Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is a multidimensional novel with

many important messages in which Kesey strives to relay to the readers. Kesey did not

write this novel for the sole purpose of entertainment, even though it was very

entertaining, but did write it with the intent to show the readers many realities of life. First of all Kesey shows in this book that how people are perceived in society may not really be how that person is and that things are sometimes different than what they seem. Secondly Kesey sends the message that a single person can be significant and make a difference in other peoples lives, and finally Kesey shows readers that the spirit a person has can live on and make a difference even when that person is gone.

One message relayed by Kesey is the fact that in society people who may be

thought of as "good people" who are trying to help (nurse Ratched), and people who are

considered "bad people" by society (McMurphy, Acutes), may in reality be the opposite of

what they seem. Just because society puts a label on people doesn't necessarily mean it's true. In this novel Kesey shows the true evil of nurse Ratched. He shows in detail the way she mechanically tares the men's courage, pride and eventually all of their manhood down to nothing. She even goes so far as to driving two men to suicide. Outside of the ward the Big Nurse is perceived as a "good person" and as someone who has dedicated her life to helping others. This view of nurse Ratched is reflected in the awards won by the ward that she has total control over and also by the Public relations man who guides a group of people through the ward telling ...

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and by taking away a man who was like a god to the Acutes she would regain all of her

control and put fear back into the men. What she did not realize was all of McMurphy's

strength, courage and spirit would stay with the men. McMurphy, even after he was

gone, still gave the men the strength to stand up for themselves and not let the Big Nurse regain her control of the ward.

Although Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was very entertaining he

also had many point to get across to the reader. Ken Kesey drove home many truths of

life, such as, a single person can make a difference in other peoples lives, things aren't always what they seem, and finally that a person's spirit can live on and stay with people causing them to change in seemingly impossible situations. This book was written to be very insightful and also extremely entertaining.

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