Explore the ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' summary. Learn about the main characters and the narrator. Discover the ending of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'' Updated: 11/27/2021 Ken Kesey published One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1962. Set in a psychiatric hospital, the novel focuses on several of the patients and the authoritarian nurse in charge of their ward. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the plot is secondary to Kesey's vivid characterizations, but several significant events occur in the novel.
Ken Kesey published One Flew Over the Cuckoo
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Synopsis of CharactersThe three main characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are Nurse Ratched, Randle P. McMurphy, and Billy Bibbit. Nurse Ratched dominates the patients on her ward. Her power comes from her ability to identify her patients' weaknesses, which she then uses to shame and manipulate them. This ability is especially useful in controlling Billy Bibbit, one of the patients on the ward. Not only are Nurse Ratched and Billy's mother friends, but Mrs. Bibbit also works as a receptionist at the hospital. This relationship allows Nurse Ratched to easily control Billy by threatening to tell his mother of his infractions. When Nurse Ratched finds Billy in bed with Candy Starr, she uses this tactic for the final time. "What worries me, Billy," she said - I could hear the change in her voice - "is how your poor mother is going to take this." Billy Bibbit is one of the youngest of the men on the ward. Billy suffers from anxiety, a condition that results in his speech impediment. When the nurse asks when his speech difficulties started, Billy tellingly replies, "Fir-first stutter? First stutter? The first word I said I st-stut-tered: m-m-m-m-mam-ma." In fact, Billy's mother is central to his psychological issues, as well. His mother has forced him to break off his engagement to a girl because she thinks the girl is not good enough for him. When Billy and his mother interact on the hospital grounds, her behavior with him is highly sexualized. Chief Bromden, who has watched the scene unfold, says, She wrinkled her nose and opened her lips at him and made a kind of wet kissing sound in the air with her tongue, and I had to admit she didn't look like a mother of any kind. When Nurse Ratched finds Billy in bed with Candy Starr, his stutter has at first disappeared. As soon as she mentions reporting the incident to his mother, however, his stutter returns. Fear of his mother's reaction drives Billy to suicide. While he waits alone in the doctor's office, Billy cuts his own throat. Randle P. McMurphy arrives on the ward, apparently with the goal of serving his prison sentence in the best way he can. McMurphy's relaxed charm attracts the attention of the other patients, and his heroic defiance of Nurse Ratched influences the men to join him in his attempts to goad the nurse. McMurphy fails to realize the consequences of his power until Billy kills himself. After finding Billy dead, Nurse Ratched confronts McMurphy. "First Charles Cheswick and now William Bibbit! I hope you're finally satisfied. Playing with human lives - gambling with human lives - as if you thought yourself to be a God!" Ironically, the same could be said of the nurse. Nurse Ratched ultimately exerts her power over McMurphy. The lobotomy she orders him to undergo renders him unrecognizable. When McMurphy is wheeled back to the ward, the other men at first refuse to believe it is him. They examine his body in attempt to determine if it is really McMurphy, unwilling to accept what has been done to their hero. Chief Bromden says, "I watched and tried to figure out what he would have done. I was only sure of one thing: he wouldn't have left something like that sit there in the day room with his name tacked on it for 20 or 30 years so the Big Nurse could use it as an example of what can happen if you buck the system. I was sure of that." Bromden smothers McMurphy with a pillow. He then breaks a window and runs away. Chief Bromden's StoryKen Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tells the story of characters in a mental institution and highlights a new patient who is determined to shake things up. Let's take a look at a brief, overall summary. Chief Bromden is a schizophrenic Native American patient at the mental hospital. Bromden sees and hears most of the activities on the ward, but he has convinced the staff members to believe he can neither hear nor speak. They believe that he cannot reveal what he sees because he doesn't speak; ironically, he is the novel's narrator. The events in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are filtered through Bromden, who believes that a sinister organization called the Combine is in control of everything on the ward.
Jack Nicholson starred as McMurphy in the film version of the novel.
