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

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Conformity and Nonconformity in Society Many societies try their hardest to ensure the total conformity of their citizens, whether it be through incentives or by creating fear. However, it rarely succeeds, as there are always a few who don’t conform to the unspoken societal rules that have been set. When this happens, societies usually try to assimilate the nonconforming and place them into their fitting roles in society, with this being a main concept of Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The world inside and outside of the mental ward faces similar glaring issues about conformity and those not assimilating being forced into doing so. All in all, Kesey suggests that it is within the nature of men to conform to society and …show more content…

At the gas station on the way to the fishing boat, the men working the station quickly realized that they were wearing uniforms from the “asylum” up the street, and were quick to harass and toy with the “work crew.” McMurphy and the twelve other people were not an everyday sight at a gas station, and they were completely different from everyone else in northern Oregon. Consequently, they had everyone’s attention, from the workers at the gas station, a man riding a bicycle, and everyone that saw them at a …show more content…

His father was unwilling to conform to the intended society within northern Oregon, so people came to them in an attempt to assimilate them into city life at the time. This was a continuation of US policies towards American Indians, as many tribes had been purchased off of their land or forcefully sent away for the land to be opened up and used for other, more modern purposes. In Chief’s case, government officials came to them in an attempt to purchase off their land to build a hydroelectric dam. They were unsuccessful at first in conforming Chief and his father to society at the time, so they rallied up more support to make this happen, even getting his mother to side with the government. Although Chief and his father are both big people in stature, they still appear tiny in front of the pressure coming from many people, showing that anyone can be forced to conform if there are enough people against them. Bromden and his father weren’t conforming to the government’s liking, so they were then almost forced to without an ounce of thought if it would benefit them or