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Cuckoo's Nest Mcmurphy Characteristics

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In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, Randle McMurphy, a new patient, plans to take control over the ward and seize power from the strict and manipulative Nurse Ratched. Upon his arrival the patients begin to feel comfortable around McMurphy. He acts as a savior, standing up for himself and for the rest of the patients against Nurse Ratched. Despite the ward being a dismal and limited place, the presence of McMurphy's leadership gives the patients encouragement, individuality, and freedom. Throughout the story, McMurphy encourages the patients in different by speaking to them and by experience. When talking to Harding, McMurphy says "You're no damned rabbit!" (58). McMurphy does not think that anyone is a rabbit and that …show more content…

He was confident, brave, and rebellious. These characteristics soon began to rub off on the other patients. "The other Acutes were beginning to follow his lead. Harding began flirting with all the student nurses …and when the window in front of her desk got replaced again …Scanlon did it in by accidentally bouncing our basketball through it…" (177). McMurphy has had a huge influence on the patients. They begin to act more aggressively and are start to gain more confidence and they become more comfortable in the ward. "While McMurphy laughs. Rocking farther and farther backward against the cabin top, spreading his laugh out across the water… (214)." Since McMurphy laughed at the events happening, everyone else began to laugh, which shows how he is a leader among the patients. Despite all the problems they had, like Chief cutting his thumb and George crashing the boat, they all just let loose and laugh, beginning with McMurphy. Before McMurphy entered the ward, the patients never laughed. He was able to bring out the goodness of the patients and not make the ward so sad and dismal. The leadership of McMuprhy gives the patients hope. He helps them people of society rather than prisoners of the

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In a way, McMurphy recruited his own “twelve disciples” and brought them on his fishing trip, boosting their confidence and fuelling their sense of self-worth. He led and taught the patients countless times how to laugh more and stand up for themselves as well as paying the ultimate sacrifice for his actions: giving up his life. However, it is evident in characters like the chief that McMurphy will not be forgotten because there is no doubt that he can be perceived as a humorous, dynamic messiah

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In the struggle between freedom and power, McMurphy’s sacrifice allows freedom to prevail. His leadership in a rising rebellion parallels many of the countercultures that arose during the 1960s. His rebellion fights against Nurse Ratched in the way that the countercultures fought against the government and society in the past to the present. The men in the asylum are unknowingly unhappy before the arrival of McMurphy. Through his antics, the men are saved from society in the form of Nurse Ratched’s regime.

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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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