A.P. Language and Composition

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest By Ken Kesey

“...one flew east, one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo’s nest.” -Children’s folk rhyme

Name: __________________________________ Block: _______

AP Language and Composition Unit IV: Literary Analysis Literary Devices/Concepts 1. theme 2. point of view 3. narration, characterization, etc.

Writing Skills 1. using quotations from a literary text 2. tracing a theme/connecting evidence

Writing Assignment Length: 3-5 pages; double-spaced, typed, 12-point font Due Date: _______________________________________________ Purpose of Assignment: To choose a theme in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and trace Ken Kesey’s development of that theme throughout the novel. Ultimately, you need to assert what you believe his point of view is on that theme and discuss how he develops that point of view throughout the book. NOTE: The following three topics contain many subtopics. Consider all parts of the questions below, but you need to focus in order to create a solid thesis statement. As you write your draft, use only those parts of the question that seem to support the thesis you have formulated. 1. A central theme in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the conflict of man versus the “machine”. What does Kesey mean by the “machine” or the “Combine”? What is his point of view on the influence the machine has in society? How does he create the image of the machine through imagery, metaphors, dialogue, descriptions, etc.? How does he use various characters to illustrate his message about the machine? What is its effect on both those who bow to it and those who try to defy it? How does he use references to nature to contrast the idea of the machine? 2. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey investigates the definition of sanity. What is sanity, according to the many points of view offered in the novel—Nurse Ratched, McMurphy, Chief Bromden, other doctors/patients/visitors? Which view does Kesey seem to subscribe to; how can you tell what he leans towards? What behaviors were considered “insane” at the time, as evident in the characters? What does Kesey consider sane/insane? What does he think of therapy; what is therapeutic? 3. Because the book focuses on a group of men on a psychiatric ward, it may seem that women are woefully absent from the storyline; but are they? Through his portrayal of the female characters in the novel: Nurse Ratched, Candy, Sandy, Vera Harding, Mrs. Bibbitt, Mrs. Bromden, etc… what message does Kesey send about women? What does his attitude towards women seem to be? What roles do women take on in this story, and what does that suggest he thinks about the gender as a whole?

Directions: This assignment asks you to demonstrate the skill of being able to identify a theme and trace its development throughout the novel. -The first step is to identify the theme you are interested in writing about. -Review the details of the stories, identifying specific examples from all parts of the narrative that connect to your chosen theme. Collect all the relevant quotes and details as data. -Look at the details you collected. Arrange them in chronological order NOT so that you can summarize the plot, but so you can consider how the theme develops over the course of the narrative. Does it change? If so, how? Look at how the author’s point of view on the theme develops chronologically throughout the story. -Pay careful attention to the thesis. As with previous essays, your thesis should be an arguable opinion. Thus, your overall conclusion should not be so safe or cautious that no one would disagree with you. Your thesis should assert what you believe the author’s intentions were surrounding this theme. Also, remember that to prove your conclusion you need significant and meaningful evidence.

Possible Organization Strategies Organizational Strategy #1 I.

Introduction and Thesis

II.

Body (using chronological organization for the essay) A. Early development of the theme

B. Midpoint development of the theme

C. Final resolution of the theme III Conclusion This strategy works best if you plan to focus on how the theme changes/develops over the course of the narrative.

Organizational Strategy #2 I.

Introduction and Thesis

II.

Body (organizing the exploration of the theme around the characters) A. How the theme is explored in character #1 B. How the theme is explored in character #2 C. How the theme is explored in character #3

III. Conclusion This strategy works best with questions that are designed to look at characterization and theme. Still, you should consider if the author’s point of view on the theme is static throughout the novel or changes.

Character Profiles Patients Randle P. McMurphy (Acute): A gambler and con man, who transfers from the Pendleton Prison Farm to the mental institution because he believes it will be easier. An unlikely hero, who inspires other patients to stand up for themselves. Chief (Broom) Bromden (Chronic): Narrator. Son of the chief of the Columbia Indians and a white woman. Paranoid-schizophrenic who suffers from hallucinations after multiple electroshock treatments in his 10 years on the ward. Pretends to be deaf and dumb. Huge, but sees himself as small; grows healthier through McMurphy. Big George (Acute): A former fisherman; constantly washes his hands, always feels dirty. McMurphy makes him captain of fishing trip. Billy Bibbit (Acute): A grown man, but seems more like a kid. Has a bad stutter and voluntarily is in hospital, as he is afraid of the outside world. He is dominated by his mother, who is a friend of Nurse Ratched. Pete Bancini (Chronic):

Patient who suffered brain damage when he was born (at one point says he was born dead); continually declares he is tired. Cheswick (Acute): First patient to stand up in support of McMurphy’s rebellion against the Big Nurse. Talks a lot, but little action. Ellis (Chronic): A patient who was once an Acute, but turned Chronic through excessive electroshock therapy. Stands permanently “nailed” to the wall; frequently urinates on himself. Dale Harding (Acute) An effeminate man, psychologically “castrated” by his voluptuous wife. President of the Patient’s Council; helps McMurphy understand the realities of the hospital. Martini (Acute): Exists in a world of delusions. McMurphy still includes him in card games. Ruckly (Chronic): Was once an Acute, but was transformed into a Chronic due to a botched lobotomy. Scanlon (Acute): The only Acute besides McMurphy who was involuntarily committed to the hospital. Has destructive fantasies of blowing things up.

