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How Is One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Related To Psychology

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Perhaps no movie has as many connections to the field of psychology quite like the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The movie follows a criminal, Randle McMurphy, and his stay in a mental asylum as he attempts to escape jail time. While there, McMurphy meets many colorful characters, as well as the head nurse, Nurse Mildred Ratched. Over time, viewers see not only McMurphy’s story, but also get a look into how people in mental asylums are treated. As a result of this inside look, this movie may have led to changes in how mental patients are dealt with. In essence, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest portrays Freud’s theory of personality, which states that the human psyche consists of three different parts: the id, superego, and ego. This theory ties in well with the movie as the theory is represented in three of the movie’s characters. Randle McMurphy, the movie’s lead, represents the id. Nurse Ratched, the antagonist of the movie, represents the superego. Chief Bromden (a close friend of McMurphy’s during his stay in the asylum) is a balance of the two and represents the ego. Freud’s theory of personality states that the id, ego, and superego …show more content…

He works through impulses and does not seem to care about the consequences of his actions. Near the middle of the movie, he commandeers a bus heading out of the asylum, and when asked about getting caught, he simply says that it doesn’t matter because they’re “nuts” (Douglas et al., 1975). He doesn’t place much importance in the risks associated with stealing a bus and fishing vessel, as the instant happiness he gets from going fishing is greater than the risks associated with stealing (pleasure principle). In the end of the movie, McMurphy lets his id overcome him completely as he tries to strangle Nurse Ratched. At that point, he neither thinks about the consequences nor cares, as he is being controlled only by his impulses with no sense of the morality of his

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In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest McMurphy one of the main characters leeds a group of mental ward patients to rebel against the ward staff. McMurphy rebelled in many ways against the staff like “ Two whores on their way down from Portland to take us deep-sea fishing in a boat”

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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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In Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the main character, Randle Patrick McMurphy, is a perfect example of a tragic hero. Throughout the novel McMurphy sets himself up to be the tragic hero by resenting Nurse Ratched’s power and defending the other patients. He can be classified as a contemporary tragic hero, but he also includes elements of Aristotle’s tragic hero. McMurphy’s rebellious nature and ultimate demise are what truly makes him as a tragic hero.

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Weather in literature is often used to symbolize the mood or mental state in which a character experiences. For example, rain is commonly associated with sadness. As it is commonly identified, fog is a cloudy element of weather that affects one’s ability to see clearly, however, it is also used in literature to represent a character’s lack of clarity. Throughout One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the motif of fog is used to represent the mental instability and confusion Bromden experiences under Nurse Ratched’s ward. As the story progresses and Bromden gains confidence, the fog diminishes and he is able to overcome the Big Nurse.

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522 Words | 3 Pages

One of Freud’s theories is that the “Id – Ego combination dominates a person’s behavior until social awareness leads to the emergence of the superego, which recognizes that

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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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1033 Words | 5 Pages

In the book “One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest” Ken Kesey shows that the “insanity” of the patients is really just normal insecurities and their label as insane by society is immoral. This appears in the book concerning Billy Bibbits problem with his mom, Harding's problems with his wife, and that the patients are in the ward

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1341 Words | 6 Pages

It is obvious that medical treatment can be very helpful for the patient and would provide results. However simple companionship may also help as they could simply talk about their problem. Counselling might actually help more than medical treatment which may have more of a negative effect emotionally on the patient. Medical treatment aims to heal the patients so they can return and function properly in society however this is not the case in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ written by Ken Kasey. In his novel the mental institution serves as a method to keep the patients away from society and doesn’t function to help the men but to keep them passive.

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1288 Words | 6 Pages

What separates this film from others is its’ use of movie devices and techniques, as well as the emotionally charged story. What makes “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” special is the set of characters. We have Randle McMurphy, the fearless and cold criminal which it turns out, actually has a heart of gold. We have the calm and cold nurse Mildred Ratchet that tries with her full power to stop McMurphy from doing his mischief. And of course the patients like Billy Bibbit, Charlie Cheswick, Martini and Chief Bromden, all played beautifully by the actors, making the viewers feel that they are inside the mental institution.

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1379 Words | 6 Pages

The movie “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest” gives an inside look into the life of a patient living in a mental institution; helping to give a new definition of mental illnesses. From a medical standpoint, determinants of mental illness are considered to be internal; physically and in the mind, while they are seen as external; in the environment or the person’s social situation, from a sociological perspective (Stockton, 2014). Additionally, the movie also explores the idea of power relations that exist between an authorized person (Nurse Ratched) and a patient and further looks into the punishment a deviant actor receives (ie. McMurphy contesting Nurse Ratched). One of the sociological themes that I have observed is conformity.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest The film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, prompts very important aspect of the human condition. In the movie, the protagonist, Mac McMurphy, is deemed dangerous, so the mental institute tries to suppress him (Kesey). The film highlights various aspects of human conditions like psychology, sociology and philosophy. The mental institute tries to suppress the mentally challenged people rather than to try to communicate with them.

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In the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a group of men living in a psychiatric ward are dealing with different types of disorders. The character that I chose to observe and analyze was Billy Bibbit. Billy is a young man who struggles to speak without stuttering and make his own decisions. He seeks approval from those around him and is always worried he will disappoint those around him. Although some people at this psychiatric ward are committed, Billy is a voluntary patient.

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520 Words | 3 Pages

The Movie Character’s behavior In the movie “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” Randle McMurphy is a rather sane man who chose to be institutionalized instead of residing at a "prison farm"(1975). McMurphy is a risk taker with a vulgar mouth, endless energy, and he enjoys challenging

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2186 Words | 9 Pages

The Id, Ego and Superego make complete sense to any person who might be interests in learning about the Psyche. Freud’s use of the psychoanalytic theory is relevant when explaining my current behaviour in regards to my past experiences that have occurred throughout my lifetime. Freud’s theory does apply to my own life as he made his theory a way to help understand and focus on the behavioural problems of the human being, and to resolve them in a way that forces me to accept my own destructive

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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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