Women as castrators, society’s destruction of natural impulses, and false diagnoses of insanity are some of the themes which are reinforced by the Chief’s madness and hallucinations in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The main weaknesses of using Chief Bromden as the narrator of the novel are due to the fact that the Chief continuously describes his hallucinations as if they were present and constantly has flashbacks of his past which can be confusing. Additionally, his opinions on the events and characters that take place at the ward can be a biased opinion of the Chief. This particularly interferes with our knowledge and understanding about what is actually happening at the ward. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, one very confusing thing that interferes with our understanding of reality and fantasy is Chief
It was feared that communism would grow so large and overpowering that if anyone were to challenge the system, they would be punished, which is displayed in “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” by McMurphy’s demise. Kesey and Chief’s view of the Combine are very similar as Kesey was rebellious towards the at time President Eisenhower’s 1950’s conforming and corporate system, this being an proficient, organised and compliant society, which is very similar to the Big Nurse’s ward. Nurse Ratched’s matriarchal ran system has the power to emasculate the patients, by figuratively castrating them and stealing their power. Chief experiences his own downfall of his and other patient’s dignity, until McMurphy arrives and distorts and
Nurse Ratchet vs. Mrs.Wermuth One of the main characters in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is Nurse Ratchet. Nurse Ratchet is a cruel person, she has a facade; she keeps herself so well hidden from her patients, she never fails to keep them in control and hold the reins. Nurse Ratchet can be greatly compared to principal Mrs. Wermuth. Mrs.Wermuth and Nurse Ratchet hold many similarities but hold some differences. Characterization and simile are two literary techniques that help aid comparing and contrasting the two people.
There was one particular quote in the novel that seemed out of place in my opinion. The quote depicts women in a very negative way. The beginning of the quote is as followed: “Experience will teach you the real characters of the beings who chiefly compose your species” (86). The statement was made by a male character from the novel. Then the quote continues and states: “You will find them, [women] a set of harpies, absurd, treacherous, and deceitful—regardless of strong obligations, and mindful of slight injuries…” (86).
Danielle Smith Sexist or Reality? In his novel “One flew over the cuckoos nest”, ken Kesey explores how a woman’s need for control can be demonstrated by mental and physical exertion on to others. He shows this through the character of Nurse Ratched. Another work that explores this same concept is “Harry Potter and the Order of the phoenix” and its memorable character Delores Umbridge. The similarities between the two characters are very obvious.
Her ward is operating as a machine that is dull and lust less. In order to receive and maintain her power she belittles the patients esteem. Like in part 1 when the keep demanding Harding to explain why he believes he can’t satisfy his wife. As she pressure Harding to provide a valid explanation the other patients question her. Big nurse replies “its good therapy”.
However, it is difficult to believe that Cathy chose to be evil to the extreme that Steinbeck depicts. He described every moment of her life as being devoted to bringing other people down, and pulling herself up. She achieved this through devious schemes that trapped many important men in compromising positions, and also by clever plots that allowed her to take over one of the most successful whore houses in Salinas. Cathy was a secretive person who went to great measures to cover her past and her feelings. In turn, chosen isolation combined with the lack of love is a clear identification of the source of her evil, which is
The “Yellow Wallpaper’’, a story of a woman’s progressive neurosis that leads to hysteria and insanity, written in gothic style, explores the importance of self-expression, work and creativity in maintaining a healthy and balanced psychological outlook. When this is oppressed by gender and medical subordination, the consequences can be tragic. The yellow wallpaper embodies two aspects within the story. Psychological and Sociological. Both being a reason towards the woman’s slow neurotic ride to insanity.
Many people view anorexia as a choice, but it is an uncontrollable monster of a disease that can dominate and manipulate one's mind. Anorexia sufferers are victims of a relentless, crippling mental state. It takes great determination, strength and perseverance to overcome and conquer this disease. Through Laurie Anderson's use of language and characterization in Wintergirls, this is clear. Anderson's use of literary elements shows how anorexia can slowly take someone over and completely control their life.
Throughout the text, Gilman attempts to uncover the often disturbing truths that lurk beneath the surface of something seemingly innocent with reference to her own socio-economic philosophy; that is the economics of marriage and the nature of the mentally destructive sub-ordination of women within it. The room in which the narrator is confined proposes problems for her immediately. She instantly recognises that there is ‘something queer’(pg 1) about it and the presence of the bars, rings and it’s nailed down bed besides making it reminiscent of an asylum, give it also a constricting atmosphere which illustrates the physical oppression of women in a broader sense, how married women in the nineteenth century would be part of a domestic, private sphere and the man would be part of a more public sphere, like John who is frequently absent during his wife’s ‘treatment’. By taking into account Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own , we can fully appreciate, as Woolf insists, the importance of a physical and metaphorical space in which to engage with one’s creativity and personality. It is this freedom or ‘room of (her) own’ the narrator is denied as she is prevented from having any say in her physical environment or even how best to channel her anxieties and imaginative urges which ultimately lead to the deterioration of her mental state.