LITERARY ANALYSIS OF "ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST"

AUTHOR BACKGROUND

• Kenneth Elton Kesey
• Born September 17, 1935
• Hometown: Eugene, Oregon
• American Author
• Over 400 published works

AUTHOR BACKGROUND CONT.

• Most famous for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
• Self-Proclaimed hippie
• Used mind altering drugs in adult life
• Worked in a California asylum
• Died November 10, 2001

PLOT SUMMARY OF NOVEL

• Intoduced to "The Ward"
• Chief Bromden exposes Nurse Ratched's "Perfect System"
• McMurphy is introduced into the Ward
• McMurphy realizes this is like no other place he has been before
• Slowly McMurphy incites rebellion against the Nurse in a plethora of ways

SUMMARY CONT.

• Through his crazy antics McMurphy teaches the other patients some key lessons
• Some of these events include a fishing trip and a fight to watch the World Series
• McMurphy throws giant party for the ward
• McMurphy attacks the Nurse and is turned into a "vegetable"
• Chief smothers McMurphy to take him out of his misery

CRITIQUE/RESPONSE TO NOVEL

• Initially relieved flack for it's negative representation of women and minorities
• Acclaimed as an American classic
• "A celebration of the resilience of the human spirit."
• Novel was interpreted into a feature film
• The film went on to win six academy awards

LITERARY ANALYSIS OF NOVEL

• Kesey used "uncommon man" as hero
• Used themes like Depression, Institutionalization, and anti-conformism
• Highlights the unlikely hero / Underdog Story
• The message being believing in yourself and overcoming oppressive control
• A true dive into the human mind and emotions