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One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Psychological Illness

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an American classic both in its literary and cinematic forms. It is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made by many critics, and it shows. It contains very serious subject matter though allows some lighter comedic points as relief. Although it does contain those comedic moments, it does not entirely try to poke fun at psychological illnesses and conditions. Throughout the film you see the characters exhibiting various symptoms of psychological disorders. The main character R. P. McMurphy, portrayed by Jack Nicholson tends to show signs of Anti-Social Personality Disorder, which comes out in his inability to form any sort of meaningful relationships with other. Martini is one of several characters who seems to suffer from Schizophrenia. His symptoms manifest themselves in numerous ways, some of the most prominent ways include his dazed state, and his childlike demeanor. …show more content…

Quite few characters aren’t expressly given a diagnosis throughout the movie, and it makes you wonder why exactly they have been institutionalized. Characters like Mr. Harding, at first glance seems to be a perfectly capable and a quite intelligent man. After looking into things, a bit deeper, he seems to be in denial about being homosexual and can also be diagnosed as neurotic. This diagnosis and the symptoms accompanying it cause him to become quite paranoid about things that are said or done that may come off as gay. We actually find out about midway through the movie that he is in the hospital voluntarily, along with several other

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Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey).” Another way of symbolism would be “The Fog.” According to Chief, this fog clouds our vision of the real world. In this fog, the awful reality can be softened. Chief also tells us that McMurphy attempts to pull all the other patients out of this state of mind.

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They were using these things to control the patients so that the patients would become sociable, quiet, and would conform. These treatments or therapys really were ways of manipulating the patients into acting like everyone else in society because the nurses in the mental institution as well as the rest of society and government wanted there to be no individuals, everyone had to be the same. These treatments would

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Harding then states “perhaps the more insane a man is, the more powerful he could become” which supports Kesey’s suggestion. Many of the patients stay at the hospital voluntarily out of fear of the outside world and the

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One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey reveals the insensitive treatment and dehumanization of the mentally ill. The origin of the book is a story of an individual in a mental hospital. Ken Kesey’s character observes the daily life in a psych ward and reveals

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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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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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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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2017. John Zubizarreta demonstrates the difference in point of views in the movie vs the book of, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Zubizarreta shows how in the novel the 3rd person Point of view through Chief Bromden creates a sadistic tone throughout the book. In the movie, the audience watched the movie in first person showing all the characters and giving a less complex plot structure. John gives a brief summary of the book and how Randle McMurphy's actions effected Chief Bromden's personality, giving him more courage and a reason to speak up for himself.

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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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“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.

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The goal of most mental hospitals is rehabilitation of the human psyche. To be cured of a mental disorder is nearly impossible, but the purpose of these hospitals is to attempt to suppress the id of a person’s subconscious. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey utilizes the psychoanalytic theory and his own life experiences to depict his dynamic character’s dreams, hidden subconscious thoughts, basic desire of their id, and reality of their ego. Kesey uses his character’s dreams to reveal their subconscious desires, express what they wish they could accomplish but are limited due to society’s rules, and showcase what they secretly desire when their subconscious goes unchecked during their sleep.

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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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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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