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Fighting Society In Ken Kesey's play One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest he shows a reflection of society inside a mental hospital. Through the character R. P. Mc Murphy Kesey shows the struggle between society and the true self.
The struggle in the play is between R. P. Mc Murphy who represents the romantic view and Nurse Ratched, who represents the classical view. Nurse Ratched was a member of the elite part of society, she used logic and reasoning, Nurse Ratched had a fear of the unknown, she had to be in control of her surroundings, and nature. She gave the patients medication to control them. If a patient became out of control her final step would be to give him a lobotomy.
Contrastingly Mc Murphy was more common he acted much more spontaneously on his emotions. His character likes to explore the unknown. He is very in touch with his true self and nature, and he makes his progress through the soul. He had the gift of being able to look beneath the damaged surface and discover what was really goo in a person.
Mc Murphy acted out his feelings, he never planned his day he would just be wild and live in it. The conflict between Mc Murphy and Ratched is like the conflict between Dionisus and Apollo. Ratched has the wrath of Dionisus and Mc Murphy had the reason and artistic outlook of Apollo. This clash of the two extremes in the play is in fact a portrayal of the conflict between the artist and society. Mc Murphy was able to connect with his true self. This gave him true freedom.
Mc Murphy is a model for being free. He made the other patients free by getting them to take risks. He is like Christ in the way that he revealed Page 2 the imperfections, brought out the truth and made the institution a better place. He was killed by his lobotomy and then let free once again when The Chief smothered him. This is equivalent to the death on the cross and then resurrection of Jesus. The author used this and many other symbolic examples of symbolism in his play to show a deeper meaning to what was going on in the institution.
The geese flying over head were symbols of freedom. The sounds of the geese echoed sense. The geese were Canadian, which is where the chief was going to run away. The chief needed to find freedom inside himself before he could run away. He needed Mc Murphy To make him big again. (Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest). To Native Americans the waterfall represents wild, untamable, nature.
It is a very important part of the Indians history. Their history is preserved by the waterfall; But their name is on your waters, Ye may not wash it out. (Lydia Sigourney, Indian Names). The title refers to the character of the Indian. He is the only one in the institution who breaks free of societies barriers. The Chief was always presumed deaf, and dumb. He was able to cast down his label and reverse the American Legend.
In the colonization of the United States the Indian was the one who was set aside and tamed. In the play the white man was the one who was sacrificed for the Indian to be free. The chief was able to fly home with the Canadian geese. The chief was capable to break free from bondage. In society today many people are unable to be themselves. The hide behind a mask that is what they think other people want to be.
Page 3 Works Cite Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (Play Sigourney, Lydia. Indian Names.
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