Examples Of Conflict In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

All good works of literature need a central conflict or struggle; without one a story appears artificial or lifeless. Ken Kesy’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest illustrates the power struggle between the Big Nurse and McMurphy through the perspective of a regularly hallucinating mental patient, Chief. Milos Forman’s 1975 film adaption of the same name uses the camera as a passive narrator, but depicts a nearly identical struggle. Due to the very different perspectives, the novel and the film use different methods to portray the same tone and progression of the conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. Long before McMurphy arrives in the novel, the Big Nurse has established power and precision control over her ward. Chief’s first

The camera’s medium-wide shot conveys McMurphy’s character through the lively, large imagery that surrounds him: such as the slanted angle of the camera, the asymmetrical parking job, organic shapes, and imbalance between foreground and background. When McMurphy enters the hospital, the staff’s near absence of movement and the camera’s close shots on McMurphy emphasize his active, chaotic movement and loud voice, and make his actions seem larger and more powerful than they already are. McMurphy’s costume disrupts the visual cohesion of the ward: the deep, prominent colors and bulky, rounded profile of his costume sharply contrast with the ward’s dull white color and thin, straight costumes. Although McMurphy is below the camera and not visually as large, his loud, harsh voice and chaotic ‘Indian call’ disrupts the entire ward and (overwhelms her soft, boring atmosphere) to convey his power. During the first meeting, McMurphy's lively posture, expression, and consistent gaze at Ratched convey his power in comparison to the powerless patients. When the meeting descends into chaos, the camera switches between close shots of Ratched and McMurphy staring each other down to show their conflicting power and imagery: Ratched's posture is completely stiff and controlled while McMurphy's is hunched and natural. Later, Ratched's even voice plays over speakers as the patients slowly

After learning of the other patients’ voluntary status, McMurphy’s loud, emphasized diction and constant use of exclamations as questions convey his emotional investment in their situation: “Are you guys bullshitting me! … you must be committed, for Christsakes! … Then why? Why? … why do you stand for it? …Tell me why ... There’s nothing wrong with you” (161-162). At the end of the meeting, Chief’s lengthy, yet active diction and understatement of McMurphy’s dialogue emphasize the power of actions: “with a loud sigh [he] slapped both hands down ... strolling across the day-room … with long steps, too long … he said in his deepest, slowest drawl ... he could use one of the smokes he bought … then ran his hand through the glass” (166). Previously, the Nurse would quickly gain power over McMurphy whenever he threatened her, but now Chief’s diction shows her helplessness: “The nurse was biding her time … she’d lost one big round and was losing another, but … the fight could go on … till he made a mistake … just gave out, or until she could come up with some new tactic” (171). McMurphy’s constant repetition of violent, powerful actions to/as he fight the Nurse sets a model and a goal for the patients to learn how to stand up for themselves: “The other Acutes were beginning to follow his lead. Harding began flirting with … nurses, and Billy Bibbit completely