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Analysis Of The Nurse In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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There is much debate on whether or not Nurse Ratched, the head nurse portrayed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is mentally ill, or if she is just harsh in order to maintain control over the patients in the ward. Many believe she has a form of PTSD that has been used by her working in the ward for many years, while others argue that she may only have an extremely severe case of antisocial personality disorder, also known as ASPD or sociopathy. The reader can, without a doubt, determine for themselves that Nurse Ratched is not your ordinary nurse. There is definitely a psychiatric problem with her that makes her stand out from other nurses. The narrator of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Chief Bromden, has been a patient in an Oregon …show more content…

In chapter 8, McMurphy states, “Good morning, Miss Rat-shed! How’s things on the outside?” (Kesey Chap. 8) This is declaring that Nurse Ratched has rodent-like features. Additionally, rodents work quietly and quickly. They also work very much so to the disadvantage of other people or animals. In the middle ages, rats were also carriers of the Black Plague. The reader gathers that Nurse Ratched infects the patients, orderlies, and staff with her impulsive desire for power and control. Another example of manipulation from Nurse Ratched is in chapter 3 when Chief states, “The Big Nurse recognizes this fear and knows how to put it to use; she’ll point out to an Acute, whenever he goes into a sulk, that you boys be good boys and cooperate with the staff policy which is engineered for your cure, or you’ll end up over on that side.” (Kesey Chap. 3) By stating that she knows how to put it to use, the author indicates that the Nurse knows exactly what she is doing. Not only that, but this line once again proves she has everything under her control and can contort it to her

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A famous Chinese proverb states, “One dog barks at something and a hundred bark at the bark”. This use of animal imagery to explain the issues with human behavior can also be seen in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The novel, told through the eyes of schizophrenic chronic Chief Bromden, revolves around R. P. McMurphy helping the patients overcome their fear of Nurse Ratched and her power and control over the ward. Throughout the book, Kesey uses animal imagery to depict the personalities and behaviors of Nurse Ratched, McMurphy, and the patients. Nurse Ratched is a wolf, and she thrives off of her overbearing control over the patients in the ward and enjoys having everything conform to her set of rules.

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They are her workhorses and adhere to her every need. They represent the dark enmity and the overpowering madness that lies inside of her. Nurse Ratched “ sits in the center of this web of wires like a watchful robot, tend her network with mechanical insect skill, know every second which wire runs where and just what current to send up to get the results she wants” (Kesey 29). Nurse Ratched strictly controls society in the

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447 Words | 2 Pages

Nurse Ratched’s desire for control, in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, allows her to manipulate the entire hospital ward into believing her work is for the betterment of the patients. Significantly, Nurse Ratched appears doll-like: hair in a tight bun, a neatly pressed uniform, and “too-red” lipstick (48). Traditionally, dolls, like other toys, are made to occupy the unruly minds of young children. By comparing Nurse Ratched to a child’s toy, Kesey implies she is a mere distraction to the patients from their mental impairments.

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1091 Words | 5 Pages

In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, written by Ken Kesey, The patients went to the ward voluntarily where they thought they would feel free, but at arrival they find that Nurse Ratched has full control over them. Nurse Ratched and her other leading woman use fear to keep control over and manipulate those trapped inside to keep them from acting and thinking on their own. Nurse Ratched is power hungry and feeds that power with being able to have the last say and the

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363 Words | 2 Pages

Nurse Ratched is the enermy of the worst kind in this book Nurse Ratched feeds on order, and she wants total power , she plans mind games with her patients. Ratched as the head nurse and as a woman. she is able to move things so that most situations fit her ideas. If Nurse Ratched needs to, she uses the force to get things done. She smiles a lot and verbalizes.

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636 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the mental patients were not able to view Nurse Ratched as a woman, despite her physical features. This was because of her ruthless demonstrations of authority, and strength. Nurse Ratched is the all-powerful nurse in the ward of a mental hospital, during the years of the 50s and 60s. The men are fearful of her and always complied with her rules accordingly until Randall McMurphy swaggered in. Nonetheless his power was still minor to Nurse Ratched’s.

