Keseys Purpose In One Flew Over The Cuckoos

Kesey’s Purpose In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’sOne Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Kesey’s purpose/ Message
Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a multidimensional novel with
many important messages in which Kesey strives to relay to the readers. Kesey did not
write this novel for the sole purpose of entertainment, even though it was very
entertaining, but did write it with the intent to show the readers many realities of life. First
of all Kesey shows in this book that how people are perceived in society may not really be
how that person is and that things are sometimes different than what they seem. Secondly
Kesey sends the message that a single person can be significant and make a difference in
other peoples lives, and finally Kesey shows readers that the spirit a person has can live on
and make a difference even when that person is gone.
One message relayed by Kesey is the fact that in society people who may be
thought of as good people who are trying to help (nurse Ratched), and people who are
considered bad people by society (McMurphy, Acutes), may in reality be the opposite of
what they seem. Just because society puts a label on people doesn’t necessarily mean it’s
true. In this novel Kesey shows the true evil of nurse Ratched. He shows in detail the
way she mechanically tares the men’s courage, pride and eventually all of their manhood
down to nothing. She even goes so far as to driving two men to suicide. Outside of the
ward the Big Nurse is perceived as a good person and as someone who has dedicated
her life to helping others. This view of nurse Ratched is reflected in the awards won by
the ward that she has total control over and also by the Public relations man who guides a
group of people through the ward telling them how nice of a place this is and how far
these institutes have come. Readers of this book are show that in reality the Big Nurse is
not the caring women that she is thought to be but that she is the opposite of that. The
opposite of this is shown in McMurphy. McMurphy is thought to be a bad person
because he gambles, smokes, drinks, has sex, and was put in jail for violence. The readers
of this novel realize that McMurphy is really trying to help the other men and is willing to
sacrifice pain, suffering and eventually a lobotomy and death for the benefit of the rest of
the men. McMurphy is not the bad person that the outside world sees.
Secondly Kesey intends to show the reader that a single person is significant and
can make a difference. A single person can inspire and motivate (McMurphy) and also
oppress and control people(Nurse Ratched). When McMurphy came onto the ward all of
the Acutes worked against each other, never stood up for themselves and were terribly
frightened of the Big Nurse. Nurse Ratched was strong enough to tare down the
manhood of all of the men, put fear in them, and to totally control their lives. McMurphy,
eventually with his own strength, single handily made the men realize that they aren’t too
weak to take control over their lives and to stand up to Nurse Ratched. McMurphy
inspired the men to the point were they took control back in their lives and eventually
worked together, left the ward and or stood up to the no longer so powerful Nurse
Ratched. McMurphy showed that it was not impossible to beat the seemingly invincible
Big Nurse. McMurphy helped change the lives of most of the men on the ward when it
seemed they were in a situation were change was not possible.

Kesey finally shows readers that even after a person is gone the strength and spirit
of that person can live on and make a profound difference. McMurphy had so much
strength and spirit and was so big in the eyes of the Acutes that even after he was dead his
spirit stayed with the men. Nurse Ratched thought that by giving McMurphy a lobotomy
and by taking away a man who was like a god to the Acutes she would regain all of her
control and put fear back into the men. What she did not realize was all of McMurphy’s
strength, courage and spirit would stay with the men. McMurphy , even after he was
gone, still gave the men the strength to stand up for themselves and not let the Big Nurse
regain her control of the ward.

Although Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was very entertaining he
also had many point to get across to the reader. Ken Kesey drove home many truths of
life, such as, a single person can make a difference in other peoples lives, things aren’t
always what they seem, and finally that a person’s spirit can live on and stay with people
causing them to change in seemingly impossible situations. This book was written to be
very insightful and also extremely entertaining.
English Essays