What Are Gender Roles In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is a novel that is set in a mental institution during the 1960s. It follows the interactions of Mr. McMurphy, a new patient on the ward, with other patients and staff. McMurphy explores the intense power dynamic between the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, and the patients whom she unleashes her reign of terror upon. In his novel, Kesey exposes the horrors of mental institutions in America during this time. Published in 1962, the novel also greatly expresses American societal values such as gender roles and power dynamics. Of the many topics Kesey addresses within the story, the most relevant to the development of the story were Eisenhower’s presidency, the struggle for power on the basis of gender, and

For example, Bromden observed that Nurse Ratched’s only “flaw” was “those big, womanly breasts…and you could see how bitter she was about it” (Kesey 6). This is not the only place where Nurse Ratched’s breasts are brought up, symbolizing the gender roles in the 1950s and 60s. During this time, women were normally condemned to the home. When they did enter the workforce, they experienced significant pay gaps in relation to their male counterparts as well as severe sexual harassment in the workplace (Walsh). Consequently, it was challenging for women to hold a position of power. However, in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Nurse Ratched held significant power in the ward and was even feared by many of the patients and staff. This was partially due to the fact that she hid her femininity and was not seen as a sexual figure. Therefore, Ratched’s power came with the sacrifice of her identity as a woman. While women have made many advancements in equality since the 1960s, they still face gender discrimination in the workplace. For example, according to …. “In 2023, for every $1 men make, women earn an average of $0.83” (Payscale). This number has actually increased since 2022, demonstrating that women still face a considerable amount of discrimination on the basis of gender. While the problems of gender inequality were more severe in the 60s, women today

Many critics agree that the novel had a profound impact as a “part of a larger movement to reconsider the treatment of mental illness in the 1960s” (Redirect Notice). This idea aligns directly with one of the main themes of the book. Kesey wrote One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest partially to demonstrate the lack of humanity seen in mental institutions at the time. This is seen in various places throughout the book, beginning on the very first page where it is implied that the Aids had just completed rape, or at the very least- sexual assault, towards one of the patients (Kesey 1). It is also assumed that Nurse Ratched is not only aware of but condones this behavior. Additionally, the patients were constantly threatened with electroshock therapy and lobotomies, both treatments made to dehumanize, torture, and even kill a person. Lobotomies were the most severe of punishments/procedures entailing “Frontal lobe castration. If she can't cut you below the belt, she’ll [Nurse Ratched] do it above the eyes” (Kesey 191). The threat of abuse through a lobotomy, EST, or sexual assault, which was highly applicable to mental facilities at the time, kept the patients in line through the use of fear. When word of this got out to the American public, people like Kesey were outraged and called for reforms, making One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest one of the biggest eyecatchers