McMurphy ArrivesWhen Randle P. McMurphy, an upstart newcomer, arrives, Bromden senses that he is different from the other men on the ward. At his first group session, McMurphy proves that he is an astute judge of character. He watches as Nurse Ratched, the head nurse on the ward, turns the men against each other in what McMurphy terms a 'pecking party.' He sees at once that she belittles and manipulates the men to obtain absolute control over them. It's not long before McMurphy decides to challenge Nurse Ratched's authority on the ward. McMurphy begins by proposing a change in the ward's schedule to allow the men to watch the World Series. Nurse Ratched is opposed to change of any kind, but she finally agrees to a vote and will abide by the wishes of the majority. McMurphy loses the vote, but Nurse Ratched soon realizes the obstinate nature of her opponent when McMurphy pretends to watch the game on a darkened television. Hero WorshipSoon, even the most timid of the ward patients are willing to stand up to Nurse Ratched. Even Charles Cheswick, one of the so-called 'rabbits' who typically quakes before the nurse, begins to rebel. Cheswick expects McMurphy to back him. McMurphy is distracted, however, having just learned that since he has been committed to the institution his release is entirely dependent on Nurse Ratched. Charles Cheswick commits suicide in the pool after McMurphy fails to take his side, and McMurphy realizes that the men view him as a kind of hero. DeparturesHaving found himself in an untenable situation, McMurphy decides to escape the ward with the help of two prostitutes. Billy Bibbit, a patient and the son of Nurse Ratched's best friend, is in love with one of the women. Before he leaves, McMurphy and the men encourage Billy to have sex with the woman while all the others celebrate McMurphy's going-away party with alcohol. Chief Bromden's StoryKen Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tells the story of characters in a mental institution and highlights a new patient who is determined to shake things up. Let's take a look at a brief, overall summary. Chief Bromden is a schizophrenic Native American patient at the mental hospital. Bromden sees and hears most of the activities on the ward, but he has convinced the staff members to believe he can neither hear nor speak. They believe that he cannot reveal what he sees because he doesn't speak; ironically, he is the novel's narrator. The events in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are filtered through Bromden, who believes that a sinister organization called the Combine is in control of everything on the ward. McMurphy ArrivesWhen Randle P. McMurphy, an upstart newcomer, arrives, Bromden senses that he is different from the other men on the ward. At his first group session, McMurphy proves that he is an astute judge of character. He watches as Nurse Ratched, the head nurse on the ward, turns the men against each other in what McMurphy terms a 'pecking party.' He sees at once that she belittles and manipulates the men to obtain absolute control over them. It's not long before McMurphy decides to challenge Nurse Ratched's authority on the ward. McMurphy begins by proposing a change in the ward's schedule to allow the men to watch the World Series. Nurse Ratched is opposed to change of any kind, but she finally agrees to a vote and will abide by the wishes of the majority. McMurphy loses the vote, but Nurse Ratched soon realizes the obstinate nature of her opponent when McMurphy pretends to watch the game on a darkened television. Hero WorshipSoon, even the most timid of the ward patients are willing to stand up to Nurse Ratched. Even Charles Cheswick, one of the so-called 'rabbits' who typically quakes before the nurse, begins to rebel. Cheswick expects McMurphy to back him. McMurphy is distracted, however, having just learned that since he has been committed to the institution his release is entirely dependent on Nurse Ratched. Charles Cheswick commits suicide in the pool after McMurphy fails to take his side, and McMurphy realizes that the men view him as a kind of hero. DeparturesHaving found himself in an untenable situation, McMurphy decides to escape the ward with the help of two prostitutes. Billy Bibbit, a patient and the son of Nurse Ratched's best friend, is in love with one of the women. Before he leaves, McMurphy and the men encourage Billy to have sex with the woman while all the others celebrate McMurphy's going-away party with alcohol. What is the main point of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?One of the themes Kesey examines in the novel is the way power can be used and abused. Despite the dire outcome of his actions, McMurphy uses his power and influence for the good of the other patients. He attempts to help them put aside their fears and rejoin society. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, uses her power to abuse and terrorize the patients. What is the storyline of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?Randle P. McMurphy challenges Nurse Ratched's authority in the ward she administers at a psychiatric institution. His antics and rebellion lead the other patients to admire him, but when Billy Bibbit attempts to seize control of his own life, Nurse Ratched shames him into submission. After Billy commits suicide, Nurse Ratched blames McMurphy and has him lobotomized. Chief Bromden, distraught at McMurphy's condition, smothers him with a pillow. Bromden then escapes from the institution to seek a new life for himself. Register to view this lessonAre you a student or a teacher? Unlock Your EducationSee for yourself why 30 million people use Study.comBecome a Study.com member and start learning now.Become a Member Already a member? Log In Back Resources created by teachers for teachersOver 30,000 video lessons & teaching resources‐all in one place. Video lessons Quizzes & Worksheets Classroom Integration Lesson Plans I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline. Back Create an account to start this course today Used by over 30 million students worldwide Create an account What is the summary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?SUMMARY: Ken Kesey's novel depicts a mental asylum in which repeated attempts to diagnose the patients as insane are conceived as part of a larger scheme to produce pliant, docile subjects across the United States.
What happens in chapter 2 of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?McMurphy starts messing with Cheswick, an inmate playing cards, while one of the orderlies circles him with a thermometer. McMurphy starts shaking hands and explaining how he's ended up at the asylum—a hassle or two at the work farm and the courts decided he's a psychopath.
Is McMurphy sane or insane?Through Chief Bromden's narration, the novel establishes that McMurphy is not, in fact, crazy, but rather that he is trying to manipulate the system to his advantage.
What crime did McMurphy commit?Fictional character biography
Randle Patrick McMurphy is an Irish American brawler found guilty of battery, gambling and statutory rape.
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One flew over the cuckoos nest sparknotes chapter 1
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