meanders around the base of the hospital. For a while, he finds interest in the scents, holes in the ground, and geese flying overhead, but soon loses interest. Ultimately as he plans to embark from the hospital, we are led to assume that the dog was killed in a collision with a car (164). I believe this scene is a clear foreshadowing as well as symbol for McMurphy; he is the dog that comes to the hospital interested and curious, but eventually meets his doom. This implied symbol is another prominent example of Kesey’s brilliant, experimental work.
Larson Pd 5
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest helps readers analyze. I do not find analyzing a book to be enjoying or relaxing—in fact, analyzing creates more stress on me. With this phenomenal book, I do not find it a chore to analyze. There are so many different aspects and colors to this great piece of work. Once we discuss this book in class and I think I have learned all that was possible for the assigned pages, another peer may bring up a completely new aspect to the book I completely missed. Seeing and discussing all of these ideas, aspects, and themes really opened my eyes. I came to realize a book does not have one simple view, but multiple views—maybe even hundreds of views that can help you think and understand the book much better. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a great book to analyze and discuss, and I have actually found joy in doing this. One of my favorite passages is when McMurphy punches through the glass right in front of the Big Nurse to get his cigarettes (pg 201). I enjoy this scene because McMurphy one of the Big Nurse’s powers against her. He retaliates by saying he could not see the glass since it was so spick and span. I find this quite amusing. Another passage that stuck out to me was when Cheswick died (pg 175). Surprisingly, this made me quite sad. Cheswick has grown in the book to be an independent character that stands up for his rights. Even when McMurphy begins obeying the Big Nurse’s orders, Cheswick is not phased—he continues to point out what he wants to be changed, even if no one is backing him up. These were two passages that stuck out to me while reading this amazing, inspirational piece of work.
Herrick 5
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many people because this book exposes many disturbing and absurd things. Scholars look at this book and see all the symbols, which sometimes are hard to find because of how obvious they are. The readers can take this book in many ways. A reader can get the obvious message out of the book which is, the people sent to insane institutions are in need of some attention. Other people could take it as that the society needs those rule breakers or else everyone would be this mind controlled robot and life would be boring. Another reader could take this as, society has left the minority of people to suffer and feel bad. Society needs to be accepting of all types of people. All people can get a message out of this book, even if it a simple message.
I found the part about the machine in Chiefs dreams to be interesting. This was a little very descriptive and that it was easy to tell what was going on. A workman’s eyes snap shut while he’s going at full run, and he drops in his tracks; two of his buddies running by grab him up and lateral him into a furnace as they pass (87). In this book, it seems like everyone is disposable. I feel like it just shows how much society does not care about the people. The scene where McMurphy tricks Ratched by keeping his towel on, while having his shorts on underneath the whole time. He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder like she was a wooden rack (99). I thought it was funny that he broke the rules but could not get in trouble because he made the nurse get all worn out yelling at the attendant.
Kirkus 2 (part one)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many authors, professors, and literary scholars/critics because it was a completely new way of writing. Nobody had done this before. In the canon, there are few to no authors who use a narrator as unreliable and delusional as Chief Bromden. By doing this, Kesey (at least for me) immerses the reader more deeply into the story, creating a connection with Bromden. We are effectively seeing into the mind of an insane person, while other novels, stories, movies, etcetera only show mentally unstable characters from the outside. In some ways, I feel like having Bromden as a narrator more accurately portrays the story because he gives us the exact image he sees, like a child would, and certain abstract ideas are actually described as tangible or visible objects (like the fog). Also, undoubtedly, an author must make an intriguing story to be canonized, which Kesey clearly does. I am impressed and entertained by the fact that Kesey didn’t just have consecutive chapters in chronological order, flowing from one to the next like a traditional novel; instead, he throws in interrupting side-stories in the form of short chapters/paragraphs. This technique keeps readers’ attention because their minds have to constantly switch from the main story to a side-story and then back to the main story. I am very impressed with this novel and I don’t feel like I’m reading it as an assignment; I’m reading it because I want to.
Kirkus 2 (part two)
One of my favorite parts so far in the novel is when Bromden is explaining how the nurse can control the time. Obviously she can’t actually control time, but we all know that time seems to go faster when we’re having fun and slower when we’re miserable. In this excerpt, Chief explains the different time speeds that, in his mind, are controlled by the nurse:
The big nurse is able to set the wall clock at whatever speed she wants by just turning one of those dials in the steel door; she takes a notion to hurry things up, she turns the speed up, and those hands whip around that disk like spokes in a wheel. The scene in the picture-screen window goes through rapid changes of light to show morning, noon and night—throb off and on furiously with day and dark….But generally it’s the other way, the slow way. She’ll turn that dial to a dead stop and freeze the sun there on the screen so it don’t move a scant hair for weeks....(76-77)
This passage just shows how much control the nurse has over the patients at the institution. Even though she isn’t really changing the speed of time, she makes it seem like she is. Because they feel she has so much control, the patients almost have to submit to her.
Another of my favorite passages is when Bromden wakes up to McMurphy singing, and then challenges the nurse. This passage is one of the first confrontations between McMurphy and the nurse, signaling that there will be tension later in the book:
Then, just as she’s rolling along at her biggest and meanest, McMurphy steps out of the latrine door right in front of her, holding that towel around his hips—stops her dead!... “You can’t run around here—in a towel!” “No?...Towels against ward policy too? Well, I guess there’s nothin’ to do exce—” “Stop! don’t you dare. You get back in that dorm and get you clothes on this instant!”...The big black boy...ambles off to the linen room to get McMurphy a set of greens...and ambles back and holds it out to him with a look of the clearest hate I ever saw. McMurphy just looks confused, like he don’t know how to take the outfit the black boy’s handing to him, what with one hand holding the toothbrush and the other hand holding up the towel. He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder like she was a wooden rack. I see he had his shorts on under the towel all along. (96-99)
This confrontation (and the nurse’s reaction to it) gives Bromden a new hope that maybe the patients aren't completely at the nurse’s mercy, and that maybe she can be broken. For the first time, he can smell certain smells—smells from the outside. From this incident, the nurse now knows what she’s up against, and it really starts the main conflict of the story between McMurphy and the nurse.
Van Ede, 5
To understand why a book earns the right to be canonized one must not merely examine just the writing style, sequence of the plot, symbolic content, or time of construction. Instead, one must scrutinize and appreciate them all, equally or with greater emphasis on particular categories beyond the meek four I mentioned; we must be the judges of our own literary cannon. I cannot speak with entire confidence upon why other scholars deem One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest canon worthy, but I can speak on my own behalf. I place Mr. Kesey's novel within my own canon based upon his simple accelerated performance throughout the previously mentioned categories. In terms of writing style, Kesey readily claims the title of the "bull goose looney" through his seemingly effortless slide into the eyes and thus perspective of the paranoid schizophrenic Bromden. Layered with suspicion, the diction not only blends hallucination with reality but also represents a carefully crafted yet deliberately imperfect work—possibly in reference to Mr. Bromden's simpler nature or a Native American cultural belief in slight deficiency. Through imperfection, Kesey achieves a realistic and engaging novel of perfection. The sequence of the plot remains equally alluring with sporadic jumps into the past and quick jabs into unknown realms of consciousness and development. Although the symbolic content within the novel generally proposes less digging than other canonized novels, the symbology within this novel is equally if not more potent. The shallowness of the character symbols only sharpens their recognition and application to the reader's perspective on life. The time in which the novel was written is perhaps the most important component in deciphering the novel; it helps to reveal the author's motive. As One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was first published in 1962, I believe the novel was in response to the drastic conformity of the 1950's, revealing specific consequences and perhaps providing a warning to the power of society. This novel provides a view into the hidden, the undesirable, and the chaos of consistency, giving readers not only the experience of rebellion but also the directions.
The ending of part one of the novel with Mrs. Ratched's fury at the patients pretending to watch the world series game won my favorite vote, especially the final sentence: "If somebody'd of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they'd of though the whole bunch was crazy as loons" (144-145). Upon reading this, I simply let out a good laugh. The playful mix of irony and imagery sparked a scenario filled with humor. Kesey's artisanship not only pokes fun and Nurse Ratched's strict perception of sanity but also our own perception of how we might expect a mental institution to run in day-to-day operation. Another one of my favorite excerpts depicts Bromden staring outside the window at the sky late one night (164). Bromden talks about looking at the moon and stars and how the stars closer to the moon were much less bright than the stars far away. I admire this section simply because it causes me to wonder on what it could mean. On one end, I figured the moon represented the large behemoth of society, dragging down and sucking the life of people trapped in its proximity. However, I also realized the moon might represent Bromden, trapped among transparent men, a giant whose brightness and thus consciousness has been awakened by McMurhpy. This theory fit less with the actual script of the novel, but I enjoyed its interpretation more. Throughout the novel, Kesey inserts sections that enlighten, suggest, and promote personal reflection. Through simple enjoyment or in-depth questioning, one can delve deeper into the consciousness and relevance of each passage.
Koehn pd. 7
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized for being revolutionary literature especially during its publishing in 1962 and for cleverly challenging the judgment/treatment of mentally handicapped, homosexuals, and minorities. Wrote in the year of 1962, the literature world had certainly never been exposed to the ward life Cuckoo’s Nest unveils. Many schools across the country banned the novel all the way up to the 21st century. This highly controversial book forces readers to look at the darker sides of society and civilization. Kesey exposes a unique view of life inside a mental hospital that previous authors had never done. This novel was canonized for its ability to provoke thoughts about prior judgments of the mentally handicapped, homosexuals, and minorities and how these groups were treated. Kesey’s novel poses the point that perhaps the insane are pretending to be insane because they are afraid of how they are treated in the real world. After all, safety and belongingness sounded wonderful to individuals who were constantly ridiculed in society.
One of my favorite parts of the novel so far was when McMurphy was confronting the boys about how they never open up, or even laugh! McMurphy says, “I haven’t heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.” (70). I completely agree with McMurphy’s statement. When laughter is no longer a part of your daily life you begin to feel miserable. Laughter gives people a daily motivation to keep living because at some point they know enjoyment can be found. I find myself admiring McMurphy’s character. Confident and intelligent, he challenges Nurse Ratched’s rule and does not allow himself to be walked over by a superior role. In the ward, he still holds his awareness is not afraid to stand up for himself when the others are too weak. McMurphy calls the men out on their weaknesses and disabilities. Admirably, McMurphy is the only human in the novel who treats the men in the ward like human beings. Another one of my favorite McMurphy moments was when he tried to lift up the panel to throw with hopes of shattering the window. Beginning to feel cagey, McMurphy says he could break out and go out on the town and have a beer and watch some TV. The men explained he could never break the lock system but McMurphy decides he will try to throw the panel into the window to get out. Everyone in the room knows it is way to heavy—even for a couple men—but McMurphy’s relentless ego gives it a try. He expended every last ounce of strength in his body, but McMurphy could not move the panel an inch. His hands began bleeding and quietly gave his IOUs out to the men. He left them saying, “But I tried, though,’ he says. ‘Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I?” (125). This statement just tallys another stab at the pathetic, spineless men he is surrounded by. McMurphy is the only man who deserves the right to complain about the ward rules and miserable conditions. He is at least making at attempt to ameliorate the ward policies and situations. The other men are too content and brainwashed to think for themselves and challenge their corrupt authority.
Pederson 7
Kesey’s writing is included in my literary canon because of all the new thoughts it has created in me. This novel goes beyond talking about patients in a mental institution; it shows us the minds of them. The narrator Chief Bromden introduces thoughts like the fog and robots killing patients and watching the patients’ every move. I have never read anything like this, and I always want to read more. Rather than being a monotonous chore, putting passages under my literary microscope for analysis proves enjoyable. I love getting to read further, getting more involved in the plot while noticing subtle hints that may foreshadow what is to come. I also enjoy discussing sections of the book in class; this helps uncover the hidden meanings I may have missed in the passages. Reading the novel has made me wonder if everyone is indeed a little crazy in their own way.
The section when Harding is analyzed by the whole group seems thought provoking to me. I found it humorous that this “Therapeutic Community” spends every day attacking the newest “weakest person” of the group. McMurphy is able to relate this procedure to a bunch of chickens at a pecking party: “The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin’ at it, see, till they rip the chicken to shreds, blood and bones and feathers. But usually a couple of the flock gets spotted in the fracas, then it’s their turn. And a few more gets spots and gets pecked to death, and more and more. Oh, a peckin’ party can wipe out the whole flock in a matter of a few hours, buddy, I seen it. A mighty awesome sight. The only way to prevent it—with chickens—is to clip blinders on them. So’s they can’t see.” (57). This section stood out to me as it highlights how Ratched is able to keep her power. By getting involved in the meeting, the patients begin to expose their own “old sins” to the Big Nurse. When she makes the first peck, Nurse Ratched is able to just sit back and watch while the other patients squabble while also revealing information to be used against them next meeting. Nurse Ratched is able to easily manipulate the patients and keep her power. Another section I liked was when McMurphy talks about breaking out of the ward. When he talks about using the control panel to break the window, everyone doubts McMurphy. “But, for just a second, when we hear the cement grind at our feet, we think, by golly, he might do it.” This section shows that McMurphy has the potential to change the ward forever. However, when he fails to lift the object, the patients are reinforced with the idea that Nurse Ratched will always hold the power. He exclaims, “But I tried… I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I?” (125). I wonder if this foreshadows McMurphy trying, but ultimately failing to band the patients together to take over the ward. I also wonder if Chief Bromden could lift that control panel up to break down a window. These passages make you question what these actions could mean later in the novel, and I wonder what other tactics Nurse Ratched will use to keep the patients apart.
Stephens 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been cannonized by many literary scholars because of the underlying messages that Kesey tries to get across throughout the novel. He is very decided upon his views on society and life and he wants to show people how wrong we are and how we need to fight back against the system and become out own people. Kesey weaves his propoganda into the novel so expertly, that it is almost painful to try to ignore his obvious stabs at society. We take people who we believe do not fit out standards, and do everything in our power to “fix” them. Why do they need fixing? This makes me wonder if Kesey had someone in his life with a mental illness that caused him to have these thoughts. How could Kesey see the world so clearly, while the rest of us are in the fog? Also, my mother is a psychologist for children with Autism, and this novel makes me ashamed of her profession. Her life’s work is to make these kids acceptable to the public eye. While it seems like such an honorable thing, really she is doing exactly what Kesey is warning against.
“Then the talking fades out altoether; I never knew that to happen before. Maybe Billy’s hid himself in the fog too. Maybe all the guys finally and forever croweded bvack into the fog” (134). This passage is really intriguing to me. Bromden believes that everyone has a fog and can retreat into it at any time. This might be true, even before reading this novel I have been aware of when I am fully, mentally alert or when I was living in sort of a fog or daze with no deeper thinking. There are times that I am just gliding through life thoughtlessly and meaninglessly and they frustrate me. I would prefer to be out of the fog. Bromden stays in his fog for safety, but seems pleased when he is able to see things clearly. I also found Cheswick’s death interesting. All the Acutes finally saw McMurphy begin to break and Cheswick lost the hope the McMurphy had given him. You can plainly tell his hope is gone when Bromden states: “Even Cheswich could understand it and didn’t hold anything against McMurphy for not going ahead and making a big fuss over the cigarettes” (174). And later the book says, “But just as soon as we got to the pool he siad he did wish something mighta been done, though and dove into the water” (175). So Cheswick is frustrated that McMurphy gave in, but understands why and realizes that finally Nurse Ratched is breaking him.
Coyle 5
Innovative writing style, provocative topics, unstable narration, thought-inducing themes. These are all reasons that Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has been bestowed the honor of being canonized by scholars and literary critics. The style in which Kesey presents his thoughts in this novel is, simply put, novel. He breaks the mold of having a reliable narrator by using Chief Bromden, a six-foot-eight schizophrenic Native American, as the only perspective of the happenings within the hospital. The standard chapter length of most novels was also shunned by Kesey, who has some chapters that barely constitute a third of a page and some that take up nearly twenty pages. This varied length and unstable narrator create a fresh take on literature in a way that provokes thought and requires the reader to dig deeper than just the surface in order to discover the themes and dissect the importance of the novel. In addition to having all of these traits, Kesey’s novel tackles a rivulet in society that most people wish to ignore—the treatment of patients in mental hospitals. Not only does he describe the dreadful conditions in horrifying detail, he also uses it as a method to voice his opinion about other, less concrete things, such as the Red Scare and the spread of Communism. The fact that this work had so many relevant topics quickly spread its popularity, making it an obvious candidate for canonization.
One of my favorite parts of the novel thus far would be the section where McMurphy is trying to get the other men to vote with him in favor of changing the time that they watch TV. so that he could watch the World Series. One particular passage stuck out to me.
