Rabbit vs. Wolf

Ken Kesey illustrates that control can be snatched away with the simplest of mechanism. In One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, patients are towered over by Big Nurse Ratched with her superintendency. Everyday she would put an end to their power, and in effect this would refuel her own. The patients savior, McMurphy checks in. He opens their eyes to the possibilities of having their own control over themselves. The status of power, the fear can be put into others, and the insecurity one holds within him/herself determines the power an individual has.

McMurphy persuades Nurse Ratched to let him and the rest of the acutes patients to play cards, “ Of course, you may take the suggestion up with the rest of the staff at some time, but I'm afraid everyone's feelings will correspond with mine...” (61). Nurse Ratched stands her ground, and she proves she has total control over the entire unit of faculty. This gives her an unbelievable amount of power. Not only is she a fearful leader with a high stature, but she also has an army to support her. Even tho this was a reasonable suggestion, Ratched still wouldn't allow it because it wasn't her suggestion. When the staff members and herself are having a meeting this is proven. During this meeting the members are trying to convey what Nurse Ratched would like to hear. But she turns down whatever they have to say, because they are not her thoughts. Nurse Ratched has a system set up in such a way it was impossible for retrogression. In her ward there are both Acute, and Chronic patients. These titles don't only exemplify the patients degree of illness, but also their characters. It affects them so much to a point, they might as well have it stamped on their foreheads. These patients have a resembl...

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...be, and he mentions that he forgot what laughter can do. Laughter gives the patients control over their sanity because it gives them confidence. At this moment of joy, when they are dancing in the ward, it were finally able to let go of their insecurities. McMurphy also gains control over Ratched when he shatters the glass of the Nurses' Station. He blames this on the fact that he was not able to see the glass. This is a representation of how the patients can't always see Ratched's manipulation but it can still control them.

It is proven that, to gain control you must have a high status of power, be able to put fear into others, and make them insecure. McMurphy is supposably the patients hero against Ratched. He did make enormous efforts that have effected the ward, but still it is up to the patients themselves if they do or do not want to be in their own control.