Analysis Of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest By Ken Kesey

Throughout the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, a psychoanalysis is made through the character, McMurphy. There are several things you can infer from McMurphy through his speech and actions. McMurphy instantly perceives himself to be something he is not. When he first walks into the ward he says, “Since I'm thinking about taking over this whole show myself...maybe I better talk with the top man,” (19). Typically when someone is introduced to a new place, they are hesitant on how to respond. McMurphy does the exact opposite and acts out inspite of someone else controlling him. He does this in order to prove to all the other patients that he is going to be in charge and take over Harding’s place. Also, McMurphy tries to

McMurphy has a gambling problem and the authorities at the ward insist he stop gambling. With McMurphy’s child-like behavior, he must get what he wants before he will listen. He continues to complain about the noise around him, “That damned radio. Boy. It’s been going ever since I come in this morning. And don’t come on with some baloney that you don’t hear it,” (106). He request that the radio be turned off before he stops gambling, “... hey-ya hey-ya, okay, next, goddammit, you hit or you sit ... comin at ya ...!” (106). McMurphy’s attitude to deliberatly get the patients to turn off the radio by not doing what he is told, works “McMurphy comes out of the latrine. He’s got his cap on and not much else, just a towel grabbed around his hips,” (206). As the nurse yells at McMurphy to put clothes on, ““It’s ward policy, Mr. McMurphy, that's the reason.” (206) he continues on running. When she finally gets him to calm down and quit running, he pretends he didn’t know what the ward policy was, therefore he didn’t know better. Also, McMurphy continues to show his id when he punches through the window, “He stopped in front of her window and he said in his slowest, deepest drawl how he figured he could use one of the smokes he bought this mornin’, then ran his hand through the glass,” (207). When the nurse confronts McMurphy about what he has done, he pretends he didn’t see the window there, “Gawd but I am. That