…that big red hand of McMurphy is reaching into the fog and dropping down and dragging the men up by their hands, dragging them blinking into the open. First one, then another, then the next. Right on down the line of Acutes, dragging them out of the fog till they stand, all twenty of them, raising not just for watching TV, but against the Big Nurse, against her trying to send McMurphy to Disturbed, against the way she’s talked and acted and beat them down for years. (140)
This passage particularly stands out to me because it demonstrates just how much of an influence McMurphy has had on the men in the hospital in just the short amount of time he’s been there. He has incited something within the other patients that makes them more confident and strong. They have the strength to band together and make a change and stop the Big Nurse.
Another section of this story that has really stood out to me would be the very last chapter in Part 2 where McMurphy breaks the glass to the nurse’s station and takes the cigarettes. After nearly a week of being defeated, McMurphy realizes how much the men in this hospital need him to be their advocate, to strengthen them so that they will be able to function in normal society. He reassumes his audacious behavior, showing the Big Nurse that he is nowhere near as broken as she may have assumed. He also mocks her obsessive need for neatness by blaming it for the incident.
“’I’m sure sorry, ma’am,’ he said. ‘Gawd but I am. That window glass was so spick and span I com-pletely forgot it was there’”(201).
Wilde 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized for the same reason it has been commonly banned. Parents have complained that the novel provokes corruption among juveniles through the vivid descriptions of violence and psychological abuse throughout. On the contrary, many literary scholars praise the novel for looking into the darker sides of society and civilization. Perhaps people become distraught when the disturbing truths of reality surface. Clearly there has been an issue with the handling of humans struggling with mental deficiencies. However, we cannot merely shelter ourselves from the less appealing aspects of society. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest forces us to reexamine what constitutes someone mentally ill. As far back as the late 19th century, Americans refused to even allow immigrants with mental problems into our country. People have a natural tendency to avoid aspects of society that interfere with “normality.” Ken Kesey portrayed “The Combine” as an institution that surely neglected the patients their individuality. People proceed to read the novel and then garner compassion for the way we treat the mentally ill. Sometimes it takes a novel that presses the norms of society to become widely renowned. As expressed above, reading the novel fills the reader with wonder about the treatment of the mentally insane. Furthermore, the novel makes us reevaluate what truly constitutes “mentally ill.” In a predominantly conformist society, any novel written as One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest will inevitably spark discussion.
My favorite passage concluded part 1 of the novel. Chief Bromden elaborates how “the whole bunch was crazy as loons” (128). I find this extraordinarily significant. Throughout the entire novel the patients are described as crazy and all that they do is crazy. However, the fact that Bromden refers to the patients as well as Nurse Ratched as crazy indicates that it is not only the mentally ill patients who are crazy. In fact, the whole system is crazy. The way in which the mentally ill are treated and the way in which they respond is crazy. Although McMurphy thinks the Big Nurse is so awful, she is merely one leader in the whole scheme of unjust workings towards the mentally insane. I also enjoyed the passage that concluded with “I watched the dog and the car making for the same spot of pavement” (143). I believe that the dog symbolizes McMurphy, while the oncoming car symbolizes Nurse Ratched. Perhaps McMurphy is headed towards a collision in the novel. I feel that McMurphy is going to form some sort of a rebellion against the Big Nurse. I predict that he will unfortunately die. I appreciate the foreshadowing present in this passage.
Woodward 5
The literary canon is reserved for works that enlighten readers, and have been critically acclaimed because of it. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fits this description, and therefore deserves a spot in the literary canon. This novel has pages of description that allow the reader to visualize the events in the book better than a high definition screen ever could or ever will be able to. The symbolism placed throughout the novel allows interpretation from seasoned critics and young readers alike, yet there are clear messages involving issues that were then controversial. Ken Kesey effectively shows the flaws in placing others below you because of their color or their deficiencies, both physical and mental. The story told by Chief Bromden gives readers a perspective that is seldom offered, even by other novels that have reserved a spot in the canon.
One of my favorite passages in the book is when Chief Bromden is having his nightmare involving Blastic and the Public Relations man. After describing the horrors of his hallucinations he asks himself “But if they don’t exist, how can a man see them?” (90). I found the whole passage interesting, but this single sentence struck me as particularly interesting. The quote makes me sympathize with Bromden by giving me insight to what happens to him every day. People believe what they see, but Bromden sees things that cannot possibly happen. Without being able to differentiate the difference between dreams and reality, it’s no wonder he is stuck in an insane asylum. My other favorite passage is the one where Bromden starts thinking clearly again—“McMurphy’s got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it(Bromden’s hand) slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I’m fair game. He’s doing it, wires… No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself.” (142). At this point, Bromden ceases to blame others for his actions and hallucinations and finally accepts that he has complete control over himself. After this event, Bromden comes completely out of the fog and starts to see things as they actually are.
Pham 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is reserved on the literary canon because of its extraordinary exposition of the human condition. In order to acquire canon status, a novel must be relative to its generation and relatable to future generations. Kesey’s grand novel fits the criteria. It reveals the social fallacies of American culture and questions the American system. Kesey addresses the unaddressable: eugenics. In eugenics, those unfit for work in a capitalist society are cast away—experimented on, confined, or even killed. In the novel, he speaks of the terrible things done to the mentally unwell. Kesey breaks the norm to establish a more rational, moral norm. All great canonists have done this—Fitzgerald with the corruption of the 1920s shown in The Great Gatsby; Shakespeare in his exposition of the effects of blind love in Romeo and Juliet; and even Khaled Hosseini in his explanation of foreign conditions and conflict in the novel The Kite Runner. He also shows the inhumanity of forcing the psychological minorities out of society. Isolation is not the cure. However, he relates his novel to our generation by creating a captivating story that is able to be evoke emotion and thought for the reader. To tackle such controversial topics while allowing for analysis of the novel for even today’s generation is to earn a place in the literary canon.
The passages I found interesting included the black boys talking about McMurphy and Harding’s conversation with his wife. When the black boys speak of McMurphy, one boy states, “’You know, like “He Who Marches Out Of Step Hears Another Drum (Kesey 154).”’” This is part of what makes One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a part of the literary canon. The relation of this proverb to the novel is outstanding. McMurphy still marches—meaning he operates, he lives, he remains a part of the institution—but he marches to a different drum (meaning he’s in there for a different reason.) This proverb is also applicable in life. When people do things differently, they are not necessarily wrong—they are just stepping to a different beat, a different drum. In the second passage, Harding mocks his wife because she has jurisdiction over him. He is afraid that she will not accept him, so he alienates her in advance. This leads to a series of misconceptions, paranoia and doubt. He questions, “’Are we speaking symbolically, or are we dealing with the concrete here-and-now cigarettes? NO matter; you know the answer to the question, whichever way you intended it (184).’” Like the first passage, I enjoy this passage because it reminds me of my own experience. Many times, I fear condescension from others and, thus, I am viable to condescend. As Harding does, disputes occur between my colleagues and me because of our useless bantering. Yet our relations last because of the events that bind use and the bond we share. Although mentally unwell, those in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest still show the “norm” of the human condition.
Rist 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is not an ordinary book. The narrator is mentally insane and is stuck in an asylum. This book has been canonized because it exploits society’s behavior towards the mentally ill. Kesey makes us question our treatment of the mentally ill and he uses symbols and motifs to help engage the reader. Most of the men in the asylum choose to be in the asylum. Thinking they are unaccepted in the real world, the mentally ill men are “safe” inside the institution. How can society be so cruel? How can we as humans make others feel so insecure that they have to stay locked up in a safe place? Kesey brings about these flaws in such a different light and compels readers to rethink their actions and how they treat people, especially the mentally ill.
One passage I found interesting happens in the pool. McMurphy must of been standing in a hole because he was having to tread water where I was just standing on the bottom (169-179). I could not believe Chief Bromden does not realize how big he actually is. Bromden perceives McMurphy as a big man and he makes Bromden feel small. Never wanting to get involved, Bromden stands in the shadows. He feels small because he does not have the urge to stand up for himself. He looks up to McMurphy as a true man who is bigger than he is. Another intriguing passage in the book occurs at the end of part 2. The glass came apart like water splashing, and the nurse threw her hands to her ears (201). Earlier, Cheswick commits suicide because McMurphy no longer compels him to rebel. Always asking for cigarettes, Cheswick kept pushing Nurse Ratched. After Cheswick died, McMurphy had to pay tribute to him so he punched through the glass to get some cigarettes. The glass shattering like water symbolizes his actions were done for Cheswick. Ironically the nurse was just scolding the men for not doing their cleaning duties as McMurphy punches through the glass because he simply cannot see it.
Lenz 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is not the ordinary book that teachers shove down student’s throat during high school English classes. This book gains the name of “experimental fiction.” As we briefly spoke about in class, this novel has many differences from a traditional novel such as Lord of the Flies, or To Kill a Mockingbird. This book does not fit the standards, or get pulled into the “combine” that Ken Kesey wrote about in this fascinating work of art. This book is not one that a reader can simply skim through and get the entire meaning behind all of the imagery and symbols portrayed within it. While reading this novel, you need to really think about the messages the author is attempting to portray. With One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey took an approach that nobody else had the guts to do, and that is why the book is so intriguing.
I will have to admit, when I first opened this book, I did purely for the grade. Reading was an assignment, so I knew I had to do it. As I got further into this novel, I became more and entranced. A passage that stuck out to me was “’And you, Mr. McMurphy,’ she says, smiling, sweet as sugar, ‘if you are finished showing off your manly physique and your gaudy underpants, I think you had better go back in the dorm and put on your greens’” (100). Many parts of this passage strike me as interesting. First, the fact that Nurse Ratched can appear so calm in a time when most people would lose control of their anger seems rather peculiar. It is just a sign that she is not a normal person, and has been somewhat desensitized to the odd behaviors that some of the patients exhibit. Also, within this passage, she says he has a “manly physique.” The book talks of how she trying to prevent manliness and turn them more into machines, so by making this comment, it seems to me, she is backtracking in the work she is trying to accomplish. “No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself.” These may seem just like nine regular words to any random person, but to the readers of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, they are a live changer. This is the moment when Chief Bromden decides to raise his hand. He acted deaf the entire time he was in the hospital, until now. He responded to a verbal command. This is a turning point for Bromden. It shows that he is being brought out of shell now that McMurphy had joined the group, and the true influence McMurphy brought along with him. After the nine simple words, Bromden begins doing things he never did before such as looking out of the window, or participating in the trips to the swimming pool, he even stops seeing the fog after this happens. This was definitely a turning point in the life of Chief Bromden and I am excited to read on to find out what events are yet to come.
Albertson 5
After I have finished reading, and I have closed the book and put it back in my bag, I am not thinking in the same mindset that I normally do. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest derails my usual and daily train of thought and invites me into Kesey’s brilliance. It is mostly this reason that I credit for the novel’s canonization. Kesey’s ideas are so compelling that I tend to forget that he is just a great writer with an opinion, and not an omniscient authority on mental institutions or society’s forces. Cuckoo’s Nest has the power to change how readers think about themselves, their government, those committed to psychiatric hospitals, Native Americans, homosexuals, racism, and feminism. Probably written for an audience in the 60’s that experienced the conformity of the 50’s, Kesey’s novel evinces timeless problems. Cuckoo’s Nest can make any person (even a white, teenage student) relate to a schizophrenic half-Indian, or any one of his delicately constructed characters.
The night that Bromden walks through the ward at night made an impact on me not because of the big metaphors wrapped into the scene of the dog, but because of the little point that Kesey made: “I felt the tile with my feet and wondered how many times, how many thousand times, had I run a mop over this same tile floor and never felt it at all (163).” Chief has been awakened from his routine by the vote that defeated Ratched. This section in the novel made me stop reading, look up, and think about how rarely I pay attention to the weather outside, listen to the radio in my car, or appreciate all the good things in my life. I too often get caught in a routine and glaze over anything that doesn’t pertain to the big picture in my head. The entire scene of the staff meeting bothered me. The authority figures of the hospital sit around and make a game of throwing diagnosis jargon at a man that obviously isn’t crazy (156). Sometimes I thought that Nurse Ratched actually was trying to help the patients until she made one truly evil remark: “’We have weeks, or months, or even years if need be…The length of time he spends in this hospitals is entirely up to us (158).’”
Lippert 7
Insanity is like gravity, all it takes is a little push. Most of the books we find in the cannon are not experimental like Kesey’s, they are relatively easy to follow and they don’t take you to WWII in random flashbacks. Even though it may not be like its partners in the cannon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has earned itself a spot in the cannon. What does this novel do for the reader? Well, let’s find out. This novel exposes to us the other side of insanity that we do not often see. We can all understand the clinical aspects of a mental hospital, but do we understand its negative impacts on the very people they are supposedly trying to help? Seen through the eyes of the afflicted, the reader realizes just how cruel human beings can be toward each other. Through the actions of Nurse Ratched and her black men, we are forced to rethink just how we treat each other. Looking at society and how only certain shapes will fit its moulds. Looking at mental hospitals and how we torture patients in an effort to “cure” them. And looking at one human being posed with the ability to enter a situation so backwards and set it right once again.
One of my favorite passages is the dog. “When it ran back to where I could get a better look, I was it was a dog, a young, gangly mongrel slipped off from home to find out about things went on after dark (164).” I like this passage since it seems so simple and peaceful but at the same time could have profound meaning. I personally believe the dog to be Chief Bromden, since the dog is calm quiet and observant, and the geese are McMurphy. The dog meets an unknown end with the car; I personally view this as foreshadowing. McMurphy is going to lead Bromden to freedom—from the fog and Nurse Ratched—and in the course of this escape a confrontation will occur between Bromden and Ratched, the outcome unknown just as the outcome with the dog is unknown. Another favorite passage of mine is the death of Cheswick, “... and by the time the got a screwdriver and undid the gate and brought Cheswick up, with the grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, he was drowned (175).” Now it might be a little morbid for me to like this passage, it speaks wonders for the affect McMurphy has had on the patients. Cheswick was so empowered by McMurphy he had become very vocal. But, when McMurphy backed down and left Cheswick standing alone, when Cheswick was moved to Disturbed, when hope was lost, Cheswick was gone. After the light that was McMurphy hid, and once the fire that was Cheswick was extinguished, one life ended and one patient left the ward for good.
Voigt 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has indeed been thrust into the literary cannon by many literary scholars. Attempting to be somewhat of a literary scholar myself, I would agree in its canonization. As with most other works of literature found in our so-called “literary cannon” this book is different than others. It is a work that stands out and becomes prominent in our minds because it is from such a drastically different viewpoint than what we are used to studying or examining. Ken Kesey, the author of this novel examines life from a point of view that most of us, as readers, have and will not ever experiment. We are then allowed to take part in a journey or an experience that we would not be able to fathom without assistance of this novel. Not only do we get to look inside the brain of someone who is most certainly mentally insane, but we learn to interpret a story from an unreliable narrator. In most stories, the narrator is most likely unreliable to some extend or another, but in this instance we are affected by the extremes. We learn to be discerning as readers as to what is truth and what is only the concoction of one’s mind.
One of my favorite passages in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest takes place the night that Chief Bromden is finally beginning to see things with clarity for the first time. He awakes in the night and looks about the room and out the window viewing the hospital with completely clear senses. This is one of the first times throughout the novel where Bromden feels as though he can truly see what is in front of him. He observes the outdoors as he watches a dog running about. It all strikes him as amazing because despite being one of the first patients at that hospital, he has lacked seeing much with clarity. However, we as readers are too soon reminded of his unreliability as a narrator when he discusses the nurse that fetches him to return to bed. “When she‘s asleep it rises in her throat and into her mouth, drains out of that corner of her mouth like purple spit and down her throat, over her body.” (Page 166). Even in reality, his hallucinations are present as he imagines a birthmark of guilt oozing off of the nurse. Another passage I found particularly interesting was found at the end of Part 2 when McMurphy breaks the glass window behind “Big Nurse’s” head. After waiting anxiously for someone to stand up against the Nurse’s abuse, McMurphy finally has had enough. Even though as an audience we know McMurphy will face impending doom for his actions, we rejoice as the ringing in Chief’s head stops - “The ringing that was in my head had stopped.” (Page 201).
Tripp 7
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest reserved its spot in the canon for being mind boggling and having a darker and more controversial perspective. The topic of the mentally insane is not necessarily on the top of the list to have a friendly conversation about. Ken Kesey travels so far past what was typically accepted in that time and gives readers something more to think about. Reading a book such as this will cause readers more discomfort and confusion than a typical book would. This book is arranged in such a way that just sitting down and reading through it will not accomplish anything. To fully understand what Kesey is getting at, the reader must be willing to step away from their comfort zone and be taken into a different world; a world filled with confusing and disturbed characters.
