One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Psychology

It can be said that it is clear throughout the book that Chief does not fit into the alcoholic or dangerous stereotypes of the time. That although he at times can be lost in the illusions he makes for himself he is generally still respected and not treated illy for his mental problems. Although that is a possible way to look at the book it simply is not true as the evidence to counter that claim is vast and outweighs the good to the

Sam Jefferson English 495 Ms. Chase 12 November 2015 Chief’s Savior In Ken Kesey’s classic novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, relationships play a major role in better understanding individual characteristics of members of the mental institution. One of the more complex relationships that develops throughout the book is the relationship between Chief Bromden, the silent Native American, and McMurphy, the boisterous newcomer to the ward. McMurphy’s confidence in himself and in Chief help Chief become “bigger,” and leads to a close friendship between the two. McMurphy’s rebellious attitude leads Nurse Ratched to give McMurphy a fate worse than death by having him lobotomized, but Chief dignifies McMurphy by killing him before the other patients can see his current state.

The 1960’s was a period of great dissatisfaction from people who felt their rights were being violated. Millions of Americans, young and old, black and white, came together to fight against racial discrimination and protest the Vietnam War. The government suppressed the southern black population the right to vote, while sponsoring a war in Vietnam that was widely unpopular. Reflecting the anti-establishment movements of the 1960’s, Ken Kesey wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It has since become an American classic for its themes of rebellion and nonconformity against an over controlling authority that does not respect individualism and humanity.

In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the lead protagonist, Randle McMurphy, changes over the course of the novel because of the characters that he meets and the effects they have on him. Originally, McMurphy was selfish, disrespectful, and inconsiderate, but then he forms closer bonds with the other characters and they change him and the way he views other people. The characters in the mental hospital struggle with conforming to the dictator in the ward, Nurse Ratched. McMurphy comes into the hospital as a way out of a prison sentence and tries to teach the patients that they need to stand up for themselves and do what they believe is right.

The cognitive explanation acknowledges the role of biological factors in schizophrenia, suggesting that the basis of the condition is abnormal brain activity producing visual and auditory hallucinations. Further features of the disorder emerge as people try to make sense of the hallucinations.

Over time, social norms and collective standards have lessened in value. In modern society, diversity and self-identity are seen as more desirable as opposed to fitting a particular mould that is defined by what is normal. Although, looking back about fifty years, this wasn’t the case. The societal focus was more directed towards an overall collective standard. Often times, when an individual felt as if they abnormal when compared to the average person in society, they simply accepted it and seeked refuge in an institution such as a mental institution. In Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, many of the patients in the mental institution were staying voluntarily due to the overwhelming pressure radiating from society outside the asylum. This external pressure from their ”inability to adjust to society,”(pg 167) took a toll on their self-perception, convincing themselves that treatment was required. Those who are perceived as being a leader have a strong influence on others and can alter the self-perception of many individuals; Kesey shows the patients using this new self-perception to seek social conformity. Once the self confidence of an individual has diminished, the introduction of a new perspective can reverse these effects, build a sense of self-acceptance and, therefore, introduce a cure.

The Chief’s exhibit’s his pretense throughout the movie to every character but Mac. The other patients and nurses see The Chief as a dumb, deaf, and mute Indian. We as the audience know that not to be true. The Chief is quite the opposite as what others see him as, has the ability to talk and listen but chooses not to do those things because he doesn’t want to be disturbed by the other nurses in patients in the institution. The most evident scene supporting this is at the end of the movie. When The chief sees Mac after he’s been labotimized, he suffocates Mac with a pillow. He did that because he knows Mac will never be the same person as he once was and he doesn’t want the other patients to see what Mac has become. The Chief understood the importance of What Mac stood for to the other patients. He then executes Mac’s previous plan of escape by lifting up the hydrotherapy console then throwing it through the window.

