ENG4U1 Thomas 18, December, 2014 Courage is Not Fearlessness: Bravery in The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Watership Down Mark Twain best described courage when he said that, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear” (Twain). Both in The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and Watership Down by Richard Adams, the authors deal with the topic of courage and each share a similar view on it as this quote. Indeed, both authors suggest that courage is not accumulated simply by acts of heroism, but rather by overcoming fears and speaking one’s mind as well. These books are very similar in the way that bravery is displayed through the characters in an uncommon way. Firstly, an example of bravery …show more content…
From the moment McMurphy enters the ward it is clear to all that he is different and hard to control. He’s seen as a figure the rest of the patients can look up to and he raises their hopes in taking back power from the big nurse. The other patients identify McMurphy as a leader when he first stands up to the nurse at her group therapy, saying that she has manipulated them all to become “a bunch of chickens at a pecking party”(Kesey 55). He tells the patients that they do not have to listen to Nurse Ratched and he confronts her tactics and motives. The patients see him as a leader at this point, but McMurphy does not see the need for him to be leading alone. McMurphy is a strong willed and opinionated man, so when he arrives at the ward he fails to comprehend why the men live in fear, until Harding explains it to him by …show more content…
Hiver and Dale Harding are both characters with a meek demeanor, but with encouragement, they also learn to speak their mind. They each battle psychological tribulations as well, but continue to persevere. Harding suffers from clinical depression, a fear of being discovered as homosexual, and his abusive wife. Hiver is plagued with visions of death and destruction and in a clinical sense is most likely to be presumed a schizophrenic. Each of these characters are belittled in society because of the size and their mental stability, but in reality both are brilliant and brave. Harding and Hiver grow to become the brains of each’s respective groups and prove to be trustful and
He would always sneak in wine, gamble with them, and would have them play along on all his jokes. His need for freedom was refreshing to everyone else, that what kept them going. At points when he gave up from being a rebel, other patients gave up. McMurphy wins this war between him and Ratched because he helps other patients continue to be excited and helps them get out of there. McMurphy influences patients to stand up for themselves and not take orders from Ratched. Harding listened to McMurphy and did exactly that. He started to call her out on things and make fun of her, and she couldn't respond. It was clear that Nurse Ratched wasn't the same person and because of what McMurphy did, she couldn't get back in control. Ken Kesey writes, “She tried to get her ward back into shape, but it was difficult with McMurphy’s presence still tromping up and down the halls and laughing out loud in the meetings… she couldn't rule with her old power anymore… She was losing her patients one after the other” ( 320-321). McMurphy has always taught them to follow their own rules and not obey Ratched. In particular, he influenced Chief, a quiet patient that watches his surrounding carefully. After teaching Chief what it's like to follow your own rules, Chief begins to follow McMurphy’s role. After the incident of stripping Ratched’s identity, he learns that McMurphy was a hero to him and although he doesn’t physically help him out, McMurphy has taught Chief how to play this game. Chief tries to be like McMurphy by taking over. DOing so he tries on his cap, trying to be the new McMurphy. Ken Kesey writes, “I reached into McMurphy’s nightstand and got his cap and tried it on. It was too small” (323). Chief realized that no one could take over McMurphy's role, but that Chief would have to be in control over himself to make a statement. Chief does exactly that, he runs for it, making him happier than he has ever
R.P. McMurphy is a lively, rebellious, and rational patient that has recently been escorted into the insane asylum. Once in the bin, Randle becomes the self-proclaimed champion of the rights of the other ward patients, his adversary being Nurse Ratched (New York Times). He scrutinizes the asylum and the patients deciding that he needs to lighten the atmosphere. According to Filmsite, Movie Review McMurphy encourages the patients to participate in activities that will heighten their spirits and change their monotonous routines. McMurphy decides to challenge Nurse Ratched when he notices that the patients of the ward are overly organized and controlled through a rigid set of authoritarian rules and regulations that McMurphy questions: “God Almighty, she’s got you guys comin’ or goin’. What do you think she is, some kind of champ or somethin’?”--- “I bet in one week, I can put a bug so far up her ass, she don’t know whether to s—t or wind her wrist watch” (OFOTCN). Entertainment Weekly implies that McMurphy is unwilling to surrender to Nurse Ratched’s belittling power and rebels against corr...
