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Medical Treatment In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

1341 Words6 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. This is shown by the repetition of the time in the beginning of the novel “seven-thirty …show more content…

Furthermore the doctors don’t seem to see the patients as human beings but rather they see them in terms of their conditions and illnesses. “Chronics are divided into walkers… and Wheelers and Vegetables.” (pg17) Because of this they no longer see them as men which consequently alters the way they act towards them. Because of this in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ there is very much a nurse verses patient atmosphere throughout the novel due to there being no connection or understanding between them. “The Big Nurse is suspicious of the crew-cut looks of these residents.” Nurse Ratched attempts to manipulate the patients with words by insinuating ideas in order to control them which in turn destroys their self-esteem leaving them powerless against her. This is the opposite in ‘Regeneration’ as they are able to open up about anything they dream or worry about. For example Anderson opened up about his dream involving lady’s corsets “…they got hold of me and tied me up… A pair of lady corsets.” This would be a rather personal issue and it could signify that Anderson is restricted by the idea that men shouldn’t show emotion or cry and that they have to stay strong and fearless. But because Anderson opened up River’s would be able to analyse his dreams and provide an

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