Ratched has never actually ameliorated the patients’ mental states or issues at hand; she merely speculates on their issues without suggesting helpful advice or solutions. After the group meeting where she forces the patients to bring their dark secrets to the surface, McMurphy speaks to Dale Harding, a local patient, on the demeanor of the group meeting as he refers to it as a, “Pecking Party”, since Nurse Ratched encourages harshful criticism upon the patients. The patients are overly oppressed to the point where Harding has to pretend to agree with the essence of the group meeting, in fear that the Black boys or personnel will hear his true opinion on the ward, as he supplicates McMurphy to save him and the other patients from Nurse Ratched’s intimidating control. Billy Bibbit, who was especially afraid of Ratched’s pressuring questions and expressions, had a mother that was a very good friend of Nurse Ratched’s; his mother had adored him and only wanted the best for her child-like son. Ratched would notify his mother of Billy’s behavior, making him feel immense guilt if he were to say something rash or unacceptable by Ratched’s view. Nurse Ratched, being the Ruler she is, was so obsessively controlling of Billy, that the guilt ensued by threatening to tell his mother of the woman he slept with in the ward, and forcing him to betray McMurphy by saying McMurphy made him sleep with the woman, had lead him to his suicide. There is a boundary within all of us, our conscience, that deems our actions and words appropriate for a given situation; but without a speck of remorse, Nurse Ratched is able to annihilate Billy’s morals and sense of self in front of his friends and the other patients in the ward. A powerful ruler’s greatest fear is being overthrown, and Nurse Ratched had demoralized Billy because of

If my being half Indian ever helped me in any way in this dirty life, it helped me being cagey, helped me all these years” (17). Because everybody assumes Chief is already crazy, he’s able to keep on fooling them about being deaf and unable to speak. Even though it sounds like Chief is being outlandish by pretending to be deaf, he does it to help himself to stay out of trouble with Nurse Ratched. If one can't hear or speak, then they will not be noticed as much which results in not getting in trouble. He knows that if he follows the orders of Nurse Ratched, he won't get a punishment of a lobotomy, electric shocks or both.

In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey really emphasizes the cookie cutter and unoriginal attitude of the world outside of the ward. He does this through the character Chief who also is the narrator of the story. McMurphy posed as an inspiration for Chief and helped him escape his schizophrenia. Although McMurphy was not a hero outside of the ward, inside was a different story, he was an inspiration for the patients and in the end gave his life for the patients.

From the beginning of the novel, Chief establishes a trustworthy rapport by showcasing his apparently coherent state of mind. Chief discloses to us the state of the ward and that he often cannot differentiate between reality and not; However, what he explains is the irrefutable truth – only it’s his version of the truth. “They don’t bother talking about their hate secrets…because they think I’m deaf and dumb” (Kesey, 3). Although neither deaf nor dumb, Chief has tricked the whole ward into believing he is, and as such demonstrates that he has a grip on reality and is able to distinguish when to keep his act up. Chief is able to shows u that he is able to differentiate his own hallucinations and reality to some degree and provide him some credibility

The utilization of the Psychoanalytical lens becomes apparent between the character’s actions and the Super Ego when Mc Murphy tells Nurse Ratchet that he’s been wrongly diagnosed. Mc Murphy Tells Nurse Ratchet that he thinks the doctor wrongly diagnosed him, he claims he must have been misunderstood. "Doc the nurse left this out while summarizing my record 'Mc Murphy has evidenced repeated'—I'm understood, 'repeated outbreaks of passion suggests possible diagnosis, psychopath.' He told us 'psychopath' means I fight, means I’m overzealous in sexual relations. "Have the people ever been troubled by it? "No, Mc Murphy. I’m interested that the doctor at the work farm: 'Don't overlook the possibility that this man might be feigning psychosis to

Chief Bromden displays characteristics of a schizophrenic through symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and lack of emotion and social interaction. His version of reality of the psychiatric ward is distorted, often referring to the “hum of black machinery,

We feel that One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest is filled with many psychological connotations. This movie is set in a mental hospital where McMurphy was admitted to be psychologically evaluated because of violent behavior. Upon his arrival McMurphy noticed that the patients were very robot-like in their actions. The hospital is extremely structured where the patient’s daily life was monotonous. We will discuss the various connotations by answering the following questions that have been asked.

In Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a story is told through the eyes of a large Columbian Indian who is a patient at a mental institution. His story explains all that has happened since he has been there. The key to his success is that no one seems to acknowledge his existence and would not hide secrets around him because he was thought to be deaf and dumb. He finds a way to learn everything that has happened, and he will eventually meet a revolutionary man who will change both his life and the ward forever. The story also has a very common theme involving the women within it. Kesey makes most of the women in the story manipulative and overbearing. Mrs. Bromden and Mrs. Bibbit are two examples of the women who have handicapped men in their lives. Comparing these two and what they did will give a better perspective on how Chief and Billy turned out the way they did. Through the power these women had over the men in their lives, it is clear to the audience now why Chief, his father, and Billy all turned out the way they did based upon the way they were belittled and manipulated by Mrs. Bromden and Mrs. Bibbit.