On+Flew+Over+the+Cuckoo's+Nest

=htoc//One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest// by Ken Kesey=

Pages 3-22
Chief Bromden, a giant halfbreed Native American who has fooled the hospital staff into thinking he was deaf and dumb, narrates his experience at a mental institution. He believes that the mental institution is a giant machine-like entity ruled by the Big Nurse, Nurse Ratched, which calls the Combine. He resists the Orderlies attempting to shave him for the day, so Nurse Ratched drugs him with pills, and he loses consciousness. After Bromden awakens, he witnesses a new patient being admitted to the clinic named Randall McMurphy. The Chief recognizes similar traits between McMurphy and his father, which are typical characteristics of masculinity. The new patient is a loud dynamic type A personality that shocks the other patients with his brass personality. According to the Chief, the ward is divided into the Acutes and the Chronics. The Acutes are patients that still have potential to leave, while the Chronics are permanent residents that are either Vegetables, Wheelers, or Walkers. McMurphy continues to create chaos by mingling with the Chronics and Acutes, as well as asking which person is the "Bull Goose Loony".

Pages 22-52
Nurse Ratched and one of the nurses discuss McMurphy's behavior in the mental hospital. They believe that McMurphy's goal is to disrupt the ward. Chief Bromden then discusses how the Big Nurse is in charge of the ward and even has authority over the doctors. The Big Nurse then distributes medications. One of the Acutes, Mr. Taber, asks what pills he is taking, but Ratched refuses to answer the question and makes subtle threats. Later, the patients have a group therapy discussion, in which Nurse Ratched makes Harding speak about his wife.

**Pages 52-77**

 * The Acutes are realizing how weak they are in their situation and McMurphy is beginning to help change things on the Ward. Harding finally admits that he and all of the patients feel that Nurse Ratchet is a emasculating bitch. McMurphy places a bet that he can make Nurse Ratchet loose her temper within a week. Bromden begins to feel the fog more often and he stops taking his sleeping pill which causes him to hallucinate.

**

Pages 78-99
McMurphy starts to act on his bet by openly singing around the Ward and only wearing a towel. When he confronts Nurse Ratchet in only a towel she looses her temper and her composure. He questions the practices on the Ward; requesting that Nurse Ratchet turn the music down. He overstepped Nurse Ratchet and went strait to Dr. Spivey for his next request (to have a festival in the Ward and to turn the music up louder so the Chronics can hear it better.) We can recognize that Bromden is an extremely observant narrator because he is the only one there aside from McMurphy that realizes that McMurphy is cheating all the other patients in the Monopoly game.

McMurphy continues his rebellion by requesting to watch the World Series during work hours if the schedule was changed around. Harding questions whether or not McMurphy's challenges against Nurse Ratchet is going to benefit them in the long run. After no one supports McMurphy's first requests.

=Counter Culture Revolution-=

The Counter Culture Revolution is a key theme to the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest because it shows how people of this time, not only in a Psychiatric Wards, but also in the country as a whole were rebellious to many of the countries "given standards". This is very evident in this book on numerous occasions mostly around the character McMurphy. McMurphy is a "sane" man living in the hospital and continually tries to get on the nerves of Nurse Ratched, he usually is victorious, and on top of this also rallies up other patients to be "on the bus" with him. To be against the ward and their very controversial ethics. Outside of the ward the people of the US are also acting rebellious towards the country's government which is a direct parallel to McMurphy and the patients of the ward. On more than one aspect the people don't agree with the government and on more than one aspect the patients don't agree with Nurse Ratched and McMurphy decides to be the leader for this motion.

=Characters=

Research of Psychiatric Hospitals of the 20th and 21st century
During the sixties one patient of a Pysch hospital stated similar to //__One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest__// that he was feed "Just a steady diet of institutional food, chlorpromazine, and boredom." This monotony filled the lives patients in reality just as is described in the novel. Back in the sixties the treatments included many inhumane elements, including overcrowded conditions, forced work, and a lineup for EST. Now on the other hand the opportunities for recovery are much better. There are more integrated and holistic approaches, more rehabilitation, and less toxic medications, and more attention is given to wellness and community integration.