One of my favorite passages would be the last two full paragraphs on page 171. McMurphy has just got done talking with the lifeguard and is now thinking to himself how the act that he has been putting on for awhile now may just have to stop. He could not imagine having to stay there any longer or risk being sent up to Disturbed. This would be considered one of my favorite passages because it makes the reader stop and think if McMurphy is really the man that everyone thought he was. He was earlier seen as being bubbly and outgoing, with so many ideas and plans running through is head. Now, that McMurphy has changed into a quiet and reserved patient; he seems to be changing into one of the patients that he swore he never would. Another one of my favorite passages come just before the end of part one. Chief Bromden is being nettled by McMurphy to raise his hand for the vote. Bromden is said to be deaf and stupid, but his raising his hand tells otherwise. After the fact, Chief Bromden is trying to tell himself that McMurphy was doing something to him and that is why he raised his hand until he realizes, ”No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself (142). At this moment, we finally see how personalities and roles have shifted. Bromden is no longer in the hiding. He has offered himself into the action with the rest of the patients through an act as small as raising his hand.
Breitzman 1
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of its ability to brilliantly provoke the minds of readers. Ken Kesey uses his tremendous talents as a writer to make his readers grow to care for the characters in his novel. Kesey accomplishes this by painting a sad portrait of men who are prisoners of the system, men who have little to no hope about the outside world because of the institution in which they live. These men feel dejected about their lives and their surroundings until the arrival of R.P. McMurphy, a man not afraid to challenge the system and brashly speak his mind. Not only does Kesey tell this story in an intriguing manner, but he does so in a way that encourages the reader to analyze society in a new fashion. Kesey points out the mistreatment of mentally ill people in society and the oppression they endure. He also alludes to the persecution other groups face (such as American Indians, black people, and homosexuals) through the characters of Chief Bromden, Nurse Ratched’s “slaves,” and Dale Harding. Kesey makes his readers wonder why these types of people often are not seen as equals in society, He makes us sympathize with his characters and ponder what we can do as humans to alter the situations of those like them. It is because of its ability to be thought-provoking whilst being socially relevant and relatable that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized, as all great novels/literary works that have a clear, consistent moral theme and educate people most often are. Because of these reasons, I find the entire novel of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to be captivating, but a few passages in particular stand out to me. One that I found to be particularly intriguing was the scene in which Chief Bromden is looking out the window at night and notices a dog wandering around outside (page 164-165). As I stated in the forum quiz earlier today, I believe that the dog is a symbol for Chief Bromden and his behavior. Bromden observes that the dog has a “steady and solemn” gait, and this statement applies to Chief Bromden as well. He is a steady character in the novel; his presence never fades (as he is the narrator) and he always has a solemn and somber disposition. He stops to hear everything like the dog does (even though Bromden pretends to be deaf, he is always soaking in information) and walks around in the fog like the dog sticks his head into holes. Kesey is trying to say that this aimless dog is comparable to Chief Bromden. I also found the scene in which McMurphy gathers the men to watch the World Series on television to be interesting (page 143-145). In this passage, McMurphy has just taken a vote to see which patients would be in favor of watching the World Series on TV. Even though he received a majority of the votes, Nurse Ratched overrides his victory. However, McMurphy rounds up the men and they sit around the not-turned-on TV as if they were watching the game. This is an act of defiance. McMurphy has calculated his moves and knows that by doing this, he is essentially bucking the system. Kesey includes this scene to demonstrate how certain individuals can rise up from the oppression they suffer and begin to change how the system is run. Mistreated people can become heroes rather than victims, in some cases.
Breitzman 1 cont'd.
One final statement I found to be fascinating is Kesey’s incorporation of his own personal beliefs: “I don’t think you fully understand the public, my friend; in this country, when something is out of order, then the quickest way to get it fixed is the best way” (page 190). I personally agree with Kesey and find this statement to be very accurate. This quote particularly seems to ring true in the present day. Many of our government problems (such as spending, the debt ceiling, and the recent “fiscal cliff”) are not solved by rational thinking and debating from both sides about what’s best for the country. Instead, they are cleared up by last-minute quick deals that include a mish-mash of ideals from both sides thrown together simply to avoid a fiasco. Though they likely possess some good traits, these plans are not always the most efficient. Kesey was aware of this and used his novel as a vehicle to express his viewpoint. Overall, I find One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to be incredibly enjoyable. I look forward to reading further and delving into what other social statements Ken Kesey is trying to assert.
Cain 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is placed in the literary canon by many scholars due to the elegant creativeness that Ken Kesey has used as compelling motivation for readers to view the systems of society through an uncommon lens. The idea of mental institutions and their existence is an idea that is not new to members of society. We have created a system in which not everyone is able to function and therefore exist. Institutions like the one described in Kesey’s novel are a way of keeping the system clean and hypothetically flawless. However, many of us are unaware of what actually occurs in rehabilitation centers and live day to day under false impressions. Ken Kesey does a wonderful job in guiding his audience to reevaluate their preconceived notions and spark wonder of what is the fine line that exists between sanity and insanity, and what are the true causes of mental illnesses.
During more recent reading of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I stumbled upon a very compelling sentence and thus deep reflection was initiated. “What makes people so impatient is what I [Chief Bromden] can’t figure; all the guy had to do was wait” (129). This particular sentence is referring to man that castrated himself and then bled to death and Bromden displays knowledge and wisdom by claiming that death in evadable. While many Americans claim “death and taxes are the only sure things in life”, the Chief is right on various levels. Our world is overrun with a hallow desire to be in a hurry and with that, Ken Kesey does a wonderful job of making his readers pause for a moment before they turn the page and ponder what was just said by our narrator. Kesey is making his audience an interactive audience on page 129 as he also is when he writes “And [McMurphy] walks out and leaves those strained pieces of paper on the floor for whoever wants to sort through them” on page 125. The conversation as well as the chapter end with McMurphy’s exit and therefore the audience exits as well.
Grapevine 7
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been canonized simply because of the nature of the book. It is unlike any other. The book looks at what life is like from the viewpoint of someone in a mental hospital, and challenges the reader to rethink beliefs and thoughts about society. The reader must be willing to accept such thoughts, and are taken into a book that defies society's standards. This book challenges the reader to look deeply inside of themselves, it makes them think new ideas that they have never thought of before.
One part that really stood out to me in the book was the part right after Chief Bromden raised his hand to vote. It was about Nurse Ratched walking back to the Nurses/ Station, "Her smile is still there, but the back of her neck as she walks out of the day room and into the Nurses' Station, is red and swelling like she'll blow apart any second" (142). This showed to me how Nurse Ratched, though appearing calm on the outside, is falling apart and loosing her hold over the men. The other quote that really stuck in my mind was when Chief Bromden was thinking about McMurphy and the fog, saying that "He keeps trying to drag us out of the fog, out into the open where we'd be easy to get at" (128). It shows how the patients think that the hospital is safe, a place for them to hide from the world that hates them so much. McMurphy is trying to drag them out of that fog, is trying to show them that they can live in the world.
Bender 7
This book is relative to so many topics and has clearly and will continue to stand the test of time with the importance of the themes presented. This book would lose much of its power and meaning if it did not have so many themes present. From Kesey’s demonization of the demasculating world we live in to the reoccurring Christian symbols, the novel’s power lays in the abundance of themes. Not only does the novel convey a message incredibly useful to the most average of humans, it expresses themes of individuality, masculinity, and sanity through the dark and unreliable outlook of a mentally unstable patient. Kesey also cemented the book’s canonized status by using unique writing styles and incredibly intense imagery. The book true to its themes is far from conventional and spits on how the combine tries to make us write. The book is dark, hopeful, funny, sad, and inspiring. Its highly improbable that another writer will ever be able to mimic the irregular writing style and powerful themes presented all in one novel without looking completely ludicrous.
Undoubtedly my favorite line in the novel and possible in all of literature is found on page 125. “’But I tried, though,” he says. ‘Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I?’”(Kesey 125). What more can we do but try. Nothing can ever change if we don’t try. Even more inspiring is the unachievable goal McMurphy is striving for, both physically and metaphorically. This passage screams foreshadowing to me. McMurphy does his best and shocks all of them by what he is able to accomplish. “His whole body shakes with the strain as he tries to lift something he know he can’t lift, something everybody knows he can’t lift. But just for a second, when we hear the cement grind at our feet, we think, by golly, he might do it(Kesey 125).” Sheer will power is a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately nobody else bothered to help him. They all knew one man was no match for it. He knew it. He needed to prove the point though. He is willing to try and make a change here. He is willing to fight nurse Ratched. He just needs somebody to be there with him. He shows individuality, strength and above all confidence. He not only helps the men by showing his confidence but the confidence he has in them. He shows that an individual can rise above the system with help from other individuals. He shows that manufacture meekness will only keep these men in the same struggle for the rest of their lives.
Olesen 1
This novel challenges every reader’s views on society, conforming to society, and what society sees as “crazy”. Nurse Ratched shows us just how far and how dictating someone can become just to have things go exactly their way. She represents society and how sometimes we are forced to act, dress, or live a certain way. The patients on the ward symbolize the rejects of life who have either chosen not to, or believe they cannot be “normal” and conform. McMurphy shows us that we do have the option to choose how we want to be, and not everyone is perfect (like Nurse Ratched would love). This novel shows that everyone is “crazy” in their own ways, and helps us to better understand those who do have mental disorders, and how they can be treated. Overall I believe that this novel has been canonized by many literary scholars because of its strong imagery of what society can do to a person, and demonstrates the harsh reality of those who do not conform.
One of the most hilarious episodes in the novel is when Nurse Ratched tells the men they cannot watch the World Series, but McMurphy decides to defy her by watching the game while they were supposed to be cleaning. This is one of my favorite passages because it’s amusing and shows a huge turning point between the patients and Ratched. Nurse Ratched shuts of the power after McMurphy doesn’t listen to her when she tells him to turn it off. He then sits in front of the blank television, and the rest of the guys stop cleaning to watch it as well. Meanwhile, Ratched is standing behind the group screaming to get back to work. The chapter ends with one of my favorite quotes from Chief Bromden. “If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy” (145).
Another one of my favorite passages is when the men are all lined up to get an x-ray taken for and McMurphy learns from Harding that most of the men aren’t even committed (194). I found it very interesting to know that because of the way they act like they hate the place, however, they are the ones who decide to stay. McMurphy’s reaction is flabbergasted that they would choose to be at the ward. He says to the guys, “Tell me why. You grip, you bitch for weeks on end about how you can’t stand this place…” Then Billy replies to him with his reasoning. “You think I wuh-wuh-wuh-want to stay in here? You think I wouldn’t like a con-con-vertible and a guh-guh-girl friend? But did you ever have people l-l-laughing at you? No, because you’re so big and tough. Neither is Harding. Neither is F-Fredrickson. Neither is Suh-Sefelt. Oh—oh, you—you t-talk like we stay in here because we liked it! Oh—it’s n-no use…” In this passage we learn a little more about the men and especially Billy’s problems he had to face outside.
Johnson 7
I believe the band Rush put it best in their song "Vital Signs" from their 1981 Moving Pictures album. In the song it states, "Everybody's got to deviate from the norm." Actually, that's an understatement when talking about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; this book deviates from every major novel one can think of, so why is it in the coveted literary canon? The reason for this book to be in the elite group of novels is due to the plethora of symbolism, motifs, and outstanding literary devices. Kesey does not write a single word in the novel if it doesn't have any type of significance. The details he put into something that would seem insignificant in the real world is overwhelmingly amazing. Kesey, unlike many other authors, doesn't just have a plot with the standard construction. He takes you on a journey through the mind of a "deaf" and "dumb" Native American and his flashbacks, through the ignoble parts of the mental institution, and through the glass window of Nurse Ratched. An incredible work of art that you want to put down from a moral standpoint, but keep reading from a curiosity/id viewpoint.
One of my favorite passages in this novel is when McMurphy's (or McMurry in this case) records are being read to him.
"'With a child of fifteen.'
'Said she was seventeen, Doc, and she was plenty willin'.'
'A court doctor's examination of the child proved entry, repeated entry, the record states--'
'So willin', in fact, I took to sewing my pants shut.'
The child refused to testify in spite of the doctor's findings. There seemed to be intimidation. Defendant left town shortly after the trial.'
'Hoo boy, I had to leave. Doc, let me tell you'--he leans forward with an elbow on a knee, lowering his voice to the doctor across the room--'that little hustler would of actually burnt me to a frazzle by the time she reached legal sixteen. She got to where she was tripping me and beating me to the floor.'(45)."
Now what I like about this is how McMurphy is described as this big man with giant hands and a lot of charisma/inclination to lead, but he is beaten down by a 15 year old girl? This is just another Kesey friendly reminder that women cause issues and can destroy even the strongest of men.
The next small passage is my absolute favorite because it mentions a political party and many of you know about my strong opinion with politics.
"The black boy senses something is in the air, but he can't see what. And he probably never would of known except old Colonel Matterson is gazing around, and he sees the butter stuck up on the wall and this causes him to point up at it and go into one of his lessons, explaining to us all in his patient, rumbling voice, just like what he said mad sense.
'The but-ter... is the Republican party....'
The black boy looks where the colonel is pointing, and there that butter is, easing down the wall like a yellow snail (104)."
Now this is breakfast so there are a lot of food options. It could have been anything from cereal, to leftover pancake particles, to eggs, but Kesey chose butter. Now "butter" is one letter away from "better" and when used in cohesion with "is the Republican party", there is no doubt that that is intentional. But the best, most ironic part of this whole situation is the black boys observing the butter. At the time the Republican party (more specifically, the southern conservatives) were very weak advocates of the civil rights movement to say the least. Well played Mr. Kesey.
Hanzel 7
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many literary scholars because of its unique ability to explore and discuss what was not a common topic of conversation— the mentally handicapped. Throughout history, this group of our society has been separated just for being who they are. This novel brings the reader to the society within the ward. Although the novel is very controversial, it provokes new thoughts and emotions within the reader all while providing a new perspective. Reading this novel through the perspective of an unreliable character also contributes to its addition to the literary canon. It encourages the reader to compare the life of the mentally ill with their own in today’s society.
One of my favorite passages can be found at the end of part one. “If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons” (145). I enjoyed this passage because it provides an ounce of humor but also gives insight to the thoughts of the patients. I also enjoyed the passage about the dog. “He was a sniffing digger squirrel holes, not with a notion to go digging after one but just to get an idea what they were up to at this hour. He’d run his muzzle down a hole, butt up in the air and tail going, then dash off to another” (164). This passage interested me because is a short moment of peace as the dog wonders around but also provides symbolism and foreshadowing.
Weidenbach 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by literary scholars by its uncanny ability to force the reader to realize what society has done to all of us. The book perfectly executed this theme with the analogy of the combine sucking us all in and conforming us to societies will. Throughout the story the only rebellious character McMurphy appears to be the sanest -- even though he is not conforming to society. In my mind McMurphy is the “craziest” of them all, due to the fact he stands up to Nurse Ratched and all the other factors trying to pull him into the fog, even if it was only for awhile. The book has also showed a great deal of what a mental hospital would be like. Kesey does an extraordinary job showing us what the ward is like. Kesey has also done an excellent job in getting into the minds of the characters and expressing their own issues society has bestowed them with. The analogies in this book are limitless.
“But I tried, though,” he says. “‘Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I?’”(125). That is without a doubt a very powerful and inspirational message said by McMurphy. He says this when he tries to lift the panel all by himself. What more can anyone ever ask for than to just try. In my opinion success is measured in the effort one puts forth towards the aspects of life they deem important. Without a doubt this is my favorite passage in the book, and can be implied very easily to my and other’s actions. Another thing that was said by Chief Bromden that caught my attention was when he said, “But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen” (8). When I first read this I thought of how absurd it sounded until I realized how much sense it made! I interpreted it as even if others do not see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Those two passages were my favorite so far, but I am positive there will be many more to come in the book.
VandeBerg 5
I would say that the reason Kesey's book can be canonized is because it changed the way people thought back then. He completely changes the dynamic of what people thought was the norm. He put a woman in charge of everyone in a certain establishment. Back in the 1960s women were just trying to get rights, let alone being a high officer in an institution. He also flips the script with the blacks being in charge of the whites. Now, do not get me wrong, he still presses the fact that this is not exactly the way to go. The whole book so far has involved the patients complaining about Miss Ratched and the horrible black boys. McMurphy is there to overthrow her position of power. The black boys are deemed as bad and evil, mainly because they rape every newcomer. They treat the patients horribly, except for McMurphy, and abuse their power.
Kesey demonstrates how the black boys are really evil. He establishes this right away so the reader is already hating them before the story really starts (10). "...where they strip him and leave him shivering..."We need that Vaseline,"...and then shut the door and turn all the showers up to where you can't hear anything but the vicious hiss of water." In this instance, he is showing the brutality of the black boys. There are three of them in shower with this new admission which are all granted this horrible welcome to the ward. This welcome also establishes the power that the black boys have over all of the patients. I found a correlation to the bathroom as you hear about in jails. The dreaded dropping of the soap comes to mind. This could also interpret the ward as prison, where they are raped and told how to live, according to the warden, Miss Ratched. Also, Kesey makes you ponder real long and hard about this quote (8). "But it's the truth even if it didn't happen." He really makes you stop and think about this particular quote. He shows us that our narrator is schizophrenic and paranoid. This quote makes you realize that his two worlds blend together to make, what to him, is the truth, even if other people can't see it. He can see it, and that makes it the truth, regardless of what anyone else has to say about it.