They both realize that in order to get their own way, they must gain control over their rival and the ward. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched have different methods of attaining and using what control they have. They have different motives for seeking control over others. They also have different perceptions of the amount of control they possess. Throughout the novel, these two characters engulf themselves in an epic struggle for the most control.
Conformity has been the target of many works of literature even before Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye spewed angst about everyone around him being a “phony.” To many people, there are forces in the social order that shape others to fit a certain mold, and one who does not fit the mold will be considered an outcast by society. During the 1960’s, rebellion was a shared act among the majority, including authors and artists; this was due to the conflict in the East as well as the Civil Rights movement. To these people, the government was a criminal, even a machine perhaps, which threatened one’s individuality. This provides some historical context on the background of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Ken Kesey, the author, worked in a mental hospital, and he realized that society simply regarded the patients as being “too different” and thus cast them out. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey utilizes both blatant and subtle devices to send his message to the world: there should be an uprising against a society that forces conformity upon everyone.
character who wants to take Nurse Ratched’s power. Both characters aim for power over the ward’s patients, but it is McMurphy's strategy that wins a hold of the patients.
Fred Wright, Lauren's instructor for EN 132 (Life, Language, Literature), comments, "English 132 is an introduction to English studies, in which students learn about various areas in the discipline from linguistics to the study of popular culture. For the literature and literary criticism section of the course, students read a canonical work of literature and what scholars have said about the work over the years. This year, students read One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, a classic of American literature which dates from the 1960s counterculture. Popularized in a film version starring Jack Nicholson, which the class also watched in order to discuss film studies and adaptation, the novel became notable for its sympathetic portrayal of the mentally ill. For an essay about the novel, students were asked to choose a critical approach (such as feminist, formalist, psychological, and so forth) and interpret the novel using that approach, while also considering how their interpretation fit into the ongoing scholarly dialogue about the work. Lauren chose the challenge of applying a Marxist approach to One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Not only did she learn about critical approaches and how to apply one to a text, she wrote an excellent essay, which will help other readers understand the text better. In fact, if John Clark Pratt or another editor ever want to update the 1996 Viking Critical Library edition of the novel, then he or she might want to include Lauren's essay in the next edition!"
Ha feels very confused and unhappy or ‘’Inside out’’ Because at school she doesn't understand a big part of the language and she's being bullied she also doesn't like the food in the united states. Ha is a vietnamese refugee in the united states and she is starting to learn english and understand america but she's having a hard time with school and the language and also the food. When she was at school the kids weren't nice to her at all. ‘’They threw rocks at me’’(Lai, 151). This quote shows how Ha is being bullied at school and is probably not enjoying it because usually when people throw rocks at someone they're trying to hurt them and if Ha is being hurt shes not having a good time. The kids at school throw rocks and bully her in other
“The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak” (Kesey 60).
