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Allusions In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay

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“One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey tells the story of a psychiatric ward in Oregon through a schizophrenic patient named Chief Bromden, and how his world as well as the lives of those like him take a dramatic turn after Randle McMurphy, a conman, is introduced into the ward. The novel makes heavy use of symbolism in order to continue the biblical allusions that are introduced early on in the novel. The biblical allusions used in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” are the crucifixion of Jesus in the form of the Shock Shop, and a savior of the sinned in Randle McMurphy. Firstly, The Shock Shop in the novel is described as “a filthy brain-murdering room” (15) where the electroshock therapy table resides. It symbolizes the end of all remaining hope in the ward, as Chief Bromden …show more content…

Prior to their time at the Shock Shop, Ellis and Ruckly were a part of a group known as the Acutes, or patients that doctors considered still "sick enough to be fixed” (13) and are released into the real world after successful treatment. In Ellis’ case, the electroshock treatments led him to his ultimate “death” as he is now "nailed against the wall in the same condition they lifted him off the table in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped, with the same horror on his face” (15). This action resembles Jesus when he was nailed to the cross as a punishment for infuriating the authority by claiming that he was the Son of God in the Bible. The reference to the crucifixion of Jesus is repeated once again when McMurphy, a new patient who poses as a challenge to Nurse Ratched, inquires about the electroshock treatments. Harding, a

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