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688 Words | 3 Pages

Sadvokassova Aiganym. 10 “F’ Comparative Essay. Thesis statement: Even though actors in the movie were interpreted well, book is thorough in showing characters because Black Boys’ relationship to other patients and Chief's perspective is shown considerably in the book. “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest” written by Ken Kesey is an allegorical and countercultural novel.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Ken Kesey’s comic novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, takes place in an all-male psychiatric ward. The head of the ward, Big Nurse Ratched, is female. Kesey explores the power-struggle that takes place when the characters challenge gender dynamics in this environment. One newly-arrived patient, McMurphy, leads the men against the Big Nurse. The story is told through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a patient who learns from McMurphy and fights for his freedom.

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1195 Words | 5 Pages

Her actions are meant to disencourage the patients, to destabilize their own sense of self. She does not have the goal of helping the patients live their lives properly, and is one for the rules. She could be considered a control freak; one who wants everything to go her way, and no one else’s way. In fact, when she and the other doctors worked on the ward, she remains silent throughout the whole meeting, forcing the other doctors to formulate their own opinions, after which she rejects them all: ‘ "You- are very, very wrong, Mr. Gideon.” It's the Big Nurse.’

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1459 Words | 6 Pages

In the ward, the only individual capable of undermining Nurse Ratched’s power is Randle McMurphy. By blatantly disregarding the nurse’s strict rules, standing up for himself, and encouraging other patients to do so, he creates a situation that jeopardizes the order Nurse Ratched has created. When McMurphy manages to get a fishing trip approved, granted he gets ten other patients to sign up, Nurse Ratched uses malicious methods to thwart his plans: “The nurse started steadily bringing in clippings from the newspapers that told about wrecked boats and sudden storms on coast” (Kesey 178). In order to dismantle the immense progress McMurphy has made towards changing the attitudes of the patients, Nurse Ratched discourages them from attending his trip. Her motive in doing this is to have the patients lose faith in McMurphy, ultimately destroying the influence he has over them.

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755 Words | 4 Pages

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, considers the qualities in which society determines sanity. The label of insanity is given when someone is different from the perceived norm. Conversely, a person is perceived as sane when their behavior is consistent with the beliefs of the majority. Although the characters of this novel are patients of a mental institution, they all show qualities of sanity. The book is narrated by Chief Brodmen, an observant chronic psychiatric patient, who many believe to be deaf and dumb.

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993 Words | 4 Pages

There is an obvious idea presented by Kesey that the Nurse is dominant over Billy, who has become very vulnerable. Nurse Ratched is shown as a character of strength by the way the writer has created her character. Nurse Ratched is also seen as a strong figure by the way the other characters talk about her, for example when Chief says “To beat her you don 't have to whip her two out of three or three out of five, but every time you meet. As soon as you let down your guard, as soon as you lose once, she 's won for good.” The writer has used this line to show us how both Chief and the other patient give her the strong and authoritative

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1288 Words | 6 Pages

His rebellious and free mind makes the patients open their eyes and see how the have been suppressed. His appearance is a breath of fresh air and a look into the outside world for the patients. This clearly weakens Nurse Ratched’s powers, and she sees him as a large threat. One way or another, McMurphy tends to instigate changes of scenery. He manages to move everyone away from her music and watchful eye into the old tube room.

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781 Words | 4 Pages

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a movie focused on the aspects of mental institutions and what goes on there. The main character, Mac McMurphy, is a patient until they determine his sanity. Unfortunately, like in many other hospitals, this institution is corrupted in the way that persuades the patients that they are unable to function outside of the hospital. They are also told that any disruptive behavior represents illness, and those who are ill get treated with electroshock therapy. The patients are controlled by an underlying, unspoken fear to disobey, which is illustrated in many forms throughout the hospital.

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673 Words | 3 Pages

Ken Kesey uses his novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, to describe the lives of patients in a mental institution, and their struggle to overcome the oppressive authority under which they are living. Told from the point of view of a supposedly mute schizophrenic, the novel also shines a light on the many disorders present in the patients, as well as how their illnesses affect their lives during a time when little known about these disorders, and when patients living with these illnesses were seen as an extreme threat. Chief Bromden, the narrator of the novel, has many mental illnesses, but he learns to accept himself and embrace his differences. Through the heroism introduced through Randle McMurphy, Chief becomes confident in himself, and is ultimately able to escape from the toxic environment Nurse Ratched has created on the ward. Chief has many disorders including schizophrenia, paranoia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and, in addition to these illnesses, he pretends to be deaf and dumb.

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