Analysis Of Mcmurphy In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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Behind the destructiveness and psychopathic things that go inside his head, McMurphy is a brisk and dynamic character; throughout the novel he proves to others that he is worthy of being the main person in charge along with being a healer to the patients. He goes from being perceived as an arrogant person who only wants his ways, to a trustable person by the patients. McMurphy is the light of hope that the patients need in order to get their attention drawn away from the austere regulations of Nurse Ratched. In the novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, critics say that McMurphy is a destructive and psychotic character; I say that he is a larger than life character who appreciates the patients around him, is a deity, and someone was doomed to change the ward that he would soon die in. The life that McMurphy has prior to being hospitalized tells the readers that he is confident and brave- his service in the military. “…distinguished Service Cross in Korea, for leading an escape from a Communist prison camp. A dishonorable discharge…” (Kesey 44).The sole reason why he does not want to stay is because of the manual labor. He abandons his assignment at the work farm and looks forward to his confinement in a mental hospital so he can relax and have a more simplistic lifestyle. When he arrives at the hospital, Kesey reveals McMurphy’s true identity: a “party animal” involved in drugs, sex and rock n roll. He lives in his own …show more content…

At the end of the day, he is the light of hope that the patients secretly needed to make them feel happy and secure. Through laughter, it helped the patients attain love and benevolence. My conclusion, then, is that R.P.McMurphy is a tragic hero and should be because of what he did to help others and defeat the mastermind that is Nurse

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