One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Analysis

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Patrick McCormick October 19, 2015 20th century lit-C Ms. Brown Truly Free “This world... belongs to the strong, my friend! The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak. We must face up to this. No more than right that it should be this way. We must learn to accept it as a law of the natural world” (Kesey 185). In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, written by Ken Kesey, The patients went to the ward voluntarily where they thought they would feel free, but at arrival they find that Nurse Ratched has full control over them. Nurse Ratched has built a system where they cannot leave. Nurse Ratched and her other leading woman use fear to keep control over and manipulate those trapped inside to keep them…show more content…
She has taken everything from Bromden even thought of fighting back. “The least black boy and one of the bigger ones catch me before I can get ten steps out of the mop closet, and drag me back to the shaving room. I don’t fight or make any noise. If you yell it’s just tougher on you” (Kesey 122). The use of brute force and suppression to keep Bromden from acting out. The continual physical beatings caused Bromden to break mentally. It has left him to think he can never win and to always submit. Next, the toll the ward is having on Bromden’s mind is causing him to see and forget things. “When the fog clears to where I can see, I'm sitting in the day room. They didn't take me to the Shock Shop this time. I remember they took me out of the shaving room and locked me in Seclusion. I don't remember if I got breakfast or not. Probably not” (Kesey 121). The shock therapy is no therapy at all, instead of helping Bromden it is causing him to become less cognizant of what is truly happening. The fog that Bromden describes is time where he cannot think or remember. Being secluded from others has a great mental toll. Bromden cannot talk to or see anyone he is comfortable being around. Finally, the patients are so drugged up its surprising they have any grip on reality what so ever. “This morning I plain don't remember. They got enough of those things they call…show more content…
Nurse Ratched slowly breaks down the patients with her tightly ran schedule, taking away when they can do want they want. Then she uses mind altering drugs and therapies to keep them from thinking and remembering very well, and if they still are not cooperating she will use lobotomy to keep them as a mindless zombie. She beats them down until they are too tired and able to resist her. She finds their weaknesses and soft spot to use to her advantage as to keep control over them, causing some to kill themselves. Nurse Ratched only wants to be able to control all the patients in the ward. She doesn’t care how it affects them but only how much satisfaction it brings
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