Larson 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is as controversial as it is celebrated. I can only speak for myself as I examine the reasons the novel has been canonized, but they are plentiful. The story is ripe with symbolism, subtlety and brazenness. The brash R. P. McMurphy dances through the pages, disconcerting and defying the icily stoic Nurse Ratched at every turn. To me the antics of our favorite mental patient are the perfect balance of obvious and devious. Kesey balances his own moral and political messages delicately within a story that is thought provoking and brutally raw. This is one of the main reasons I believe the story has been canonized. Kesey leads you to his conclusions masterfully, though those same conclusions are often painful and distasteful to view. Kesey does what every skilled novelist should do: he makes you want to know things that you don’t want to know. Willing or not, as you read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest questions about society, government, conformity and your own personal values tumble into your brain thinly veiled in McMurphy and all the other madhouse characters. Kesey’s narrator, though absolutely untrustworthy, is portrayed in such a way that wholly convinces the reader that there may be some truth to what our Chief Bromden is experiencing and sensing. There is no discomfort in knowing that you are being led through the story by an insane man, but rather bittersweet hope and a searing new discernment. These skillful nuances of Cuckoo’s Nest combine to create a novel deserving of much attention from every literary critic or pleasure seeker.
One of my personal favorite sections of the book was the scene in which McMurphy raises a ruckus about getting TV time changed so that the patients may view the World Series. During the group session, all of the Acutes vote in favor of this plan. The measure is about to be shot down however, because a majority is needed and none of the Chronics know enough about what is going on to lend the one vote needed. Chief Bromden is the exception of course, and tips the scales. Bromden describes McMurphy pleading with him to raise his hand, and Bromden’s own internal struggle: “There’s no sense in it, any fool can see; I wouldn’t do it on my own. Just by the way the nurse is staring at me with her mouth empty of words I can see I’m in for trouble, but I can’t stop it. McMurphy’s got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I’m fair game. He’s doing it, wires… No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself.” (142). This is such a drastic shift for Chief Bromden, who spends his days fearing the machinery, and the staff, and Ratched and his own shadow. Chief would never do anything to upset the system, let alone do something of his own free will! The fact that Chief owns up to this rebellion shocked me, and instilled in me more of that ill fated hope, because I have a sinking suspicion that our Chief is too far gone.
Another of my favorite passages is when McMurphy is said to “step up to the Big Nuse in the hall one time and ask her, if she didn’t mind tellin’, just what the actual inch-by-inch measurement on the great big ol’ breasts that she did her best to conceal but never could” (159). This illustrated for me the childlike taunting that McMurphy likes to use; McMurphy’s taunting is such that he can feign innocence later on, claiming he was just honestly wondering. McMurphy is a sly guy, picking up on the one thing the Nurse can’t manage to conform. The whole scene reminded me of a prepubescent boy asking his well endowed schoolmate the same question away from the teachers out at recess.
Robertson 2
I do not have time for this. Why? Time is untouchable. Unachievable. Immeasurable. Time ebbs and flows like a face on water; ever-changing, it captures men and beasts alike in its wake leaving naught but rubble and decay as it toils ever onward. Stories that reflect the fracturing of time and the impact of age and hour upon the minds of men captured so by an idea allows for fabrication of understanding regarding metaphysical perception. In order to understand something that cannot be understood, writers smash it to bits and piece together a comprehendable mosaic from the fractured components. Kesey’s novel achieved canonization because it took the greatest fears (getting old, getting controlled, and getting steamrolled) and warped them into sense, ironically, through the eyes of a committed man with a lifelong history of being steamrolled, controlled, and made old by society’s only constant: time. Kesey’s experimental style, controversial lifestyle, and world-rocking message made him a unique, exceptionally singular addition to the literary canon.
My favorite passages are as follows.
Spoken by Harding: “Those are the rules we play by. Of course, she always wins, my friend, always. She’s impregnable herself, and with the element of time working for her she eventually gets inside everyone. That’s why the hospital regards her as its top nurse and grants her so much authority; she’s a master of forcing the trembling libido out into the open—“ (73).
The above is one of my all-time favorite sections from this novel. Oh, where to start. First of all, the significance of the content being spoken by Harding is made more substantial by his obvious lack of libido regarding his bombshell wife. This lack of (materialized) sexual interest makes him an ultra-intellectual because without the constant pressure of achieving sex he is able to FUNCTION as a male and a human being. There is also the element of time in this passage and, as stated in the beginning of my post, time is everything. The fact that Harding acknowledges Ratched’s power over time enforces the complete and utter power time has. Thirdly and finally, this selection addresses the element of Ratched’s sexuality and sexual power. She is “impregnable” as a woman (interpreted both as a fortress of Jerichonian stability and a female so powerful she is incapable of being impregnated by lesser men) but possesses the ability to “get inside” everyone else by “forcing the trembling libido into the open.” She impregnates people with ideas, man. She takes your sick, weak needs for human interaction and intimacy and uses it to corrode your circuits and replace them with her own.
Narrated by Bromden: “But seeing [the whore] coming lightfooted across the grass with her eyes green all the way up to the ward, and her hair, roped in a long twist at the back of her head, jouncing up and down with every step like copper springs in the sun, all any of us could think of was that she was a girl, a female who wasn’t dressed white from head to foot like she’d been dipped in frost, and how she made her money didn’t make any difference” (230).
This passage is as touching as it is sad. The men in the ward have been deprived of interaction with the outside world for so long that they don’t remember women in anything but white, frosty nurse’s clothes. The men are so taken by the sight of a true angel- not a mechanic, methodical, motherly matron—that they immediately forget what exactly it was that defined her in the first place. She is a glimpse into the world they have been blinded from.
And that is a beautiful thing.
Scholten 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a powerful piece of literature. This novel was placed in the literature canon because Ken Kesey used various techniques and styles to create this story which entraps readers in bizarre realm never talked about. The way Kesey clearly depicts the imperfections of the mentally ill, the homosexuals, and the miniority engages every reader. Kesey’s writing style, the events of the plots, the symbolic content, and the time it was produced helps to determine its placement in the canon. Examining these principles alone is not what establishes a book in the canon. One must look at all these aspects and how they intertwine together to produce an unforgettable novel. His writing style is told through the perspective of an “insane” patient in a mental hospital which adds a different and unique change to readers. The sequence of events in the book, from flashbacks to random hallucinations, captivates its audience. Kesey fills this book with enormous amounts of symbolism which gives new and different meanings to each individual reader. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was published in 1962. I believe Kesey wrote the story in response to the conformity of the 1950’s. The novel provides a vision into a world of chaos and diversity, pulling people deeper into something they have never encountered.
My favorite part of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest is when McMurphy pulls one of his first stunts against Nurse Ratched. The morning of the day after McMurphy arrived, he was roaming around the halls in a towel. “McMurphy just looks confused, like he don’t know how to take the outfit the black boy’s handing to him, what with one hand holding the toothbrush and the other hand holding up the towel. He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder like she was a wooden rack. I see he had shorts on under the towel all along. I think for a fact that she’d rather he’d of been stark naked under that towel than had on those shorts. She’s glaring at those big white whales leaping round on his shorts in pure wordless outrage” (page 99).This scene gave me a laugh when we discovered that McMurphy had shorts on under the towel. His playful banter and sexual innuendos towards Nurse Ratched provide for a humorous scene in this typically dark and depressing book. The second passage that stuck out to me was when the patients on the ward were watching the blank television screen. On page 145, the passage states: “If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons.” The reason I like this short passage is because of the irony in Chief’s words. People would already assume that the men were crazy because of the fact that they are in a mental institution. Once again, I gave a little laugh while reading this. Coming together to overrule Nurse Ratched is something none of them would normally do. I believe that this small act of uniformity between the patients is the sanest thing they have done thus far in the book.
Steffen 5
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because the book can be interpreted in many different ways. Ken Kesey, being a schizophrenic, had random diverse thoughts running through his head that he created an alter ego of himself to be the narrator. Never forcing his beliefs on the readers, Kesey leaves analyzing up to the mind of every person who opens its cover. During forum quizzes I believe that I have studied the book thoroughly until I hear ideas that I have never even thought of before. This novel allows each reader to be impacted in life altering ways. From anti-establishment to the Combine, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has shaken our views on society and forces us to think about our beliefs. In a “nut”-shell, Ken Kesey’s brilliance has rendered a beautiful masterpiece equipped with depth, intellect, and a little crazy mixed in.
One passage that I found interesting starts McMurphy’s rebellion against Nurse Ratched. McMurphy says he can’t find his clothes because someone took them during the night, so he is wearing only a towel. I found it very amusing when he took of his towel and had his white whale shorts on the entire time. As a symbol of his power of her at the moment, he places his towel on her shoulder (99). Another passage that stuck out to me was when McMurphy got Nurse Ratched's goat at the end of the week. Pulling Bromden out of the fog and allowing the rest of the men a chance to stand up to the Big Nurse, McMurphy has won again. They sit in front of a blank TV set instead of cleaning. This infuriates Nurse Ratched like she has never been before. Only the men don’t care about the consequences, they will not give in to her (145).
Svartoien 7
More than likely, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is used in classrooms around the country because it exposes so many flaws in society and people can relate to it. The novel forces contemplation on everyday life and the way of things. Unlike more typical pleasure-reads, it possess a wide range of thought provoking topics: religion, society systems , denial, apathy, government...the list goes on. Today during our forum quiz, so many ideas were being thrown around, it was like dodge ball! Except in this game, I actually had a fighting chance at survival. One thing I appreciate about this novel is that it has deep themes and it comes out and says them. With Lord of the Flies, we had to really contemplate and ponder the themes using different lenses and extreme ideas. However with OFOTCN, Kesey flat out tells you what he's thinking. He says "id" and "superego." The novel is studies so frequently because it is easier to identify the themes and messages Kesey is trying to portray.
"Your eyes were working so hard to see in the fog that when something did come inside every detail was 10 times as clear as usual, so both of you had to look away when a man showed up you didn't want to look at his face and he didn't want to look at yours, because it's painful to see somebody so clear that it's like looking inside him, but then neither did you want to look away and lose him completely. You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog painful as it might be or you could relax and lose yourself (page 131). " I love this because I can relate to it. Every day when I wake up I have to make the choice to live and see, or float through my day only getting my tasks completed and not caring about my surroundings. This passage made me think about my interactions in the hallway and in my classes.
"In a way, I was hollering for the to track me; I had figured that anything was bett'n being lost for good, even the Shock Shop(132)." He acts out because he wants out of the fog. He wants to feel something. That why people cut themselves? Hurt themselves? Stay in abusive relationships? Do they do it to feel something even if it's bad? In the end he realized it's not so bad to be lost in the fog. I wonder what it takes to come to that conclusion. I also wonder which is worse. I'm not sure.
Beckman 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by so many literary scholars because it forces readers to open their minds to new concepts and ideas that they may not have considered before reading. It also causes readers to see some truth behind the real world in terms of a fictional place setting. Readers become intrigued by mental illnesses and differences among people with this novel. You wonder how life is for them, what goes on in their minds, clearly they do not see things the way we “normal people” see them so it causes the mind to wander off to tangents you may never have considered earlier. Going off that same tangent One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest can get you wondering just what is “normal”, how can you define it? What I think may not be what you think but that does not necessarily make either of us “crazy”. One of my favorite passages from the book is “and already the mist is oozing across the floor so thick my pants legs are wet” (Kesey 133). This passage—even given its short length—has so much going on in it. Kesey portrays Chief’s mental illness as a fog, but he also personifies the fog. The fog becomes an entity all of its own—thick and oozing. You are forced to realize just how little control this immense India has over his own mind. “I’m just getting the full force of the dangers we let ourselves in for when we let McMurphy lure us out of the fog” (Kesey 150) also goes along with Chief’s inability to control his own mind. The fog was protection from what was really going on, McMurphy has changed that though. Nothing runs as it used to when McMurphy comes, the men begin to see how they are being treated, how the nurse does not actually want them to get better. McMurphy is the change needed for the men to understand themselves better, no matter how much this new unknown scares them.
N. Peterson 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because it causes readers to read and think about things that “aren’t acceptable”. Readers are forced to really question their beliefs and analyze subjects that are usually avoided. The way the patients act and the deranged events that occur disrupt the reader. The novel is packed with symbols and motifs, which provides an extremely high thinking level for the reader. Kesey also goes against the “norm” of the time period with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The women control the men, and the blacks are in charge the whites. The readers get a whole new perspective and experience so many different emotions while reading this novel.
One of my favorite passages in the novel was “If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons” (145). I think this quote the Chief says is extremely ironic and it really made me think. In my opinion, this was one of the patient’s most sane moments. They are finally rebelling against the system and standing up for themselves. Another passage that really stuck out to me was when at a meeting when all of the men were voting whether or not they could watch the world series during cleaning time and they needed a majority vote. To attain this they needed one chronic’s vote and Chief Bromden raised his hand, at first claiming McMurphy pulled his arm up. He later said, “No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself” (142). This shows that the Chief is slowing becoming less insane; he is returning to reality. In my opinion, this foreshadows the character switch of Chief and McMurphy that occurs later in the novel.
Poppenga 1
Canonized by literary scholars across the world, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest possesses the unique capacity by allowing the reader think past what is written on the page and think past the norm. What is the norm in today’s society? Obviously not this book. The book examines at the life behind closed doors, behind the thick, concrete safe haven: the mental institution. Ken Kesey is able to provoke the reader’s mind, past what is accepted in society, by causing an unusual uneasiness deep inside their mind; making them think of things not usually thought about. Having an old 6 foot 7 war veteran that perceives himself as miniscule compared to the others and envelopes himself in this “fog” which helps him evade his own sense of reality. This is just one example of how this author incites deep, critical thinking and is why I believe that this spot DESERVES to be placed in the canon by various scholars.
My number one favorite part of this novel so far is on page 144. McMurphy had just gotten Bromden to raise his hand for voting on whether or not they should be able to watch the World Series. Nurse Ratched pulls the plug for the power to the TV and McMurphy just sits there. “And sits that way, with his hands crossed behind his head and his feet stuck out in a chair, a smoking cigarette sticking out from under his hat brim—watching the TV screen. The nurse stands this as long as she can; then she comes o the door of the Nurses’ Station and calls across to him he’d better help the men with the housework (144). I think this is the part in the story where Nurse Ratched truly feels like she is being challenged by McMurphy and the other men; it also gives the book a little humor. The part that truly disturbed me as I stated in the forum quiz this morning was when Cheswick committed suicide in the pool. “But just as soon as we got to the pool he said he did wish something mighta been done, though, and dove into the water. And got his fingers stuck some way in the grate that’s over the drain at the bottom of the pool, and neither the big lifeguard nor McMurphy nor the two black boys could pry him loose, and by the time they got a screwdriver and undid the grate and brought Cheswick up, with the grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, he was drowned (175). I believe Cheswick’s “wick” is extinguished in this paragraph. At first I didn’t really understand why he did this but during the forum, we discussed how he felt betrayed by McMurphy because he didn’t stick up for him about the cigarettes. Maybe he had just had enough…
Andersen
Period 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many literary scholars. It puts readers into a different mindset and allows them to see things from a different perspective. This book makes you think of how different things can be seen. Maybe the people inside the mental hospital there are people who are considered crazy, however, the people running the mental hospital are just as crazy if not more so than the patients. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest makes you analyze characters that voluntarily commit themselves into a mental hospital where they are repeatedly told that they cannot function in the outside world, that’s why they are there. Inside the hospital, they are on a strict schedule and are controlled by Nurse Ratched. This book allows the reader to see how narrow minded we are and allows us to see how corrupt the “normal” outside world truly is.
A passage that really caught my attention was when McMurphy is talking to the guys and asking why they stand for what goes on. Cheswick is saying that he doesn’t, following McMurphy says, “Maybe not you, buddy, but the rest are even scared to open up and laugh. You know, that’s the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn’t anybody laughing. I haven’t heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing” (70). This really got to me because a life without laughing would be miserable. When you lose your laugh you lose ambition to do anything and life becomes a figment in your mind where you no longer care about what is going on around you. Laughing brightens my day more than anything, and without laughing, I would not know my footing.
Another passage that caught my attention was when McMurphy was talking to the lifeguard about how much better the hospital was than jail. The lifeguard went on telling McMurphy that being committed is not like being sentenced. “You’re sentenced in jail, and you go a date ahead of you when you know you’re gonna be turned loose” (170). At this point, I McMurphy realized that he would not be able to leave until Nurse Ratched released him. He had nothing to look forward to. This also made me realize that when you have something to look forward to, time speeds up, but when you have nothing to look forward to, time drags on slowly. Having a set date is a lot more comforting than not knowing what is ahead of you.
