Power In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

All humans crave one thing: Power. Power is directly defined as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.” This theme is shown throughout the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. However, there are different forms of power. Different forms of power can be seen throughout the book, and even in many short stories and poems. These different forms of power can be either good or bad, depending on how the power is used. Power can come from fear, wealth, or leadership and trust.

these standards is forced upon them. Nurse Ratched uses intimidation and weaknesses to ensure the patients will give up their will to rebel against the injustices. In One Flew Over the

Bromden has been undergoing changes since McMurphy has arrived to the ward. For many years, Bromden has been hiding, posing as deaf and dumb person so he can ignore and be ignored. However, McMurphy’s arrival in the ward awaken Bromden’s senses, almost forcing Bromden to reconnect with reality.

McTeague is described as having “enormous strength and hands”, “immense limbs”, and “ropes of muscles”. These details are exaggerated and from them, one would think of McTeague as violent and dangerous; however, instead he is attributed a personality which one can only lead one to picture him as gentle and harmless. These physical details are the giant half of McTeague’s characterization. Though quite exaggerated, the narrator’s description of McTeague is objective observations; they are how others would perceive McTeague if they were ignorant of his nature. The reader may also infer from the juxtaposition how McTeague might generally be misunderstood due to his appearance; that rarely anyone perceives him as a gentle giant until they get the chance to know

In modern day society, individuals are influenced by strong superiority figures their whose dominance stems from internal power. Authority can often lead subordinates to rebel and seize control; therefore ability to obtain power is exceptionally difficult. A rivalry for rigid power is seen in the literary piece, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The limited dominance is shifted fluidly between Nurse Ratched and Randle McMurphy, and finally designated to Chief Bromden. Although Nurse Ratched exercises initial control over her ward, Randle McMurphy attempts to disobey her authority through defiance, and ultimately the power shifts into Chief Bromden’s final control in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Throughout the beginning of the book, the struggle to obtain and maintain power was displayed by both McMurphy and Nurse Ratched through their actions. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched battled to maintain control of the ward and did whatever it took to influence the patients’ opinions. Whether their goal was to transmit fear or to transmit hope onto the patients, both refused to stop under any circumstances. Based on the actions of McMurphy and Nurse Ratched, Ken Kesey revealed that individuals in pursuit of power will intimidate, exercise their control, and manipulate their peers’ actions by doing whatever it takes to eliminate anyone who threatens their pursuit.

As a reader, one becomes so caught up with the patients being caged up, that one almost forgets about the role and character of Taber. Although, he does not appear as much as the others, he does enhance the novel. His existence in the book gives insight to the reader about what is to come in the strict, gloomy world Nurse Ratched has created. In Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Maxwell Taber’s characterization as a parallel and foreshadowing figure to McMurphy contributes to the themes of power and authority.

In the same conversation, Chief Bromden and McMurphy are talking about they way McMurphy had quit a job he had when he was younger. He turned all of the adults against each other, then called them out. He then asks Chief Bromden if that’s his plan. When Chief Brodman says no, McMurphy asks why.

The Combine; as a single, literal organization, almost certainly exists solely in the paranoid and hallucination-ridden head of Chief Bromden. Yet, on a symbolic level, it exists on multiple levels. Within the immediate confines of the hospital, Nurse Ratched’s ward is the ‘Combine’, on an institutional level. As of Chief Bromden’s description, the Combine is an organization that enforces conformity on all levels – the ward is referred to as the Combine’s factory, fixing mistakes in human nature. On a much larger scale, the entire concept of government and laws could be seen as a sort of ‘Combine’. The government enforces laws; laws are (supposed to be) set, societal standards to regulate behavior. Failure to comply with laws, to conform, results in punishment – either in the way of incarceration or fine, in modern countries.

Additionally, Foucault suggests that the Panopticon can be controlled by anyone, because the power does not lie in lies in not knowing who is in control, but how authority is able to psychologically control people, which is not illuminated in Kesey’s novel, since Nurse Ratched makes all of the decisions in the ward herself. Foucault states that “it doesn’t matter who exercises power. Any individual, taken almost at random, can operate this machine” (321), meaning that one who operates this machine will not abuse the power he is given. In contrast, Nurse Ratched is the head nurse on the ward, and abuses her power over the patients every day. She controls their treatment (therapy or surgery), when they wake up and go to sleep, and overall everything

McMurphy does just that, giving Bromden and the men on the ward what they need—a chance at the fat pot.” McMurphy uses what he knows from his shady background to help the men by breaking the routine that's seemingly done nothing to help. This once again shows that, though he might not perfectly fit the mold of a hero, McMurphy is the hero of this story. However, some may argue that Bromden is the hero of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest because of the gradual journey that he makes in his mental health toward clarity. While there is an argument to be made, Bromden's recovery comes from the actions of McMurphy and the effect that he had on Bromden, making him the clear hero.

In his efforts to over-power the nurse, McMurphy learns to control his anger. The only times that he really loses self control are when the ‘Black Boys' (aides) bully ‘rub-a-dub' George - for which McMurphy receives EST (Electro-shock therapy) – and when Billy Bibbit commits suicide - the incident following Billy's death was what led to McMurphy's own lobotomy and eventual death. Throughout the book, many symbols are used to portray McMurphy as a religious icon, which indicates he is powerful. He claims that a girl once referred to him as a ‘symbol', at his EST he asks for a ‘crown of thorns' and at once stage he leads twelve patients (disciples) fishing (Christ has

was also the one who enabled the patients to use the tub room for card games,

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.

Power is defined as “the possession of control or command over others; authority...” (Dictionary.com), and all people have power, whether they notice it or not. Though some employ their power for respectable reasons, often times power is not used in honorable ways. The matter of abuse of authority is prevalent in the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck illustrates that those who have power abuse it exceedingly often, as shown by Curley attacking countless others, including Lennie, a mentally disabled man, Curley’s wife mistreating the men of the ranch, and Curley’s wife making demeaning comments about Crooks, the African American stable buck.