One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Power Essay

Power Unit Essay

People tend to react similarly when put into physical situations that trigger fight or flight responses because those reactions are hardwired into human DNA. Simultaneously, natural responses impact mental states and physical states, which allows general statements about humans to be made that are valid for the vast majority. These human instincts can be seen throughout modern entertainment- movies, books, television shows- such as Cool Hand Luke and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The main characters of both stories, Luke and McMurphy, faced situations that could be considered unjust. When subjected to unfair circumstances, many humans will attempt to revise it, as revealed by Luke and McMurphy, who showed through their

While McMurphy’s actions from his entrance appeared to be rebellious in nature, he was not intentionally countering Ratched, though, he very quickly realized that Nurse Ratched enforced many petty rules, such as patients were only allowed to gamble for cigarettes and patients were required to stay together at all times. Ratched essentially worked to micromanage the patients’ every action. The longer McMurphy stayed, the more he learned about what he considered to be injustices patients endured, although Ratched would protest that rules were implemented with the best interest of the patients in mind. In disregarding most rules, McMurphy started to do as he pleased in order to spite Ratched, sparking rebellion. A charismatic personality greatly benefitted him during this entire ordeal, allowing McMurphy to gain access to loyalty from other patients, who saw him as their savior, while politeness and charm directed towards Big Nurse meant she could not punish him for talking back. He seemed to be slowly taking power away from her through minor transgressions, allowing the patients to all gain confidence as they felt her hold on them was lessening. The doctor even agreed when McMurphy suggested events that would be fun for the patients, or reducing some strict ward rules. Attempts to alter the ward power structures in order to revise the rules, creating fairer conditions for patients, appeared to be successful. After the wild night when Candy and Sandy came into the ward, Harding says that the patients are “still sick men in lots of ways. But at least there’s that: they are sick men now. No more rabbits, Mack” (Kesey 258). By manipulating power structures, McMurphy empowered the men to fight their own battles, get out of the ward’s unfair