Dawn 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel unlike any other. For this, and numerous other reasons, it has been canonized. It is impossible for one to imagine what went on in Ken Kesey’s mind when he was writing this book, but judging from his colorful life Kesey did not have a problem with upsetting the status quo and numerous social standards. It was unheard of, and possibly frowned upon, to write a book about the mentally “unstable”. Kesey also did a great job of capturing and holding the reader’s attention. He was able to make the novel informative yet entertaining. Ken Kesey had the ability to put emotion into words. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest makes the reader explore their feelings and beliefs while also challenging the reader to think critically. I do not know if I can consider Ken Kesey as an author, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as a novel. I see the two as an artist and his masterpiece, and I can easily understand why, for these reasons and many more, this novel has been canonized.
Ken Kesey does not cease to control my attention, much like Nurse Ractched tries to control every aspect of the patients’ lives. The first part of this novel that caught my attention happened to be in the first twenty five pages. “Aide Williams tells me, Mr. McMurry, that you’ve been somewhat difficult about your admissions shower…..I’m sorry to interrupt you and Mr. Bromden, but you do understand: everyone…must follow the rules.”(25) Although looking at the content as a whole it is difficult to notice anything other than the polite words that Nurse Ratched says, when you actually analyze the text it is easy to see that her words are powerful and show her need for control. First of all, this is about a shower. Not life or death, just a shower. Next one might notice the power she holds over one’s name. No matter what anyone says, there is power in a name. I do not believe that she accidentally mispronounces McMurphy’s name, she does this to assert her dominance. Also, although not as easily noticeable, Nurse Ratched calls Chief Bromden a mere Mr. Bromden. No wonder Chief is so down about himself. If he knows that he is so weak that even a nurse will not respect him as Chief, than what reason does he have to believe that he is big and strong. Finally, Ken Kesey definitely had a reason behind italicizing the word “everyone”. I believe it symbolizes that although she does understand the difference in people’s disorders she will follow the same system, and if it works out for the best then that is great, if it does not work out so well then at least she fulfilled her duty.
Another section I found interesting was about Nurse Ratched controlling time. “The big nurse is able to set the wall clock at whatever speed she wants by just turning one of those dials in the steel door; she takes a notion to hurry things up, she turns the speed up, and those hands whip around that disk like spokes in a wheel. The scene in the picture-screen window goes through rapid changes of light to show morning, noon and night—throb off and on furiously with day and dark and everyone is driven like mad to keep up with that passing of fake time…”(76) I had already understood Nurse Ratched sought control, but controlling time was too far. When I read this part I realized she did not just want some control, but she wanted to be all powerful. Controlling time is like playing God, and should not be done especially with the harmful intentions of messing with people just for fun.
NURSE RATCHED IS A DICKTATOR
Waldera 5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of Ken Kesey’s daringness to go against the social norm at that time period. Kesey’s style of writing combined with the intricate plot and rebellious themes and motifs creates such a powerful novel. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is riveting from start to end. The story is narrated by Chief Bromden, a schizophrenic six foot six Indian, who is both very detailed and observant or completely unreliable. This style blends reality with hallucination and dream. To come up with such an inventive way of telling a story is revolutionary. The novel takes place on a psychiatric ward where instead of the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, trying to cure and prepare the patients for the outside world she instead pits them against each other for her own gains in the form of power. The novel takes many unorthodox twists and makes the reader truly think in ways one would normally not.
A particular passage that stuck out to me was when Chief Bromden was gazing out of the window at the street where he sees a dog and a car. He says, “I watched the dog and car making for the same spot of pavement” (143). I found this particular passage intriguing because when I read it the first time I knew that it symbolized something much bigger than merely a car about to hit a dog. I believe that the dog symbolized a domesticated man that when he stays to his own and conforms to society he goes problem free. However, if he tries to go against society, the car, there is a strong possibility he will become hurt in the process. Another passage that stood out to me was the part of the novel in which the black boys strip the new patient and go into the shower with him with Vaseline. “’We need that Vaseline,’" they would say,”...and then shut the door and turn all the showers up to where you can't hear anything…” The black boys are under the control of Nurse Ratched at all times and she is nowhere near caring for them. I believe they take out their anger and resentment for Nurse out on the patients similarly to how a bully who comes from an abusive family picks on other kids because of his own insecurities. I found this observation eye opening and it really gives you background on the motives of why the black boys are so cruel.
Gallo 2
Quite simply, the literary canon constitutes books that have been influential on Western culture. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest possesses an undeniably significant influence on our culture. With over ten editions as well as a Broadway play and film version, the scope of this narrative is substantial. The novel accomplishes many of the key goals of fiction writing: making symbols mean something, opening the world up, helping us understand life and self, examining and exploring something, teaching us, making us wonder, and giving us perspective. As an author, Kesey: analyzes/evaluates culture, challenges the status quo, explores the taboo, and makes us explore our beliefs, views, and ethics. Because the author/novel have been able to accomplish so many functions of great literature in a package wrapped with skillful literary techniques, delivered to a naïve and absorbing public, this influential and provocative novel has earned its place in the literary canon.
Two sections of the novel rank among my favorite mainly because of McMurphy’s canny humor. The first occurs when McMurphy humorously reviews his own past with the doctor: “’Mr. McMurphy has evidenced repeated…outbreaks of passion that suggest the possible diagnosis of psychopath.’ He told me that ‘psychopath’ means I fight and fuh—pardon me, ladies—means I am he put it overzealous in my sexual relations. Doctor, is that real serious (47)?” He then proceeds to inquire if the doctor has ever experienced such overzealousness. Another similar section I admire occurs after the towel controversy. McMurphy appears to be sporting only a towel while moving about the ward. The nurse seems to be looking at his genitals; however, she remains upset that he is disobeying ward policy. Bromden narrates: “I think for a fact that she’d rather he’d of been stark naked under that towel than had on those shorts. She’s glaring….it’s a full minute before she can pull herself together.” Both of these portions of the novel are humorous due to their sexual themes. Among the motifs of the novel is the positive interpretation of male dominance and open sexuality. Open sexuality is displayed and developed as an overarching theme by McMurphy in these humorous segments of the novel that cleverly lighten the mood of a serious, provoking novel.
Johnke Pd. 5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is important to literature many reasons. The book forced readers to look at the world in an entirely different way. First and foremost, a woman is the superior in this novel. Although I am sure that there were a few other books before One Flew Over the Cuckoo's that portrayed woman as a superior being, but the way Nurse Ratchet is made out to be the clever “dictator” of the ward was one of the first. Secondly, in the novel, mentally impaired are shown as normal beings with small problems. I personally sympathize with the patients in the novel. After reading most of it, I believe that society created the problems within the patients. Society is unforgiving and having an abnormality like homosexuality of a stutter is a sign of weakness. After reading about Kesey's background I learned that while on LSD, he worked at a mental institution. In his opinion, the patients were too indiviualized for society to handle. Altogether, this book showed readers a side of the institutions they had never considered and in turn, made them think about other things they had turned their heads on in life.
One of my favorite parts of the novel so far is the one with Chief Bromden realizing he raised his hand on his own accord. “..Just the way the nurse is staring at me with her mouth full of empty words I can see I'm in trouble, but I can't stop it. McMurphy's got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I'm fair game. He's doing it, wires... No. That's not the truth. I lifted it myself.” (142) I liked this part mainly because it was a turning point with the Chief. He's starting to get out of the fog and he realizes it. Another part that I enjoyed was when Harding informed McMurphy of his being voluntary. “He swallows and says, 'As a matter of fact, there are only a few men on the ward who are committed. Only Scanlon and – well, I guess some of the Chronics. And you. Not many commitments in the whole hospital. No, not many at all.” (194) I enjoyed this because it showed how insecure the patients truly are with themselves. Given the option of returning to society and dealing with the hell Nurse Ratched creates they choose the hospital. This shows how terrible society truly is.
Schwint Pd.7
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was canonized by many scholars due to its mind-opening subject. This book brought light to the cruel mistreatment to mental hospital patients. People were utterly shocked that abuses were happening in a hospital. Also, the book was written in a very unique way. The narrator was not the focus of the book, but rather Nurse Ratched and McMurphy played bigger roles. The layout of the book is also very random. Chapters are very long, then very short and fly all over the place. The book is also heavy with symbolism. The hospital is a communistic dictatorship headed by Nurse Ratched. McMurphy comes in as the voice of freedom and tries to get the other patients to rebel and find their voice. The medication acts as propaganda to brainwash the patients so they stay obedient. Overall, the hospital workers are the Combine (aka society). They force the patients to “fit in” or stay out of society; eventually killing their spirit and voice. With all the groundbreaking knowledge of mental hospital abuse and the symbolism, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has and should be canonized by scholars.
One quote I found memorable was “The ward is a factory for the Combine. It's for fixing up mistakes made in the neighborhoods and in the schools and in the churches, the hospital is. When a completed product goes back out into society, all fixed up good as new, better than new sometimes, it brings joy to the Big Nurse's heart....” (40). It made me really think about how can we really know what our society should be like? Everyone has different viewpoints about what life should be like. A hippy, military soldier, teacher, old person, man, woman will all have different perfect views of society; so how can we force everyone to live the same way? We cannot. We all have to respect other people’s opinions and live with people who are like-minded to us. Then we can live in peace and run our communities the way we want to. Another passage I liked was the one that talked about the chicken pecking each other to death. It was a good strategy by Nurse Ratched to keep the patients ratting each other out. Now she could know all about what they were doing, while also keeping them against themselves.
Bakke 7
Ken Kesey is a very talented author and his work One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been duly canonized for a number of reasons. Kesey speaks of things unmentionable at the time—the horrible treatment of the mentally ill and the fact that little was done in their favor. Kesey by writing about the horrible treatment of institutionalized individuals, he gives them a voice that was seldom heard by the public ear. Kesey is also bold in his touching of other subjects such as American treatment of Native Americans, homosexuality, religion, and the power structure. Americans tend not to like to hear about subjects that are unpleasant, and many, if not all of these subjects were peak controversial topics, but Kesey does this in a tasteful yet still not losing his point way. He can ruffle someone’s feathers and show them why he did it in a few sentences. Modern politicians and debaters I am sure could learn much from Ken Kesey’s writing style.
“Is this the way these leetle meetings usually go?” “Usually go?” Harding’s humming stops. He’s not chewing his cheeks anymore but he still stares ahead, past McMurphy’s shoulder. “Is this the usual pro-cedure for these Group Therapy shindigs? Bunch of chickens at a peckin’ party?” This part of novel tells the reader that McMurphy will be in a battle with the power from the beginning of the novel. He doesn’t like how things are run in the facility, so he is going to try and change it or die trying. His only problem is Nurse Ratched, and she does NOT like change (57).
“The stars up close to the moon were pale; they got brighter and braver the farther they got out of the circle of light ruled by the giant moon” (164). This passage is a subtle revelation to the reader that the patients get stronger when they are away from Nurse Ratched. They can become bolder and get better, if distanced from the Big Nurse.
K. Peterson 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is a novel filled with cries of help. In his time period there was so much crap going on that we do not fully understand today. People rejected other people’s views and the government but did not fully have the right to speak out against it without being called a communist or a foreigner. Ken Kesey found a new way to speak out: writing. Hiding his true thoughts and meaning behind the words of a story Kesey speaks out against America. This novel has been canonized because of Kesey’s ambition to talk about these issues. We now look back at his work and acknowledge him for his efforts to show the true humanity and speak out. This crazy drug guy may actually know what he is talking about. For the reader, Ken gives us a great and interesting story, but he also teaches us. His story takes us to a completely different lifestyle: different time period, different living situation and different state of mind. One excerpt that sticks out to me is “He keeps trying to pull us out of the fog, out in the open where we’d be easy to get out” because of the fog reference (129). We hear the Chief mention fog being in the hospital a lot but we think of it just as another one of his hallucinations. Not until this point do we really realize the fog represents Nurse Ratched’s strong control over them. Just as the fog overwhelms the hospital so does the nurse’s control and reign. McMurphy is the one who wants to change the hospital and rebel again the system. Chief saying McMurphy is dragging them out of the fog shows that he is pulling them away from the nurse’s control. The chief does not feel comfortable with this idea yet because he feels vulnerable in the open. Another section is about Cheswick. He is not a main character but he does mean a lot throughout the meaning of this book. The passage that sticks out the most for Cheswick is “he did wish something mighta been done” which is his last sentence (175). McMurphy lit his fire and he had hope for a change a new chance at life. But, when that chance was denied his flame/soul was completely blown out. He felt as if there was no life left for him because it was such a great let down. Overall Ken Kesey may have been some crazy guy himself, but his craziness helped interpret society in his time and share a great story with the readers of all eras after him.
Minihan 7,
While reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, my mind has been broadened and stretched to see, to think, and to perceive more. I believe this is why the novel has been canonized by many literary scholars; the book has hidden meanings and symbols in which only the experts of experts can analyze and pick out. Literary canons have to be well-known, scholastic reads; by having a wide variety of people and events, the book relates to all sorts of different people. With these two features, the novel is both appealing and mind-expanding. The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest encourages readers to think past their ordinary brain track, to see life in another’s point of view. These types of books help people better understand people, and even help them better understand themselves and their beliefs. Literary canons expand the mind and help it to be more understanding.
One of my favorite passages is during the scene where McMurphy believes that he can lift the cement panel. “Okay, stand outa the way. Sometimes when I go to exertin’ myself I use up all the air nearby and grown men faint from suffocation. Stand back. There’s liable to be crackin’ cement and flying steel. Get the women and kids someplace safe. Stand back…” (124). The quote brings some humor to me. This is because McMurphy is so full of confidence and believes he can easily throw the panel through the window, while the others (who are “supposed” to be more insane than McMurphy) are sure he cannot. Another one of my favorite passages is during the monopoly game (114-116). I enjoyed the bantering back and forth between the old men. It was relieving to see them have a few jokes, and knowing they do not always have to worry about Nurse Ratched and the fears that follow.
Forster 2
Clearly, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is a novel that exemplifies the main characteristics often found of novels within the literary canon. It has been canonized, analyzed, and studied by many scholars and students alike because it is more than just a story that can be picked apart for its simple plot and clever resolution. Instead of a story, it is a point of view. The reader is pulled into the giant Chief Bromden’s self esteem while still being ravaged by McMurphy’s struggle for authority. I believe this piece of literature has been canonized most specifically for its intense themes about issues humanity deals with that are not necessarily favorable to discuss, nor commonly debated amongst some circles of people. Its running themes and statements include feminism, capitalism, a stance on insanity and mental institutions, if evil is inherent to human nature, and the treatment of Native Americans to name a few. Simply put—this novel is in the canon for its thought value. It makes the reader think.
In the initial reading assignment given to our class last week, my favorite passage was chosen mainly for the last line given by Chief Bromden. “I know already what will happen: somebody’ll drag me out of the fog and we’ll be back on the ward and there won’t be a sign of what went on tonight and if I was fool enough to try and tell anybody about it they’d say, Idiot, you had a nightmare; things as crazy as a big machine room down in the bowels of a dam where people get cut up by robot workers don’t exist. But if they don’t exist, how can a man see them? “ (90). This passage was one of my favorites because it seems to touch on the subject of strange dreams and their meanings, as well as the frustrations found with and within “insane” individuals. I cannot imagine the frustration involved in seeing frightening, dream-like images and not being able to convey them reasonably to the word around you. The fog would envelope you, with no compassion. This passage sent my mind on a tailspin pondering the struggles of mentally insane people and just how confusing their existence might be, as well as what truth can be found in their dreams.
My second passage is one found in our second reading assignment, and also touches on the subject of insanity—not shocking, as that is quite central to the plot. “’You think I wuh-wuh-wuh-want to stay in here? You think I wouldn’t like a con-con-vertible and a guh-guh-girl friend? But did you ever have people l-l-laughing at you? No, because you’re so b-big and so tough! Well, I’m not big and tough. Neither is F-Fredrickson. Neither is Suh-Sefelt. Oh—oh, you—you t-talk like we stayed in here because we liked it! Oh—it’s n-no use...'” (195). This passage was quite endearing and concerning at the same time. As I read, I felt myself consumed with sorrow for Billy and I honestly wanted to give him a hug. This passage is one of those raw, tear-jerking moments where Kesey is pulling on the heartstrings of now open-minded readers. This is the reason the novel has been canonized. The literature has an incredible talent of drawing one in with thought-provoking statements and amazingly terrible life stories.
Petersen 7
I believe the reason One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been canonized by many literary scholars is because of point of view the book was written in and the symbols that are in it. First of all, the book is from the view of a mentally ill patient which leaves the reader wondering which situations are actually happening or what the narrator is hallucinating. Through the eyes of the narrator everything is real. For the readers, I believe the book opens a reader's mind to thinking about their own sanity and the society around them. What is considered insane? How do we treat people with disabilities? It defiantly makes you question yourself and where your position is in life. This book takes readers out of their comfort zone. That fact is probably one of the main reasons literary scholars hold this book to a high standard. This book makes you think in ways you normally do not.
