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Institutionalization In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was a movie that demonstrated the difficulties of living in a controlled environment. Hierarchy, depersonalization, adjustment, and institutionalization are the characteristics that are shown throughout the film. The institutionalized men experience these things and we see how they are affected by the environment around them. The movie gives a visual interpretation of what it is like to be in a mental institution. It is clear from the start who is in charge and who is not. The movie opens with a man behind a desk questioning McMurphy about his mental state and it is clear the man behind the desk has power over him. From there McMurphy encounters Nurse Ratched who is always leading the group and telling them …show more content…

The first time he is asked about his mental state he is very upbeat, joking, and has a lot of questions. After being institutionalized for sometime he begins to act differently and less like himself. He becomes quieter and more reserved although not completely losing himself quite yet. McMurphy fits in quickly with the other patients but has a hard time adjusting to the schedule. Everyone there is on a very set schedule and McMurphy does not understand this. After only a short period of time being there, he asks if they could watch the world series which would mean switching a strict schedule. The Nurse is very opposed to this and McMurphy fights it because the idea o a schedule is not as important to him. Adjusting to doing the same thing at the same time every day does not come easy to him. Being institutionalized is very hard on McMurphy. He makes many attempts to escape but fails. It seems as if he does not mind being their as he quickly makes friends with the other men yet he consistently breaks rules that others would not dare to. As he fails to leave he gets more and more agitated with the

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