ipl-logo

How Is Figurative Language Used In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

1719 Words7 Pages

Gunnar Shumate

Mr. Irby

English 3

23-May-2023

Decision Point

“The average amount of books read by an American in a single year is 12” (Zauderer). Twelve books a year may seem small but that means reading a book every month. A question that is continually considered is what to allow and what books need to be censored? One example of a highly contentious book is, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. Despite this book teaching kids literary value, the sheer amount of abuse, sexualization, and faulty teachings outweigh the positives of the book.

Chief Bromden has been the longest resident of the psychiatric ward and pretends to be deaf and dumb. He explains fear of the big nurse and the Combine that controls the rest of the …show more content…

For instance, Kesey uses figurative language and writes a simile, “bald grey metal head set in a black turtleneck like a gun turret on a U-boat.”(Kesey 204). This simile may show a good example of figurative language; however it exposes children to violent acts which can lead to direct effects later in life. Movies, like books that contain violence and harmful language, especially at a young age, lead to bad reactions down the road. As Schmitt says, “Most bad reactions are caused by movies that contain horror, graphic violence, or sexual violence.”(Schmitt) Although this is a movie, the same principles apply from early introductions to violence. Furthermore, Kesey uses a metaphor and compares a hand clench and pump blood, bigger and bigger to a rusty ball and chain. (Kesey 53) This although this shows a good metaphor, other books can do this while also not containing violence, sexism, and drug use. The biggest issue is making new readers aware of the sheer amount of figurative language and also how the operate differently(Littlemore). As Littlemore says, the prescence of figurative language has multiple roles and is present in our culture of writing. Lastly, Kesey uses another type of figurative language, allusion. On page 24 he references Eisenhower and the politics of voting for which president is supported. This may seem …show more content…

(2019, October 28). Sex, Nudity, and Satanism Are Why Parents Believe In School Book Censorship. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/why-parents-censor-books/

Laquintano, T., & Vee, A. (2017). How Automated Writing Systems Affect the Circulation of Political Information Online. Literacy in Composition Studies, 5(2), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.21623/1.5.2.4

Littlemore, J., & Low, G. (2006, January 1). Promoting Figurative Language Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230627567_10

Pickhardt, C., Dr. (2009). CommonLit | Rebel With a Cause: Rebellion in Adolescence. Teenage Rebellion, 5(2). Common lit. https://doi.org/10.21623/1.5.2.4

Short, M. M., Penney, A. M., Mazmanian, D., & Jamieson, J. (2015). Lottery ticket and instant win ticket gambling: exploring the distinctions. Journal of Gambling Issues, 30, 5. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2015.30.4

Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: A Novel. Viking Press & Signet Books, 1971.

Zauderer, Steven. “39 Reading Statistics and Facts You Should Know.” Cross River Therapy, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/reading-statistics. Accessed 24 May

Show More
Related

Klinenberg Air Conditioning Habit Analysis

189 Words | 1 Pages

Klinenberg repeatedly uses figurative language throughout his text to create many images that are good and bad. Concluding his article, Klinenberg calls the reader

Read More

Chief Bromden Figurative Language Essay

646 Words | 3 Pages

Chief had spent a long time going through the motions and never realizing what was going on. Kesey’s use of diction and figurative language in a tandem, fortifies Chief’s process of

Read More

Gender Inequality In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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.

Read More

Why Is Fahrenheit 451 Be Banned In Schools

652 Words | 3 Pages

Books are an essential way to gain knowledge whether they are controversial or not. Thousands of books have been banned from public libraries and schools due to being deemed ‘inappropriate’ by parents, administrators, or religious leaders. Whether Americans should ban books in public libraries and schools is an often debated topic. This censorship of books is dangerous, as it restricts the American people's’ ability to access information, leaving Americans ignorant. Historically, banning books is not a new practice.