A passage from the book that stuck in my head was about McMurphy after he tries to get the panel to break the window.
"Finally he throws the whole bundle on the floor— probably forty or fifty dollars' worth from each man—and turns to walk out of the tub room. He stops at the door and looks back at everybody standing around. "But I tried, though," he says. "Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?" And walks out and leaves those stained pieces of paper on the floor for whoever wants to sort through them " (125).
The part about the passage that struck me the most was what McMurphy says about how he tried. I thought about this and it really was true. At least he is trying something. All the other men follow him for a little bit then give up last minute and fall back into the order or society of the institution. They are not trying anymore and at least McMurphy is trying to be different.
The other passage that struck me was only a line.
"The ringing that was in my head had stopped" (201).
For some reason this line reminded me of a wrestling match, like the ones on the television. Where everyone is riled up and they ring the bell. When McMurphy crashes the glass and lights up the cigarette, he has won this match. I have been looking at the way McMurphy and the Nurse react with each other as a match or war between two people. Who can claim power? The bell ends this match and Bromden notices. It could also go along with peace after a long storm. Everything is loud and ringing, then it stops. Everything is peaceful again...the ringing has stopped.
Nifong 1
So far I am loving the novel! The novel has been eye opening and intriguing. The novel is told by an unreliable narrator- instantly adding artistic flair. What keeps me interested in the novel is the constant question of what is real and what is just in Bromden’s imagination. I am always wondering about the fog and the ringing in his ears. What is Bromden hiding from? What has he seen that has led him up to the point where he resides? I thirst for more information about him. The novel challenges people to think better of mentally ill people. The compelling story vividly describes the dehumanization of people in insane asylums. The novel puts names to the many faceless mentally ill of society. Readers feel for the men, because we are shown their personalities, and their character. The novel serves as great entertainment. From humor, to vivid descriptions, the story compels the reader and continues to feed the hungry mind.
Many passages thus far have intrigued me and inspired deeper thought. One of my favorites was the passage describing McMurphy’s hands. I think hands are interesting and unique. Every set of hands tells a different story. Through McMurphy’s hands we already catch a glimpse of the character we will soon become acquainted with. His hands are described to be dirty and cut up. The hands represent McMurphy’s past and his present character. I believe the dirt represents his “dirty” sexual tendencies. The cuts on his hands represent all of his mistakes he has made previously. The tattoo that is described makes me wonder. I wonder why he got the tattoo. What is the story/meaning behind it?
Miller 5
Why? Why would the canon accept One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by author Ken Kesey? It is just a story about the terrible things that can happen in a mental institution from the point of view of one very unreliable narrator. On second thought calling Chief Bromden simply unreliable is like calling a tiger simply an ornery kitten. Bromden takes you through delusions and time shifts that could confuse any reader if you do not pay attention. After reading through the majority of this novel though, I can see why it is in the canon. It is there because of his unreliable narrator and the unconventional writing style that Kesey possesses. Along with these factors, the in depth and detailed symbols add to the power of the story and create ways for Kesey’s views to be expressed without coming out right and saying it. I have noticed while reading that it appears Chief Bromden sees more of what is really there by way of his hallucinations. He sees the entire system for what it really is and not what it appears to be.
“Why, see here, my friend Mr. McMurphy, my psychopathic sidekick, our Miss Ratched is a veritable angel of mercy and why just everyone knows it” (61). This quote caught my attention for a few reasons. One, Harding is praising Miss Ratched like a saint even though even the reader can ascertain that she is not as good as she wants everyone to think. Secondly, just a page later Harding flips and says how she is terrible and every man there is afraid of her. Later on in the story, the group goes to the pool. While there, Bromden notes something that intrigued me. I was glad that we got the chance to discuss this part during the forum. “He was talking to the lifeguard, and I was standing a few feet away. McMurphy must have been standing in a hole because he was having to tread water where I was just standing on the bottom” (169-170). Up until this point I had forgotten that Bromden was a tall man, he tries so hard to make himself small that even the reader pictures him that way. In class we discussed how height was determined by power and confidence. This made sense to me because both McMurphy and Nurse Ratched are described as being big or having control.
Bauer 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized among the literary scholars and critics because it is a novel that helps a reader come out of their own fog. The novel helps readers in realizing conformity to be a deadly enemy. Kesey is successful in helping a reader expand their thought limits by making them question society and all its brain washing. This extremely experimental novel has had a tremendous impact on its readers. This completely different way of writing submerges the reader deep within the story and its meanings, showing us into the mind of an “insane” person. I think the fact that Kesey has experiences the drug LSD heightens the readers’ curiosity. His experience in the drug/hippie culture helps bring the reader within that culture opening their eyes and their minds to this different culture. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is definitely among the top novels I have had the privilege of reading.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is the towel scene with McMurphy. McMurphy is convinced his clothes have been taken from him during the night leaving him in only a towel. It was very humorous when McMurphy’s white whale shorts were revealed from beneath the towel which he places upon Nurse Rached’s shoulder. The white whale shorts are an outstanding symbol of the power that McMurphy holds (99). Another passage that stuck out to me was “If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons” (145). The passage made me laugh and realize that this was one of the sanest moments the passage have had. McMurphy had deafeated Nurse Ratched once more.
Backer 1
I believe that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is canonized by many literary scholars because people are intrigued by the unusual. Although we may not care to admit so, we find ourselves fascinated by what is seen as unconventional. Reality TV would not be nearly as entertaining if it was a portrayal of our own reality! We are enticed by different perspectives on life. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, we are not only able to catch a glance of another’s taste of the world, but we are able to realize that their view is not far off from ours. We all find ourselves trapped “in the fog” at one point or another. Kesey’s compelling novel not only raises awareness of mental illnesses, but causes us to perhaps look at our own setbacks in life. Like many patients in the ward, are we allowing the fog to overshadow us? Are we living life to the fullest or are we just playing it safe?
One of my favorite passages in the novel occurs when Chief Bromden makes his first step out of the fog. In this scene, McMurphy works desperately for another hand to raise up for a majority vote on afternoon television hours. McMurphy has persuaded twenty of the men thus far that the World Series was a must-see and he was not about to stop being one vote short. McMurphy’s last hope, Bromden realizes that what he faces is a more immense decision than watching baseball—“McMurphy’s got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I’m fair game. He’s doing it, wires…No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself” (142). At this point, Bromden finally realizes that he is the only one that is able to remove himself from the fog. No one can do it for him. Another favorite passage of mine is when Chief Bromden has yet another realization. He is seen as looking into a mirror and finds himself uncertain about his reflection. “That ain’t me, that ain’t my face. It wasn’t even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn’t even really me then; I was just being the way I looked, the way people wanted” (162). Like the first passage I chose, I was drawn to this one because I liked how it had deeper meaning and was something that anyone could relate to. Chief Bromden is struggling to discover who he is. He feels his mean and tough reflection does not actually REFLECT how he really is. I feel that many of us can relate to Bromden in this passage. We get so caught up in living up to the world’s standards that we misplace the very things that make us who we are.
Berndt 1
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many literary scholars because this book makes the reader think about real life, and how do we really treat our citizens. As I continue to read this book I continue to think about our society and how we treat the mentally ill. My mom recently got a new job at a children’s hospital a few months ago. After visiting her, and her co-workers, seeing and speaking with the patients and teachers, I was instantly amazed. I was shocked at the way the teachers and the staff actually treated the children. Most of the children are treated well. The staff is very good at keeping their cool and helping the children when need be, but not all the time. The children growing up with a certain syndrome, and shunned by their parents, need a lot of care to begin to fell normal and confident to lead a life they themselves are capable of leading. As I witnessed the attitudes of some teachers in the hospital, it was sadly, much like the treatment in the book. Not to that extent of course. The big boss of the hospital, would continuously ignore the patient if she was too busy fiddling with her computer. Children yelled, screamed, cried, begging for attention at lunch hour, yet were completely ignored. The people in this certain hospital are medically impaired, but I don’t believe they should be degraded for being different; they need guidance, as well as the patients in Cuckoo’s Nest. Yes, the patients in the book are classified or portrayed to us as psychologically insane, but is that true? Maybe they grew psychologically insane because it’s in their genes, they themselves may not be able to tolerate or cope with distress. As I read this book and witness the things I see every day. I myself want to help those people and make their lives easier.
I find myself in deep thought throughout the chapters of this book. One of my sentences was “Sweeping the dorm soon’s it’s empty, I’m after dust mice under his bed when I get a smell of something that makes me realize for the first time since I been in the hospital that this big dorm full of beds, sleeps forty grown men, has always been sticky with a thousand other smells—smells of germicide, zinc ointment, and foot powder, smell of piss and sour old-man manure, of Pablum and eyewash, of musty shorts and socks musty even when there fresh back from the laundry, the stiff odor of starch in the linen, the acid stench of morning mouths, the banana smell of machine oil, and sometimes the smell of singed hair—but never before now, before he came in, the man smell of dust and dirt from the open fields, and sweat, and work” (101). One of Kesey’s techniques was writing experimental novels. I believe this had to have been one of the longest sentences within the novel. The content of this sentence was the first time it dawned on me that McMurphy is bringing the outside world into the ward. It has been a continuing theme throughout the book, that the nurse is very strict on not allowing the outside world, in. Another one of my favorite quotes corresponding with the previous is “For the first time in years I was seeing people with none of the black outline they used to have, and one night I was even able to see out the windows” (162). I liked this part of the chapter because I believe there is hope for Chief to be normal. McMurphy is a symbol of the outside world and clarity. The more acquaintances Bromden has with McMurphy, the clearer he sees things, and the more he breaks out of his shell to join the other patients against the war with the big nurse.
Anderson 5
When I first began reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I did not believe that I was going to enjoy the novel. I tend to become bored with novels if they do not peak my interest almost instantly. I pushed myself to continue reading the novel with an open mind. Everything becomes better with time right? I gave the novel a chance to unfold and found that I quite enjoy it. I now realize why One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is in the literary canon. The novel encourages us to explore our beliefs. We find ourselves questioning what is right and wrong (in our own eyes). The novel promotes deep discussion, and although I may not always discover odd aspects of the novels that others uncover, there are hidden meanings between every line. One of my favorite passages so far in the novel was when McMurphy was attempting to get Nurse Ratched’s “goat.” When approached by Nurse Ratched about the absence of his clothes, McMurphy claims that they have been stolen. Yet, before Nurse Ratched can place the blame on McMurphy, the fault is shifted to one of the workmen (who was supposed to lay out clean clothes the previous night). Upon receiving the clothes, McMurphy hangs the towel around his waist onto Nurse Ratched’s shoulder, as if she were a coat rack. The removing of the towel displayed McMurphy’s shorts, which were on him the whole time (99). I found the scene amusing due to the fact that Nurse Ratched could not place the blame on McMurphy when it was not his fault that his clothes were missing. Another of my favorite scenes involves the World Series. When taken to a vote, the television time was supposed to be switched in order for the men to watch the World Series. Nurse Ratched decided that majority did not rule in this case, so the men sat and stared at a blank television screen for many afternoons in a row (144-145). The men did not get what they wanted, yet they sat in front of a blank television just to be stubborn. Their stubbornness amused me to no end.
Redford 7
I believe this book has become a literary canon because of how it has made people look at different things in a new light. Not only is it a captivating story, but it is also written in such a unique way. Since it is being told from an unreliable narrator, not everything can be trusted. Readers know that some things are fabricated in the mind of Chief Bromden; however, everything has some meaning to it. It is very unusual for a book to be written from this sort of perspective, so it makes this book interesting and it allows it to stick out from other books. There are so many parallels from this book that can apply to the real world. This book could be looked at through a religious lens or through a governmental lens. Because it has so many universal values and themes, this book allows nearly every person to relate to this book in some way and think deeper about most things that are involved in life. This book is memorable and forces people to think critically about everything, and I think that is very important in order for a book to become a literary canon.
One of the first passages in this book that really caught my attention was when McMurphy was singing in the bathroom. He came out with a towel wrapped around his waist and Ratched began to get after him. To me, this sort of set a tone for the rest of the novel because it emphasized the conflicts between these two characters. Ratched told him that it was against policy for McMurphy to just be in a towel. However, McMurphy didn’t have anything else to wear. I found it interesting that the thought of seeing McMurphy naked was so repulsive to her. “He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder” (99). I found that part quite funny. McMurphy seemed to sense her hesitance to having him take off the towel, and even though he had his shorts underneath, he knew she would be freaked out by him doing that. Also, the fact that he gives it to her also seems to symbolize his feeling of superiority over her; he thinks he’ll easily break her. Another one of my favorite parts of the novel so far has to do with when McMurphy gets put on cleaning the lavatories for his duty. I found this part pretty humorous and I liked that it helped show how McMurphy was changing things. “Once he wrote something on a slip of paper, strange writing that looked like a foreign alphabet, and stuck it under one of the toilet bowl rims with a wad of gum” (160). I particularly found it interesting that Bromden couldn’t seem to understand that McMurphy probably wrote something backwards so that when Ratched looked at it with the mirror; she would be able to see it. To me this once again showed how out of touch Bromden was in a fairly entertaining manner.
Arrowsmith 5
I believe the classic novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many literary scholars because it teaches us so much. On every page there is something to analyze and learn from. It makes me wonder how much time and effort Kesey truly put into every little detail forming his own little world showing his beliefs and thoughts in a clever way. It also forces you to question your own beliefs and thoughts and how much society really does control us. I cannot help but wonder if the LSD had any effect on Kesey’s writing and if he endorses the drug or if he regretted the things he did. The novel goes against every rule and constriction of the time and Kesey is nothing less than a pioneer. Kesey also does an excellent job of putting the reader into the mind of the mentally handicapped especially with Chief Bromden’s in-depth delusions.
One of my favorite parts of the book so far has to be McMurphy is told almost all of the acutes are voluntary. “McMurphy doesn’t say a word. He’s got that same puzzled look on his face like there’s something isn’t right, something he can’t put his finger on” (194). The guys on the ward that are voluntary are simply hiding from the outside world, actually, there is nothing simple about it. Something happened to them to cause fear to completely control their every thought and action. “He got one of the cartons of cigarettes with his name on it and took out a pack, then put it back and turned to where the Big Nurse was sitting like a chalk statue and very tenderly went to brushing the slivers of glass off her head and shoulders” (201). This segment is quite comical and McMurphy brushing the glass off of Nurse Ratched is sort of his way of saying your move. It also brings back the life into the residents and shows McMurphy isn’t quite ready to lay down and die just yet. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the book has to offer.
Hensley 5
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a very powerful novel. The mind soars with the possible meanings and religious tones resonating throughout the novel. Ken Kesey was a mastermind when he wrote the novel. This novel has the unique ability to reach every reader in a different way with a different message. The experimental nature of this novel allows it to convey a deeper subliminal message then any conventional hero and damsel in distress novel could. We learn a lot about human nature from an unconventional hero and we begin to question what we consider “human”. We learn that it is our individuality that makes us “human” rather than conforming to the “combine”. The fact that Kesey teaches us this very important lesson through the eyes of a schizophrenic massive Native American, who is delusional and a very unreliable narrator, shows us the potency that Kesey weaves his words with, which is why we should study this novel.
A truly delightful passage, “McMurphy just looks confused, like he don’t know how to take the outfit the black boy’s handing to him, what with one hand holding the toothbrush and the other hand holding up the towel. He finally winks at the nurse and shrugs and unwraps the towel, drapes it over her shoulder like she was a wooden rack,” (p. 99) shows us how cunning McMurphy is. I enjoyed this part in the book because I witnessed it in the play. The entire time I observed this scene I was shocked when McMurphy whipped the towel off and surprised the entire audience with his shorts. “First time for a long, long time I’m in bed without taking that little red capsule…. When you take one of these red pills you don’t just go to sleep; you’re paralyzed with sleep…” (p. 85). This passage is powerful because of the symbolism it conveys. The red pill shows how Chief had the choice to hide in the fog and loose himself, or be drug out of the fog and realize what is going on around him. This passage also teaches us that if we choose to not take the red pill and believe that everything is hunky dory, we can see the injustices performed around us.
Rusten 5
I believe the book has been canonized by many literary scholars because of the shocking value the readers receive. The book takes place outside of society’s norm and in it’s shadows, the places society is almost ashamed to talk about. Kesey brings out the ugly part of human nature and makes us question if it really is ugly or not. Also, in the time period the book was made, women in power was almost unheard of. Certainly shocking the readers and making them question their beliefs. Along with those points, Kesey adds in an unreliable narrator, Chief. We read the book through his eyes and since he has schizophrenia a lot of what he perceives is true, isn’t. It makes the readers question and wonder what is true and what is in Chief’s head. By doing this, Kesey makes the readers pay close attention to every detail, leaving no detail missed.
