In examining the text 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', it is important to consider the language and structure used by the author. To address this, it is necessary to provide a thorough analysis of the author's use of structures, features, and conventions to create meaning. Furthermore, it is important to carefully select and use textual evidence that supports the analysis and to incorporate relevant metalanguage. Specifically regarding structure, the use of first person narration allows the reader to experience the ward/institution through the perspective of the Chief.
In the hospital, the characters experience confusion, paranoia, fear, and uncertainty caused by the Chiefs ambiguous language and descriptions. This also represents his schizophrenic state of mind and medicated condition, which is demonstrated through the repeated motif of the fog in his narrative. Chief ex
...plicitly states this to the readers.
. The narrator's trustworthiness is called into question by Kesey as he depicts the fog clearing and the ability to see. Chief provides a narrative that is difficult to trust, as he informs the reader that...
'It's the truth, even if it didn't happen.' This statement implies that the narrator may have made mistakes, making it hard for the reader to have faith in the text. It can be challenging to trust someone reflecting on their stay in a psychiatric hospital. The novel is structured into four major sections, each of which is split into smaller portions.
The ward's characters have a fractured mindset, which is reflected through the novel's lack of chapters. Glimpses of ward life show moments bleeding into each other without clear definition or boundaries, mirroring the patients' splintered lives. The line "They're out there. Blac
boys in white suits" further emphasizes this sense of fragmentation.
The novel's opening line is repeated later on, sparking questions about hopelessness and the possibility of escape. The Chief's actions, similar to McMurphy's as noted by the initial "R. P.," suggest the potential for circular patterns.
M) * The narration becomes more comprehensible as McMurphy assists the Chief in his recovery. The Chief's ability to think clearly is reflected in the readability of the text. * The ward is likened to a cartoon world where characters are flat and outlined in black, moving through a silly story that would be funny if not for the fact that they are real people. The novel shares similarities with comic strips, with an emphasis on exaggerated and bold characterization. It also features a quick pace and moments of humor.
Kesey's use of present and past tense in his text creates a sense of unbalance, adds to the confusion experienced by the narrator, and generates a feeling of urgency and foreboding. For instance, when Chief describes Nurse Ratched's first entrance, he portrays it in the present tense, showing her as '... soft and swift (sliding) through the door with a gust of cold and locks the door behind her.'
The chief uses metaphoric language. He often describes things in a figurative way. The Combine is one such metaphor, which represents society and its authority over minority groups. According to him, the hospital is also a component of the extensive Combine machinery. He writes, "...".
Within the text are various items, including wheels, gears, cogs that are shiningly polished, miniature pills that gleam like fine porcelain, needles, forceps, watchmakers' pliers, and rolls
of copper wire. Although the figurative language used describes the schizophrenia of the chief, it also alludes to a disturbing truth about society's conditioning. This conditioning seeks to obliterate or subdue individuality and differences at a fundamental level.
Various descriptive techniques are employed by Chief to portray Nurse Ratched as a dominant and cruel character, including the use of similes and adjectives. Writing, "...
The polished steel is touched by her fingers, each tip sharing the same color as her lips. A peculiar shade of orange, similar to a soldering iron's tip. From the outset, the Nurse is connected to agony and placed in contrast to 'The Combine' as one of its more sinister enforcers. The discussions within the text convey much about the individuals involved. It is through these talks that we witness McMurphy attempting to control situations and potentially contend with Nurse Ratched for dominance.
The Nurse's power is emphasised by her cool, calculated and literal tone in contrast to Billy's submissive personality as evidenced by his stutter, "Duh-duh-don't-tell, M-M-M-Miss Ratched." Through dialogue, characters like Cheswick and Chief find their voice. Dramatic irony is established at the start as the reader becomes aware of the uncertain fate of McMurphy. Moreover, it is ironic that Chief ultimately becomes the savior.
The enlightenment gained is a result of the text, which also covers McMurphy's suffering. The novel includes foreshadowing, with various instances hinting at its eventual conclusion. These instances include the comparison of McMurphy to a Christ figure, the use of a dog as a symbol, and the naming of the book after a nursery rhyme.
The novel utilizes Pathos to elicit emotional responses from the audience. One
example of this is the humorous boat trip scene. Additionally, McMurphey's emotional journey with some of the patients to his childhood home contains foreshadowing for future events. Chief describes a moment where McMurphy's face is lit up by tail-lights and his expression is one of tiredness and desperation, indicating there is something urgent he needs to do.
The final confrontation between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched is described as emotionally tense. The reader is informed that McMurphy cried out during this scene.
As he fell backwards and was buried under a pile of white uniforms, his face briefly seemed to us to be upside down. He cried out in a sound that conveyed fear, hate, surrender, and defiance - like that of a cornered animal. This repetition serves to highlight the magnitude of McMurphy's loss. The Nurse is occasionally portrayed using animal imagery, as she is dehumanized. According to the Chief, she is described as going into a couch and advancing on a group of individuals who are trapped in a huddle at the end of the corridor.
Consider the utilization of symbolism in the book * when describing the ward, which is portrayed as a blank slate without any emotional attachments. Additionally, the ward features a "glass Nurses' station," where a nurse spends her day jotting down observations from her window lookout.
According to Spivey, the ward can be considered a miniature version of the larger world, as it contains a scaled-down representation of it.
The ward in Oregon serves as a microcosm, symbolizing the larger world beyond its walls. The sterile and dreary environment reflects the patients' mental state, a literary device known as pathetic
fallacy. However, their liberation from the ward represents an escape from their metaphorical prison and defiance against the system. Additionally, McMurphey embodies Christ-like qualities, creating a biblical allusion in the text.
Ultimately, the man's sacrifice serves as the means for the men to reclaim their humanity and expose the oppressive rule of the Nurse.
- Nightclub essays
- Accident essays
- Awareness essays
- Benefits of Volunteering essays
- Challenges essays
- Childhood Memories essays
- Decision essays
- Driving essays
- Event essays
- Excellence essays
- Expectations essays
- Failure essays
- Farewell essays
- Flight essays
- Gift essays
- Growing Up essays
- Ignorance essays
- Improve essays
- Incident essays
- Knowledge essays
- Luck essays
- Memories essays
- Mistake essays
- Obstacles essays
- Overcoming Challenges essays
- Party essays
- Peace Corps essays
- Personal Experience essays
- Problems essays
- Sacrifices essays
- Struggle essays
- Success essays
- Trust essays
- Vacation essays
- Visit essays
- Volunteering essays