One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest: the Power of Laughter

Henri Bergson believes “mechanical inelasticity” (Bergson ) is essential to laughter. In Chaplin’s movie Modern Times, there are many illustrations of such technique that not only composes humorous but also contribute to its theme—capitalists exploit low social status workers.After giving the very basic elements of laughter:—lack of emotions, connection to human traits, relationship to social context —Bergson introduces mechanical inelasticity as the main cause of his main idea regard to laughter. Inelasticity is rigidness. When people are insensitive to changes and remains the last state of their bodies, their bodies are lack of elasticity. The example provided by Bergson is when someone falls, the person may fall because he or she fails to

Laughter also proves a vital role in helping the patients deal with their problems. Not only does it help them deal with problems but it also gave them the push toward progress on getting out of the institution.

After leaving the hellish work farm where he serving his prison sentence, McMurphy arrives at the ward, which is exponentially more dull and drab in comparison. The impact of his arrival at the ward is seen instantly. The enthusiasm and energy he brings to the ward is so uncharacteristic, that even some of the Chronics, who are longstanding patients that have become “machines with flaws inside that can’t be repaired,” show some life (Kesey 10). In his typical westernized fashion, McMurphy arrives at the hospital with the aura of “a frontier

This powerful and confident character challenges the power of Ratched over the patients in the ward only to defy her “law” on the ward. The idea that nothing is gained by McMurphy’s rebellion is

In Parts II and III, McMurphy starts to show some care and respect for the other people in the ward, but then goes back

Laughter also proves a vital role in helping the patients deal with their problems. Not only does it help them deal with problems but it also gave them the push toward progress on getting out of the institution.

McMurphy learns that involuntarily committed patients cannot leave the hospital without staff approval. Therefore, he cannot leave at the end of his six months sentence, but when Nurse Ratched says he can and he begins to submit to her authority. However, by this time, he had become the leader for the other patients. Their sanity, their claim to manhood lies in the balance. Cheswick, dismayed by McMurphy’s surrender, commits suicide.

The world of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is dark; it is a place where

Within a society, non-conformity and individualism are conveyed in a negative light, which is explored through the institutions of both texts. In Kesey’s novel, characters are controlled by the hospital system but there are also those who do not conform to such order and disrupt the enforced demand. Kesey’s Randle McMurphy, conductor of rebellion, introduces laughter into the ward which encourages an element of revolution within characters. In an environment under the control of Nurse Ratched, silence conveys her authority; laughter overthrows her control. McMurphy knows that one has to laugh “to keep the world from running [one] plumb crazy.” The use of sound displays that McMurphy promotes non-conformity through laughter, likewise Mangold’s Lisa also uses laughter to display rebellion. Kesey’s use of imagery portrays that dictatorship rules the system and enforces conformity. The fog machine is Chief Bromden’s defence mechanism against a

McMurphy does not come onto the ward with the intention of creating such a big movement. He does not seem intrigued at all when first entering the ward however, he begins to realize how poorly the ward treats its patients through the rules Nurse Ratched has set up. Something as simple as not being able to leave the “mess hall till they [Blackboys] all leave at seven-thirty” causes McMurphy to sarcastically reply that he “sure don't want to go against that goddamned policy” (103). Showing the patients how to go against Nurse Ratched through example and providing them with an experience in the outside world, they slowly begin to develop their own opinions rather than having their thoughts drilled into them. McMurphy becomes a leader indirectly and many patients begin to look up to him, When McMurphy attacks one of the Blackboys “shoving him away from George”,, it becomes clear that he does not want money from them; he truly cares (273). Irwing compares to McMurphy because just like him, he has no intention of creating a scene. Irwing makes it clear from the moment of his arrival that he wants to serve his

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, portrays humor in a powerful, obvious form. Usually, mentally-unstable people do not understand what it means to laugh and simple do not see humor in the everyday things other high-functioning people do. Their lives, lived tragically, consist of them wandering the cold bland hallways of the asylum. Forgetting how to live, they permit the harsh watch of the head nurse. The patients seem lifeless because they do not comprehend what "life" is. Since the good Lord works in good and strange ways, McMurphy arrives to help heal and save them all. He cures them by giving them the best medicine possible- laughter. He gives back the life to the much needed patients. At heart, becoming his sanctuary, allowing him to heal and escape while at the same time, healing his fellow friends.

When McMurphy finds out that he is one of two patients that are involuntarily committed to the hospital, it makes him realize that he alone is fighting for his freedom, and the others have been repressed by Ratched to the point of being afraid to rebel against her or simply leave. McMurphy fights until the end to free these men of their emasculation even if it

Characters like Billy Bibbit, who is too timid, with a speech impediment and Harding who is a closet homosexual and was less avert in sexuality were seen as having mental problems, and were committed to the asylum. McMurphy demonstrated the treating of these patients like normal people, helped them to become more in line with society then Nurse Ratched’s rules and group therapy meetings, or pecking party as Chief Bromden would call it. Chief Bromden was a Native American and wasn’t insane until he was institutionalized and withdrew himself from everyone else pretending he was deaf and dumb to protect himself. Ken Kesey’s message here with Chief Bromdens silence, was to portray the natives of the time having no voice in the country and to show the controlling and manipulative manner of Nurse Ratched that emasculated and de-socialised these grown men.

She believes him to be an ordinary man and that he will eventually settle down. Nonetheless, McMurphy continues to do all he can to annoy her. Throughtout the story, the two battle against each other, seeing who will give in to who first. Everything is rather harmless until and inmates party rolls around. McMurphy smuggles in prostitutes to help out the inmate, Billy. When the nurse found out what had been going on she was furious. Billy ended up slitting his throat and bleeding to death. McMurphy was in real trouble with the nurse this time. To retaliate he tore open Nurse Ratched uniform. As a result, McMurphy is taken away and give a lobotomy. When he returns, he has been changed into a vegetable. His Indian friend known as Chief Bromdencannot bear to see his friend in such a state, and ends up smothering him to death to save him from such a miserable existence. However, he escapes to freedom after that. Ironically, dead Mcmurphy had given this man a new life.

For example, Chiefs beginning to play basketball is a major accomplishment on the part of McMurphy. His constant encouragement finally drove Chief to play. Another example is the group discussions. McMurphy tried to incorporate everyone into these discussions simultaneously. This can be seen when he rallied everyone’s support to try to convince Nurse Ratchett to let them watch the World Series on television.