One of my favorite passages has to be when McMurphy “accidentally” smashes through the glass to grab his cigarettes (201). I particularly enjoy this because of the fact that he got the best of the big nurse. He said the glass was so clean he couldn’t see it. This is very amusing because we all know it was a retaliation against the nurse for taking away the bath room. This also makes me wonder what other battles the nurse and McMurphy are going to butt heads at. Another passage that I enjoy is when McMurphy tries to lift that panel to break the window and escape for some beer. He collects all of the IOUs and attempts to lift. As a result, McMurphy has bloody cut up hands and nothing to show for it. He throws the IOUs on the floor and walks out. This shows to me that he still has hope and a mind to change his predicament where all the other men have given up.
Clemenson 2
I believe that One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of the numerous lessons readers can learn while studying the novel. The novel forces readers to view life from a different perspective because the narrator is schizophrenic. Readers get to experience the conflicting images and thoughts going on the narrators mind. Kesey demonstrates the awful conditions of patients living in an insane asylum. He shows that many of the patients believe that they are not allowed in the outside world therefore they decide to endure the conditions of the asylum. Kesey also shows that one person can make a huge impact on many people’s lives. McMurphy changed everything once he started questioning the authority of Nurse Rached. Kesey also causes readers to determine if they live in any type of fog during their life and how to pull themselves out of it. Readers are forced to look at situations from different perspectives after reading this novel.
I enjoy when McMurphy says “is this the usual pro-cedure for these Group Therapy shindigs? Bunch of chickens at a peckin’ party?” (57). I found Kesey’s analogy interesting because the meeting was definitely a pecking party and Nurse Ratched wants it to remain that way. This passage gives a perfect example of how Nurse Ratched causes them to find faults in each other to prevent them from finding any faults in her. She wants to keep her power over them secure. I found the passage with Harding’s wife to be interesting. Harding says to McMurphy, “Vera’s English rivals yours for illiteracy.” Harding and his wife obviously do not get along and they are opposite of each other. I find it interesting how anti-feminist Kesey is in this novel because he negatively portrays all of his female characters. The female characters have caused the men to end up in the hospital (Harding’s wife and Billy’s mother) or they control them while in the hospital (the nurses). None of the female characters are liked in this novel.
Rollag 5
The literary canon a group of works commonly accepted as the greatest stories ever put into words. Alongside all these masterpieces sits Ken Kesey’s One flew over the cuckoo’s nest a spot many great scholars would say it rightfully earned. What set this story apart from the many others out there? Why is this story in the canon? The answer is simple. It is an original one of a kind story that explores all facets of human nature and question the world many view as good enough. The book also breaks as many grammar and literary rules as it can because it can. This book has been canonized because it doesn’t just tell a story it doesn’t make the reader think but forces them to ponder. The book is even bolder when viewed in the setting and time it takes place. Not as evident to day but in its time I pushed the gender and race boundaries with the role of those with power being flip flopped.
My two favorite passages in the book stem not from the pivotal moments and major plot lines but in the basic and comical events that add substance to the novel. The first one is the Monopoly game. There’s a Monopoly game going on I he day room. “They’ve been at it for three days, houses and hotels everywhere, two tables pushed together to take care of all the deeds and stacks of play money (102).” I like it because of the shear chaos and none sense of what is happening and how vividly I am able to picture it. This scene takes me back to by childhood and playing Monopoly with my family for the first time and being completely clueless as to how to play the game. The next scene takes place near the end during their last night. The particular part I enjoy is when they begin to race down the hallway on wheel chairs playing tag. “Turkle got out flashlights, and we played tag up and down the hall with the wheelchairs from storage, having a big time (254).” Not only does it sound like immense fun but also of my wish to at one point race a rolling chair down the sophomore hallway.
Page numbers may be off because I am using my brother’s book he received from your class.
Tibke 1
in my opinion i believe that many people criticize Keasey's writing in Cuckoos Nest because of the grusum truth in this book. As much as people might not like to admit it, we as people look down on or differently on those who are diferent. He uses the narrorator as a native american guy who is being pushed around despite his size, and bye giving a patient homosexual traits he could cause many readers to e appauled by the words hes writing. Keasey also gives a small impression on the female gender. Right from the begining he gives readers the impresion that she is an evil person and sets her apart as the main villian. I for one belive that he is using the ward as a bad example of how bad things can get when a women is in charge. He explains how misserable the patients are and what lengths Nurse Ratched will go to to keep order, whether it be isolation of patients or shock theropy. There is much of this book that has really interested me though. One part is when McMurphy places his beat that he can fling a piece of butter accross the room and stick it to the clock. When this happens it is explained that time seemed to have been movieng at a extrodianary slow pace, and that when when McMurphy flung the butter the clock seemed to jump when it hit the wall; "No body says a word. They look at the buter, then at the clock, then back to the butter. The clocks movieng now." (105). The final part that stood out to meon page 201 was when McMurphy broke through Nurse Ratcheds glass window and got hi cigeretts back. I loved his show of defience, and that he is chooseing to stick to what he is doing instead of conforming like the rest of patients did. This act makes me want to keep reading to find out how this will affect McMurphys in the near future. Maybe his defience will become his down fall... Thats something I cant wait to find out.
Dutson 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been canonized for many reasons, but the main one I would like to focus on is its push to think outside of the "combine". Through out the novel Kesey is constantly challenging the reader's perception of reality and the everyday norm. He achieves this by pushing it through the schizophrenic narrator Bromden. Bromden's view on everything and everyone he encounters includes a slight alteration that comes in the form of some sort of mechanical entity. He brings up obscure dreams and visions such as the chronic being cut open and the fog that he hides his insecurities in. It is quite possible that these events and insight into his thinking pushes us to question what society has deemed acceptable and what is not acceptable. I feel the novel urges us to break free of the conforming grasp of society and think of things in our own way and insert our own ideas and opinions instead of those that are acceptable.
At first I seriously questioned this book. It was, and still is, way out in left field. The events and the overall feel of the book give a feeling of constant uncomfort and has constantly had the most obscure events and stories. Once such example is the experience of Chief Bromden's, he is having one of his many schizophrenic episodes in which he describes a chemical in the air that is released through the vents and makes it nearly impossible for anyone to move. He is so convinced of this point that he wets himself. I like this passage because it demonstrates to an extent at how far gone he is in his conspiracy theory of the combine. I feel it also makes the ward feel more sinister and controlling than before (77). Another section that I found particularly intriguing is the meeting. The doctor begins with his diagnoses of the Mr. McMurphy and when the Nurse doesn't respond the room begins to gain confidence in their very unlikely theories. They all believe they are saying what she wants to hear, but as soon as they are finished she completely disregards everything they have said and gives her own diagnoses. Nurse Ratched says that he is a normal man subject to the same fears and worries as anybody else. Here we see that the Nurse is quite possibly crazy enough herself to be able to recognize when someone else is not, whereas all the others are ignorant of this. (153-158).
Collin Livingston Pd.5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because of everything it truly represents. The way the story constantly shocks and instills this sense of unfamiliarity is why it is desired in the analytical world. The novel represents everything society is usually against or frowns upon: women in charge (though highly arguable), black men in charge of white men, listening to a story through the eyes of a schizophrenic Indian. This is completely outrageous in comparison to normal society. Kesey’s way of totally throwing the reader the nastiest curveball in literature is absolutely provocative to anyone who has any interest in exhuming the forces of ink and paper. No one wants to constantly read the same, chronological, reassuring story over and over. Ken allows an outstanding viewpoint from many characters people would normally deny or reject and the reason is quite clear: Ken was able to construct a storyline with so much twist and inconstancy while inverting the character behavior to further enhance the oddity and excitement that is reading literature.
One of my favorite parts of the novel so far is the one with Chief Bromden realizing he raised his hand on his own accord. “..Just the way the nurse is staring at me with her mouth full of empty words I can see I'm in trouble, but I can't stop it. McMurphy's got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I'm fair game. He's doing it, wires... No. That's not the truth. I lifted it myself.” (142) I indulge in this part mainly because it was a turning point with the Chief. He's starting to get out of the fog and he realizes that he is beginning to have some self-control rather than being the instrument of everyone else. I feel this is a major turning point and is just a drop in the bucket for Chief’s future in the story. Another section I liked was when McMurphy talks about breaking out of the ward. When he talks about using the control panel to break the window, everyone doubts McMurphy. “But, for just a second, when we hear the cement grind at our feet, we think, by golly, he might do it.” This section shows that McMurphy has the potential to change the ward forever. McMurphy fails horribly but represents a great deal of hope. He exclaims, “But I tried… I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I?” (125). I certainly feel like this was the point in which McMurphy begins to really inspire the other patients on the ward and put them in a position to have some leverage on the ward by their belief in him.
Myrlie 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized by many teachers of both high school and college levels. In order for a novel to be included in the canon it must be intriguing, original, and have deeper meanings than what is written on the page. If a piece of literature is not entertaining it is difficult to keep a class of students interested in the novel—especially high school students. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an original book since its narrator is a mentally challenged individual. Having Chief give the reader an insight into a mental institution also gives the opportunity of symbolism. One thing I have learned from my high school experience is that teachers love when their students think beyond the normal standards. I believe that the symbolism within One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the main reason that it is canonized so often. I find that it is easier to pick out the deeper meanings because of how well Ken Kesey has written his novel.
“McMurphy’s got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I’m fair game. He’s doing it, wires… No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself” (142). This quote is one of my favorites within One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. At this moment we are able to see that Chief is starting to make his own decisions. McMurphy is helping Chief to step out of the fog. I find this similar to Ken Kesey helping the reader get out of the comforting “fog” of life. “Cut both nuts off and bled to death, sitting right on the can in the latrine, half a dozen people in there with him didn’t know it till he fell off to the floor, dead. What makes people so impatient is what I can’t figure; all the guy had to do was wait” (129). Page 129 intrigues me the most out of the whole novel. First, there is an old crazy guy that cuts his nuts off and bleeds to death. Right away that makes me stop and think about why anyone would do that. Did Old Rawler see that the female nurses with their power and want to be like them? Chief then says that the guy just had to wait. Waiting for his death or emasculation are both feasible thoughts. In this paragraph of a chapter, Ken Kesey brings up some interesting and unusual ideas.
Rasmussen pd.5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest can be canonized by the simple fact that it makes people take one thing, in this case our society, and flip the point of view. We as Americans often view our own nation as just and fair in the eyes of the average person. But what would life be like if you went against the very society that so many people have come to cherish. As the novel tells, you would quickly find that the system is not so nice to the outcasts. Any person that society views as different or defiant is promptly removed from it. This society that we live in is a very oppressive one and will continue to be so until people like McMurphy come to inspire and free us from the “combine”. Otherwise the cycle that machines tend to produce will continue about until all hope is lost just as McMurphy is lost to the combine.
I was particularly interested in the passage that occurred on pg.131. This is the part of the novel in which Chief Bromden is describing how things look after he has been in the thick fog for so long. He explains that his eyes strain so hard in the fog that when something finally comes into vision, he focuses so intently on it that he over analyses it. Before this passage he is talking about where the idea of the fog came from. He tells us that in ww2, they would use fog machines in order to hide the airbase. This was the setting in which his mind permanently connected fog with the world. Since he says his eyes were straining at the airfield, could it be said that he is also straining his mind when he is thinking of the fog at the ward? Another page that I found interesting was pg.201. At this point, Chief shatters the glass that has separated the patients from the nurse. The barrier between mortals and God has been broken and it also symbolizes the nurses fall from power. Now nothing separates them from each other. Both are aware of the others mortal existence. They know that the other is not impossible to be hurt or won over.
Kunkel, 2
Kesey’s brilliant masterpiece, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has inspired readers of a broad spectrum of ages to enjoy reading in a different manner. For me, my eyes were opened to what life in an insane asylum must be like. Life is a constant struggle for them and bringing someone as loud and vibrant as Randle Patrick McMurphy in amongst a large range of misfits has to be extreme culture shock for the patients. This book is one unlike any other written in all of literature’s history. The topic really can never grow old or overdone either. Obviously, for all of the “sane” people in the world who never get to experience what the life of a patient in an institute is like, this book opens their eyes to a whole new spectrum. Chief Bromden, while can be a very unreliable narrator, gives us sight into a world we will never know. He is a six foot eight Native American who feels so incredibly small for the world has brought him that low and told him how unimportant he is. I personally enjoy reading this book because it never would have been one I would have picked up on my own. It has opened my eyes to the world of a drugged-up, hippie author who had a brilliant mind and writes with incredible language and voice. I also believe this was added to the canon due to the fact that as a society we rarely ever choose to read a book versus watching television or using social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Encouraging students to read a masterpiece such as this opens the naiive eyes of students around the world to how amazing the world of literature can truly be.
As I discussed in our Forum today, one passage that really struck me was the piece when Harding's wife comes to visit the ward. "She asks for a cigarette and Harding dips his fingers to his pocket again and it's empty. 'We've been rationed,'he says, folding his thin shoulders forward like he was trying to hide the half-smoked cigarette e was holding, 'toone pack a day. That doesn'tseem to leave a man any margin for chivalry,Vera my dearest' (184). To be completely honest, this passage and the following few paragraphs just pissed me off.He is awful to his wife, and while she obviously did not treat him the best, he has absolutely no right to say anything like that to her! At this time in history, women still were not necessarily equal, but were to be respected. Harding is very obviously a homosexual male who put himself into the ward so he can finally feel wanted and loved by the crazy men he surrounds himslef with. "'Oh Dale, you never do have enough, do you?' His eyes take on that sly, fevered skittishness as he looks at her and smiles.'Are we speaking symbolically, or are we still dealing with the concrete here and now cigarettes? No matter; you know theanswer to the question, whichever way you intended it" (184). This part also bothered me a lot. She is not speaking to her husband with respect, without a doubt, but he does not respond in a kind way whatsoever. These passages just show how anti-feministic Ken Kesey was a person. He obviously did not believe that men and women are equal.
Guthmiller 2
Regarded by literary scholars, canonized novels are revolutionary and still extremely relevant to helping us understand society and human nature. _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ exhumes topics such as the treatment of mental health, sexism, and individuality. It is a novel built to expose and examine the truth about our brainwashing society from within a mental hospital. Seeing this madness through the eyes of a patient as the novel does intensifies the imagery seen. It’s a refreshing point of view that is still seen as innovative by the eyes of critics and readers alike. The novel’s critical success can also stem from its Christ-like symbolism with Ellis hanging from the wall (crucifixion) and the obvious Christ figure that McMurphy presents. You will find that most canonized novels – most forms of entertainment even – mention or allude to stories from the Bible. This technique is used consistently to create emotion and a certain ownership over the story. Most people can relate, or have had their own journey with religion. The continued allusion throughout the years has created a web of art that is connected by Christ. Extraordinary.
Self-realization or a gain of self-awareness is one of the moments I most enjoy in life and in literature. This awareness suddenly comes over the narrator Chief Bromdem after seeing how McMurphy operated. “That ain’t me, that ain’t my face. It wasn’t even me when I was trying to be that face” (pg 162). Insignificant at first glance, you quickly realize this is the first time he sees himself. There have been moments throughout my life when I would look in the mirror and be surprised by what I saw. I don’t always remember I am seventeen, sometimes I still think I should be much younger. This realization continues in the next paragraph when he says, “I was seeing him different than when he first came in; I was seeing more to him than just big hands…” (pg 162). Bromdem is able to see McMurphy differently because he can see more now. He has been brought out of the comfort of the fog and has become more aware of what is happening.
Ullom 7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This novel is so brilliantly and cleverly written that I find myself turning the pages faster and faster. The book, known as experimental fiction, is a completely sensible choice for the literary canon. Yes, the novel strays from the traditional, easy-flowing novels we are used to reading in these English courses, but that is the beauty of it. We, as young adults, need to read and analyze tough topics that are not always hunky-dory. Cuckoo’s Nest is the perfect candidate. The reader must sit back and soak in all the aspects Kesey is portraying with his work. The novel consists of capitalism, feminism, the thoughts and behaviors of the institutionalized, and even how society treats homosexuals and Native Americans. All of these are rough to talk or even think about. Even though the topics may be coarse, analyzing this novel thoroughly will definitely broaden the mind.
With this novel having so many intriguing points it is hard to pick just two as my favorites. One part I liked was when a doctor comes to visit the ward and Bromden has a hallucination. He thinks, “There’s a path running down through the aspen, and I push my broom down the path a ways and sit down on a rock and look back out through the frame at the visiitng doctor talking with the residents (126).” I especially like this part because Bromden being inside the picture, in a serene environment, while remembering the hospital he used to stay at is kind of ironic. He describes how the old hospital did not have any nice places like to picture to climb into. He rants about all the “nice” things his current ward has to offer him. The irony is the fact that he believes he has things extremely well at his current location even though Nurse Ratched has him go through electroshock therapy almost twice a month. In my books, that is not “nice.” Another part I particularly like was when Bromden was describing one of the nurses. He thought, “She’s fiddling with the chain runs down her neck. At home she locks herself in the bathroom out of sight, strips down, and rubs that crucifix all over the stain running from the corner of her mouth in a thin line down across her shoulders and breasts (165-166).” This passage is about the nurse’s birthmark. When I first read this, I admit I was confused about what it was. The class discussed this in class today and it made me ponder. Since she was rubbing her cross necklace around it, did she do something bad that she is trying to be forgiven for? I hope the reason becomes more clear later on in the novel because I find it quite intriguing.