Read More

Literary Analysis of 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'

1389 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel, Kesey employs many characters, each with unique features. For example, Dale Harding, one of the protagonists in the story, was described as, “... a flat, nervous man ...” (Kesey 20) and in one of the group discussion lead by Nurse Ratched, he was reported of saying

Read More

Research Paper On Fahrenheit 451

1157 Words | 5 Pages

It is for these reasons that “mature content” books, such as Fahrenheit 451, must remain in schools. As most know, the United States Constitution gives all American citizens the right to freedom of expression. This means that Americans can voice their

Read More

Power In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

991 Words | 4 Pages

The patients are frequently told that they will be lost and alone when let out. However, when McMurphy plans a way to get a touch of freedom, the patients begin to realize the restrictions Ratched puts against them. The narrator of the story, Chief Bromden, reflects, “Because he knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy” (Kesey 211). This shows that the men maintaining their sanity in such an oppressive world cannot allow external forces to exert too much power. When a person succumbs to the bad experiences of humanity, they have no way of growth.

Read More

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Banned

1429 Words | 6 Pages

“Translating Metaphorical Mind Style: Machinery and Ice Metaphors in Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Perspectives, vol. 27, no. 6, Dec. 2018, pp. 875–89, https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676x.2018.1556707. Hussain, Rashid. " Metaphors and similes in Literature." International journal of humanities and social science invention 3.9 (2014): 01-02.

Read More

Why We Should Be Censored In Fahrenheit 451

507 Words | 3 Pages

People wanting to censor books must follow a set of rules. First, they must provide evidence on why they believe this book should be censored. They should have a reason on why the particular novel has a dangerous effect on the youth. Second, they must provide psychological evidence that shows how reading a potential dangerous book could inspire students to flagrantly disregard authority. Although opinion is usually taken from people who frequently read, the issue of censorship should be taken into account from all

Read More

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Insanity Essay

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.

Read More

Censorship In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

1791 Words | 8 Pages

The Retainment of The Cuckoo’s Nest Cencor ship has been a topic of discussion for an awfully long time, a part of this is what should be taught to our children. More recently, that discussion has brought the banning of certain books. In the 2022-23 school year 1,477 books have been banned in the United States. One of these books that is on the chopping block is Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Although some parents and scholars are overreacting to objectional material in schoolbooks and trying to get them banned, Cuckoo's Nest contains material such as symbolism, theme, and plot that is beneficial to teaching.

Read More

How Does Ken Robinson Use Figurative Language In Ted Talk

197 Words | 1 Pages

In Ken Robinson’s TED Talk, “Education Paradigms'', Ken uses figurative language to create the tone of his quarrel. For example, “This is the modern epidemic, it's as misplaced as fictitious” (Robinson 3:46). This quote shows that Ken Robinson believes that ADHD is not a real thing, but he believes it's like fiction, something that is not real; he uses this simile to create tone in his TED talk. This simile creates Robinson’s tone of quarrel based on how his thoughts differ from what everyone else thinks. Another example is “These kids are being medicated as routinely as we had our tonsils”.

Read More

The Cuckoo's Nest: The Impact Of Book Bans On Humanity

1120 Words | 5 Pages

Another objectionable material that Kesey uses in his writing is violence. A way that violence is introduced is Kesey describes many scenes with gore and or something that shows abuse. Gore and abuse can lead children into a bad environment such as if they are open into an environment with drug use, offensive language, gore, abuse, etc. that can lead to them picking up that habit and start doing it themselves. Another example of violence that is in Kesey's novel is sexual situations.

Read More

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Analysis Essay

1288 Words | 6 Pages

“One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” is a film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey. The Film was released in 1975. It is the story of a convicted man, trying to outsmart the American legal system by playing mentally ill. The film starts at the beginning when the main character, Randle McMurphy, enters the mental institution. It won 6 Golden Globes as well as 5 Oscars and many other nominations.

Read More

Mental Illness In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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.

Read More

More about How Is Figurative Language Used In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Related Topics

Open Document