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Analysis Of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest By Ken Kesey

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Ken Kesey author of the fictional novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest published in 1962 has taken the opportunity to write about the hippy culture and how society shames difference. Readers are taken to a mental institution in Oregon in the 1950’s and experience what it is like for the outcast people. The men in the ward are run by Nurse Ratched and have lost control of themselves. Majority of these men are in the mental hospital because they have checked themselves in, but not McMurphy he is a convict there for psych evaluation. Do to Nurse Ratched the men loses control over themselves and they haven’t realized till McMurphy walked through the door. In Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, women are portrayed as the power figures …show more content…

Vera has a very abrupt personality she is upfront ad she will make sure she gets what she wants. Vera has no shame except for one thing. “I hate Mrs. Harding, Mack;...”(Kesey 142). Vera does not wants to be associated with her husband. She corrects people when they call her by her last name in the quote above she corrects McMurphy when he calls her Mrs. Harding. Vera also makes it clear she isn’t to fond of Dale when he is around.“Oh Dale, you never do have enough, do you?”(Kesey 142). In this quote Vera is insulting Dale about he never has enough. Vera insults his manhood when saying this. With his wife making comments about his manhood he becomes silent and just looks to see the other guys reactions. “He laughs...his wife says to him, “Dale, when are you going to learn to laugh instead of making that mousy little squeak?”(Kesey 142). Vera not only emasculates Dale by insulting his manhood in front of the other guys she insults his natural instincts. Dale can’t even laugh right according to her she calls it a squeak. The women who is suppose to love him not matter what critiques everything about him. Dale tries to cover up is momsexual feelings with Vera so he is putting up with her, but Dale stops everything when his wife critics him. Vera has the power to control Dale and she has gained it by insulting him over the …show more content…

Nurse Ratched has control over every guy in the hospital because she decides what they are doing every day when they wake up. She has brainwashed the men into think they need her. Vera has manipulated her husband Dale into thinking he is disgusting. Billy’s mother has emasculated him by deciding everything for him and letting him have no control over his own life. The men in this novel have lost their manhood to women who have manipulated them and they are too blind to see it till McMurphy shows them. By signing out of the hospital some men are showing that they are ready to have control over their own lives again and gain back the power and masculinity they

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