Volk 5
Kesey’s work is canonized because he pushed his limits to go where no other author had dared to go before. He influenced people by making them think beyond normal bounds. Almost everything on the page explodes with messages, hidden or open, that truly open a readers mind to a new world that they had never been able to enter. The novel posses every attribute that a fiction novel should, but it also does so much more. It makes the reader truly look at himself and his culture in a way that can make someone view the world differently. It makes us actually think about our beliefs and rethink our ethics. The book takes us into a viewpoint that had never really been used before and makes us aware of the people that we as a culture may have looked down on before. He uses one of the most unreliable narrators imaginable to help us view the world in a new perspective and shed light on tender topics.
I was very intrigued with the chapter involving Chief Bromden’s dream. He had not taken his medicine and his mind was obviously affected. He was traveling down below the ward and he could see machines and workers busy at work. “The worker takes the scalpel and slices up the front of old Blastic with a clean swing and the old man stops thrashing around. I expect to be sick but there’s no blood or innards falling out like I was looking to see—just a shower of rust and ashes, and now and again a piece of wire or glass” (88). This dramatically shows how unreliable Bromden really is as a narrator and how bad his condition truly is. It also shows the hidden cruelty of the workers as seen in Bromden’s eyes. I also like the part where McMurphy tries to lift the heavy metal box. “But I tried, though. Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn’t I” (125). This shows McMurphy’s urge to break the guys out of their comfort zone and stand up for themselves. McMurphy knew he couldn’t lift the box, but he wanted to teach the guys a lesson in the only way he knew how. Also, after seeing the play, I realize how this small excerpt greatly foreshadows the end of the novel.
Anderson Tyler 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been canonized due to Ken Kesey's fascination with weird, unusual, and indescribable people which also includes mental institution members. Additionally,he loves to analyze and explore the mentally insane. Kesey likes to talk about the unmentioned and think about the topics left alone and not pondered. The usual response to this nature of discussion is typically unchallenged and concealed due to society and its' members lack of interest to uncover the peculiarities of the mentally handicapped and 'crazies'. Usually, society has scorned and intentionally overlooked and distanced itself from the discussion of the mentally ill. For the most part, I have partaken in this and I have no problem with the system; however, I do believe that as a whole, America and other advancing countries are becoming more tolerant of this topic but there is still hesitation in the air (because everyone is caught up in the fog). Kesey's novel is very powerful and conveys multiple messages to the reader as he forces them to think and not tie everything at face value. He tries to change our perspective of crazies using the mentally ill themselves but our admittedly crazy personal touches as well. He forces the reader to ultimately analyze their inside 'crazy'. All the while, Kesey still manages to include hints of feminism, Marxism and many other literary techniques. What makes this even better is that he tells this story through the perspective of a unreliable ward member/narrator. I believe this novel is excellent for people sophisticated enough to handle it and I appreciate people like Ken Kesey because without his willingness to be ultra unusual, we would lack entertainment and great literature to critique and embrace.
My favorite part from the novel so far is the passage on page 143. Here, Chief Bromden was peering out of the window when he notices a dog and a car out on the street. He spoke, "I watched the dog and car making for the same spot of pavement." (143) I knew hat there had to be something more to this than just the random occurrence of a car running over a dog. It symbolized something more. With research and classroom deliberation I have come to understand that the dog represents a civilized man that will end up doing just fine and be quite alright if he conforms with society. However, if he chooses otherwise, he may be severely punished by the car for his willingness to want to go against society and its' norms. My second favorite part comes from page 142. Tis is the moment when Bromden realizes he raised his hand on his own power. "..Just the way the nurse is staring at me with her mouth full of empty words I can see I am in trouble but I can't stop it. McMurphy's got hidden wire hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fogs and into the open where I am fair game. He's doing it, wires...No. That's not the truth. I lifted it myself." (142) I like this part because it is major turning point for Chief and his confidence as he gradually continues to be sucked out of the fog with McMurphy's help.
Peltier 5
I believe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized today to fit the “acceptable” criteria of what is read by young, teen readers today. In the book, Kesey throws in a unique twist, one many authors never do (then again, many authors are not on drugs while they write either). Kesey shows the dark side of things. Starting in a psychic ward, Kesey introduces a character who basically sees the Nurse as a massive tractor. This adds a unique twist as well as the other details he presents. Many schools do not allow this book as a part of their literature curriculum because there are drugs, rape, major swearing, and a type of mental illness that really forces the reader to dig deeper and analyze what the author is trying to get at. Personally, I believe this book should be a necessary part in our literature lesson plans. The book constantly makes us wonder what Kesey meant when he was writing it. Did he even intentionally plan any of ironic situations that occur?
One of my favorite passages in the book, like Koehn said, was when McMurphy confronted the boys about loosening up! McMurphy explains, “I haven’t heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.” (70). I agree with McMurphy here; laughter is a huge part of our lives. I admire McMurphy’s character. He brings light to the ward. He brings a positive and lively spirit, which is just what everyone needs. My second passage I chose in the story is not particularly a favorite; I just really almost felt sympathy for Chief. Chief narrates, “That’s why they have me at the staff meetings, because they can be such a messy affair and somebody has to clean up, and since the staff room is open only during the meeting it’s got to be somebody they think won’t be able to spread the word what’s goin on. That’s me. I been at is so long, sponging and dusting and mopping this staff room….” (131). I feel sympathy toward Chief because everyone kind of thinks he does not amount to much other than cleaning and that he is just deaf and dumb. I start to feel bad for him, wishing he would just tell everyone that he really is not deaf and dumb.
Etrheim 5
Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, continues to be acknowledged as a great piece of literature because of what the book does to its readers. Written in the early 1960’s, the novel shows something we do not normally see in society. We are shown a mental hospital. Kesey was the first to successfully do this. In this hospital, we see how the world is against homosexuality, the mentally and physically handicapped, and minorities (specifically Native Americans and African Americans). During this time, those who fell under these categories were not looked at as the “same”. “Different” was wrong and even today some still say that it is. Another reason why this novel is so prominent is because of Kesey’s unique writing style. While writing this book, Ken Kesey was experimenting with drugs such as LSD and other hallucinogens. His writing techniques were and still are unlike no other.
“McMurphy must of been standing in a hole because he was having to tread water where I was just standing on the bottom (169-170).” I found this thought of Chief Bromden both humorous and interesting. Bromden is obviously unaware of his gigantic 6’7” stature. Because McMurphy has a bigger personality than he, Bromden believes that McMurphy is bigger in physical presence. The hospital has been the opposite of therapeutic for Bromden; he has gotten worse than when he had originally started. The mental hospital run under Nurse Ratched has made a life-like giant feel like the smallest person on the planet. On a grammatical standpoint, I was intrigued how Kesey used “must of” instead of “must have” in this sentence. A literary genius like Kesey would not unintentionally make a mistake like this.
“If somebody’d of come in and took a look, men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they’d of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons (145).” The imagery created in this scene really amused me. I can only imagine a room full of men watching a blank television screen while being yelled at by an old hag perfectly because of this statement. Overall, I found this scene simply entertaining.
Boerhave 7
One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest is inevitably different from any other great novel. Ken Kesey is brilliant. Simple as that. He pushes his readers to explore their different views and beleifs. He opens our eys as readers to understand our flaws in society through a mental hospital which is rarely thought of but looked down upon in society. The connection Kesey is making with the mentally insane allows us as readers to have a whole new point of view-understanding Bromden's point of view. No author has done what Kesey was so daring to do by combining so many interesting yet key elements along with narrating the story through a mentally insane patient. This is undoubtably incredible.
One of my favorite parts is when the Kesey tells it how it is without making the reader think too much. "and then some guy wandering as lost as you would all of asudden be ther right before your eyes his face bigger and clearer than you ever saw a man's face before in your life. Your eyes were working so hard to see in the fog that when something did come inside every detail was 10 times as clearer as usual, so both of you had to look away when a man showed up you didn't want to look as his face and he didn't want to look at yours, because it is painful to see somebody so clear that is is like looking inside him, but then neither did you want to look away and loose him completely. You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that apeared in front of you in the fog painful as it may be or you could relax and loose yourself"(131). I also enjoyed the last page of part 2 when McMurphy proves to Nurse Ratched that he isn't giving up by "accidentally" punching the glass window. "The glass came apart like water splashing, and the nurse threw her hands to her ears. He got one of the cartons of cigarettes with his name on it and took out a pack, then put it back and turned to where Big Nurse was sittinglike a chalk statue and very tenderly went to brushing the slivers of glass off her head and shoulders"(201). This passage showed McMurphy and his inner strenth being unleashed.
Rise pd 2
I had to look up which books exactly made their home—the canon. My first thought, like most, why are all the novels so ancient? I researched to find possible ideas for this. Many comments on blogs stated, the novel must endure time and generations of people. I certainly agree with this. Even though superficial human characteristics like clothes and fads change, true human thoughts and feelings do not. If people can still relate and feel “awoken” or “educated” to the world by a book written eighty-seven years ago… Well that author did a fantastic job! Novels are meant to exhibit something you could not connect for yourself—to make you reconsider anything and everything you had ever thought. The books in the literary canon may not be the most exciting or entertaining, but that is because the novel vitally needs to be informative, beneficial and incendiary (to the cause the author writes about).
“I been dead fifty-five years… so many insults I died…you got chances.. I’m tired.” (54).This is Pete talking at a meeting, he is speaking about himself; how being born mentally ill in this world means you have no chance—dead. Most people would not look at it that way, we would say, “hey they are special, that is sad, a bummer. Oh well someone will take care of him.” Hearing it first hand from Pete and in such a harsh way will get the reader’s attention.
“That ain’t me… ain’t my face… I was just being the way people wanted me to look then.” (161). Chief Bromden has been molded by society, he does not like it, but he cannot do anything about it. Kesey is taking this situation to point at a larger scope of oppression. Whether we know it or now, we have all conformed in some way or another; be it the media or our friends. We are all compressions made by others. Chief is shocked that McMurphy is capable of beautiful paintings; the same way we would be surprised if a big burly NFL player performed the Nutcracker in a Ballet performance. Stereotypes are the basis of oppression. Oppression is something that is prevalent then and now. Realistically it will continue to be prevalent. It is unavoidable—human nature to conform to the norm.
Andrews1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is gripping novel that has every right to be canonized by literary scholars. The book is full is fascinating symbols that are just waiting to be analyzed and thought deeply about. Literary scholars look for books that change ways of thinking.This book certainly does that. It makes us think about what is truly “insane”? From a reader’s viewpoint, we need the former points mentioned and we also need others to be added. We need characters we can care for, a story to keep us, and in some way we need to be shown something new. In the novel, we might not necessarily relate to all the characters, although, we can certainly feel sympathy for them. The novel absolutely sucks you into story and the story can seem utterly unpredictable at points. We are certainly shown something new and it opens up many different viewpoints.
One of my favorite passages is at the end of part two. “The glass came apart like water splashing, and the nurse threw her hands to her ears. He got one of the cartons of cigarettes with his name on it and took out a pack, the put it back and turned to where the Big Nurse was sitting like a chalk statue and very tenderly went to brushing the slivers of glass of her head and shoulders.” In the next sentence, McMurphy goes on to say that since the glass was so spick and span he had completely forgotten that it was there. I think the glass is the representation of Nurse Ratched’s power over the men. She’s doing it so seamlessly that it’s hard to even notice that it’s happening. Although, like the glass, with the knowledge of power it can be broken. My other favorite passage is after Billy’s fit when McMurphy asked why they chose to stay if they weren’t committed. “I don’t seem able to get it straight in my mind....” I think this shows how different McMurphy is from the other guys. They aren't being forced to be in there. They chose to be there, because society has laughed and judged them. McMurphy is different from them, because he fits society norm of being big and tough. I think this is when he realizes that instead of trying to conform to the Combine he can unselfishly help these men.
Wehrkamp 5
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been canonized because I believe when Ken Kesey conducted this novel he simply did not give a damn what people thought. Full paragraphs in parenthesis? Absolutely unheard of before 1960, but now is commonly used in works of literature around the world! A work of experimental fiction requires guts to create, and almost a little of insanity in oneself to successfully complete. The fragmented/random novel produces a reaction from all readers, and is a literature critics dream! The novel is believed to have a various number of themes, symbolizations, and messages. The “system” is not good for everyone, and Kesey challenges readers to explore and expose what needs change. He knew what most did not; there is a fine line between being sane and insane, and he aggravates exposing this throughout the novel. Kesey also exposes one of the world’s number one repeated mistake throughout history: when power becomes too strict or manipulating, rebellion will always be a humans naturalistic instinct to finding freedom.
Everybody on the ward can feel that it’s started (107). A riveting single line paragraph in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest that in a way gave me an adrenaline rush I had unexpected. An amazing technique of foreshadowing, I was excited for what was to come from this line as it entranced my eyes into an unremitting reading session. As I read I began to notice changes in Chief Bromden since he had stopped taking (sleep) medication at night, specifically for his better. For the First time in years I was seeing people with none of that black outline they used to have, and on night I was even able to see out the windows (162). It was at this point I knew Bromden was the more “sane” than any other time thus far into the novel. Bromden went on to explain how he was realizing for the first time where the hospital was located, how the floor felt, and that the season was fall. Throughout the rest of the chapter Chief Bromden did not mention the sense of controlling machinery one time, but instead described the happiness of a house trained dog’s freedom out on an adventure in the night. This passage sparked me with a sense of hope and reliability in Bromden. Then a car supposedly met the dog, and suddenly a nurse with the black boy Geever found Bromden. With the nurse’s mandate, “You get him tied in bed, Mr. Geever, and I’ll prepare a medication (166),” all hope or trust in Bromden promptly vanished.
Shroll 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest has been canonized by many literary scholars simply because Kesey abrasively and frankly rips into the reader’s psyche and dares to ask what being “insane” actually entails. This novel plops readers into the mind of a schizophrenic Native American male giant whose existence has dwindled to nothing more than a “deaf” patient of a psychiatric ward, with only the duty of sweeping and mopping the ward giving him the even the remotest sense of purpose. Ken Kesey remarkably allowed readers to understand what it would be like to be schizophrenic—constantly agonizing that the whole world is against you. I believe Kesey is, with this novel, making a bold statement that everyone is some kind of crazy. Nothing is “normal.” Nothing is “real.” Everything we as a unified human race believe in is simply a made-up system of fake powers and authority, of weakness and submission. Ken Kesey’s work has been admitted to the literary canon for its unsettling truth: we are all too crazy to admit our own insanity.
My favorite passage of the novel thus far—as grotesque and perverted it may seem—is the paragraph-chapter where Old Rawler commits suicide. Chief makes the comment, “What makes people so impatient is what I can’t figure; all the guy had to do was wait” (129). Rawler and Cheswick both had permanent fixes to temporary problems. It is imperative to remember that this life—this world—is temporary. Many of us will be fortunate to live to age eighty-five. Eighty-five years out of the millions of years that earth existed is just a small fraction of time. My favorite quote thus far is one from Chief, when he realized that he mattered in the vote to watch the World Series, and was convinced McMurphy raised his hand with the assistance of a wire: “No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself.” Everyone is made to positively contribute to this million year earth we live on; it is our choice to be worth the effort.
Heisel 2
1.
I personally believe that the literary canon accepts Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest for many reasons. The most prominent being its ability to make the reader question their sanity and question society’s motivations. It also is well-written and entertaining. The canon seems to accept the more influential books, not the most entertaining, but very few people would read an uninteresting book. The book also highlights issues with racism and capitalism.
As well as teaching the reader an obvious lesson in “not judging a book by its cover,” the novel also conditions us on a subconscious level. The female leadership of Nurse Ratched promotes gender equality. McMurphy promotes uprising. Chief promotes change and proves how it can be helpful. Although not a complete allegory, the novel can be picked apart farther in order to see subliminal messaging. The ability to get something new from the novel every time you read it makes it a literary canon in many critic’s minds.
2.
Kesey has many memorable quotes in his literary masterpiece One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Seeing as the prompt doesn’t specify the placement of the quote within the reading, I am able to quote the first sentence. “They’re out there. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them.” (3). These two sentences establish the narrator as unstable and make the reader definitely anticipating something. This introduction is helpful to the audience because it weeds out the ones who may not wish to consider experimental novels.
The second passage I want to quote is “I mean—hell, I been surprised how sane you guys all are. As near as I can tell you’re not any crazier than the average asshole on the street—” (61). This is McMurphy’s conclusion over the patients in the ward. This quote made me think more upon what it is to be “sane” or “insane.” I came to the conclusion that Kesey thought everyone was crazy and different and it was ridiculous that we categorize people so much.
P.S. I apologize for the belated nature of this blog comment. I hope to be more punctual in the future.
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