McMurphy throughout the novel is a leader and he doesn’t conform to society’s or Nurse Ratched’s rules. McMurphy continuously shows how persistancent he is even when the Nurse beats him down. For instance, even though Nurse Ratched ordered him to have electroshock therapy, attempted to cancel his fishing trip, and tried to get the men to turn on McMurphy due him winning
Randle McMurphy is in a constant battle within himself, he is portrayed as a sociopath. He does not base his actions off of whether they will affect those around him, instead does as he pleases. His actions are based off of what is best for himself. McMurphy was first introduced as a savior to the ward, He soon uses the patients for his own benefit, the patients look up to him as one of their new proclaimed leader. McMurphy inspires hope into them and make them want to stand up for themselves. This give
He also made the other men comfortable with breaking the rules. When McMurphy rebels against the big nurse, the men see this as an opportunity to get their manhood back, because up until McMurphy arrived, the nurse used fear to gain control. McMurphy recognizes this can kind of repression has lead to the worsening of their mental conditions. “ ‘You’re gonna sit back and let some blue haired women talk you into being a rabbit?’ ‘Not talk me into it. No, I was born a rabbit. Just look at me. I simply need the nurse to make me happy with my role.’ ” (Kesey 91) In this quote, McMurphy is arguing with Harding about his identity in the ward. Harding feels beaten down into a small, harmless animals that do not disobey the rules of the hospital, made by the Big Nurse. Harding is so whipped into obedience by the ward, he truly believes he is this helpless and weak. His disbelief in his abilities is truly why McMurphy is drawn to him to help; to show him just how strong he could be. Even Kesey’s word choice to use “need the nurse” shows how long Harding has been feeling this way for. This speaks to society’s harsh views on individuality because Harding is suspected to be homosexual, therefore, going against the regularities of society in this time period of the 1950s. McMurphy plays the role of being a new light in the ward. He is one who does not easily abandon his uniqueness, no matter how odd or unconventional
Courage exists in several forms in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. As defined by Atticus Finch, real courage "…when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (149). The novel explores the how this real courage can be shown in different ways through the lives of many characters in Maycomb, particularly, Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Their courage is evident through their lifestyle, actions, and beliefs.
From the moment he was introduced, McMurphy effected every patient in the asylum. Instead of bowing to society’s rules and ideas, he went against the norm and was unashamed to be himself. Due to this, he was the ideal hero to rescue the patients from declining self-respect. He encouraged those around him to defy rules and reason by opening their eyes to the world, saying for example, “People [will] try to make you weak so they can get you to toe the line, to follow their rules, to live like they want you to. And the best way to do this, to get you to knuckle under, is to weaken you by getting’ you where it hurts most.” Through these means, he succeeded in conquering Nurse Ratched and her attempts to alter her patients to the beliefs of society.
The shallow and pedantic view that Nurse Ratched illustrates is the idea that these men have to relinquish their state of individuality in order to become normalized in society. Unfortunately, Nurse Ratched misuses her power and forces McMurphy to go under a lobotomy which causes him to lose part of his brain by severing the prefrontal cortex and all of his whole-hearted spirit. As the film progresses, McMurphy is able to create a “backbone” for the patients. The patients begin to rebel, as seen when Charles Cheswick demands his cigarettes after the nurse tells him no. She feels extremely vulnerable after one of the patients named Billy commits suicide because she feels like she lost her grip on the patients.
He plays the role of the selfish manipulator who uses the other men on the ward as pawns in his game of life. He uses the weaknesses of the patients for personal gain and by doing so loses the trust of his so called ‘friends’. Nurse Ratched had McMurphy all figured out before he stepped foot on the ward. She explained to a fellow nurse that, “that is exactly what the new patient is planning: to take over. He is what we call a 'manipulator,' Miss Flinn, a man who will use everyone and everything to his own ends” (Kesey 25). Although the patients initially look up to McMurphy as a martyr, as the novel goes on they begin to realize his actual intentions. Everything he does is for the sake of himself. For example, McMurphey begins to build a relationship with Bromden and makes him feel important and cared for. Bromden even feels comfortable enough to end his “deaf and dumb” facade. After this friendship blossomed, McMurphey made it obvious to Bromden that he really just wanted him to lift the control panel so he could trick the men on the ward to fork over their own money. At one point the patients were fed up with being scammed, “Nobody [would] play poker or blackjack with him for money any more - after the patient's wouldn’t vote he got mad and skinned them so bad at cards that they’re all so in debt they’re scared to go any deeper” (Kesey 94). Even though it is obvious to the patients that McMurphy is trying