Sefelt and Fredrickson (Acutes): Epileptics. Sefelt refuses to take his medicine; Frederickson takes double doses (takes Sefelt’s). Colonel Matterson (Chronic): Oldest Chronic on ward (but Chief has been there the longest); cavalry soldier from WWII. Wife checked him in; tired of tending to his needs. Rawler (Chronic): A patient on the Disturbed Ward; castrates himself and bleeds to death. Old Blastic (Chronic): A vegetable. Dies in his sleep during Chief’s dream of a mechanical slaughterhouse. Max Taber (Acute): A former patient (before McMurphy arrived). When Taber questioned NR, she punished him with electroshock, which made him docile enough to send back to society. Staff Nurse Ratched: A middle-aged former army nurse; head of hospital ward. She rules her ward like a tyrant and maintains order by pitting patients against one another. Represents the Combine. Her emasculating destroy the self-esteem of the patients. Dr. Spivey: A mild-mannered doctor, who may be addicted to opiates. Nurse Ratched chose Spivey as the doctor for her ward because he is easily dominated. Begins to asserts himself with arrival of McMurphy. Nurse with Birthmark: Terrified of the patients, especially Mac. She seems to be drive by her sense of Catholic guilt and fear of sex. Has a prominent birthmark on her fact that she attempts to scrub away. Japanese Nurse: Works on the Disturbed Ward; criticizes Nurse Ratched. Warren, Washington, Williams, and Geever: Hospital aides; Chief calls them the “Black Boys”. Nurse Rached hired them because they are filled with hatred and will submit to her wishes. Mr. Turkle: An elderly orderly who works the night shift. He helps arrange the ward party at the end.

Family/Friends Vera Harding: Dale Harding’s wife. Very attractive and sensual, but not so bright. Makes her husband feel less than a man. Mrs. Bibbit: Billy Bibbit’s mother; treats him like a young child even though he is over thirty. Candy Starr: Prostitute from Portland that accompanies the patients on the fishing trip and comes to the ward for a late-night party. Sandy: Prostitute who misses the fishing trip, but arrives for the late night party on the ward.

Background on Ken Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado, but during his childhood, his family moved to Oregon, the setting of the novel. His interest in writing led him to the creative writing program at Stanford University. During the period at Stanford, he volunteered for an experimental program at a local Veterans’ Administration Hospital to test the effects of newly discovered drugs. During this time, he discovered LSD and became interested in alternative methods of perception. He soon took a job a night job at a mental institution. Here, he began to write the first draft of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on his experiences and extensive conversations with the patients. In the interest of the novel, he even persuaded a friend to give him a shock treatment so that he could describe its effects. The novel, published in 1962, was an immediate success. With his newfound wealth, Kesey purchased a farm in California, where he and his friends experimented heavily with LSD. He found himself at the center of the growing drug cult of the sixties, and he believed that altered states of mind could improve society. In 1964, Kesey led a group of friends called the Merry Pranksters on a road trip across the U.S. The exploits of the Merry Pranksters are detailed in Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. His high profile attracted the attention of legal authorities, and he fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution. When he returned to the United States, he was arrested and jailed for five months. He then moved to Oregon and lived the rest of his life with his family.

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THEME ONE 1. Cite some of the machine imagery used to describe Nurse Ratched’s first appearance in the novel and explain its significance (10-11).

2. How is McMurphy described when he first enters the ward? How does this description contrast the description of Ratched? (15-17)

3. Explain the significance of Chief’s comparisons of Chronics and Acutes to machines or products of the Combine (19-21).

4. Paraphrase Chief’s definition of the Combine (30).

5. Explain how Chief uses machine imagery to describe Ratched’s control of the ward. (30-38).

6. Describe Chief’s experience at the cotton mill and its significance (38-41).

7. Paraphrase the theory of group therapy given on page 48.

8. Identify Harding’s favorite metaphor in describing the inmates? Why is it appropriate? (61-63)

9. List specific reasons why the Acutes do not rebel (64).

10. Explain Chief’s theory of why the Combine hasn’t gotten McMurphy (83-84).

11. Explain the symbolism of the dog (142-143).

12. How does Chief explain the Combine to McMurphy (187)?

13. Outside the hospital for the fishing trip, Chief describes evidence of the work of the Combine? What is it? (203-204)

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THEME TWO 1. Explain the significance of Chief saying, “But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen.” (13)

2. Quote Chief Bromden’s definition of Chronic and Acute (19).

3. Why do the Acutes appear to avoid the Chronics? (21)

4. What does McMurphy say about their sanity on page 61? Significance?

5. Describe Chief’s nightmare-hallucination (79-82).

6. What is the significance of the fog? (42, 81-82, 101, 116-118, 123, 130, 242)

7. In each of the following scenes, explain how McMurphy has a therapeutic effect on the rest of the Acutes: a. p. 75

b. p. 83

c. p. 89-90

d. p. 94

e. p. 99

f. p. 102

g. p. 110

8. Explain the significance of Nurse Ratched’s losing it? (128)

9. Find five indications that Chief’s mental health is improving (140-143). Also, how does his perception of his size relate to his mental health (throughout the book?

10. Why does Kesey use so much psychological jargon at the Staff Meeting? (135)

11. Explain how McMurphy inspired the men to think better of themselves in the following scenes: a. Big George Sorenson (193-195)

b. The gas station incident (200-202)

c. The fishing trip (210-213)

12. What was the cost to McMurphy? (218)

13. Who, or what, according to Harding is to blame for his “problem”? (257)?

14. What is the significance of the line, “Good morning, Miss Ratched.”? (263)

15. What are some of the conditions that the patients are being treated for that would not be considered worthy of institutionalizing someone today?

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THEME THREE 1. Explain McMurphy’s analogy of the “peckin’ party” (55).

2. Specify the secret to Nurse Ratched’s real power. (59-60)

3. According to Harding, what is man’s only weapon against modern matriarchy? (66)

4. Characterize Dr. Spivey’s personality and explain his “dark secret” (69).

5. How does Nurse Ratched control the Staff Meeting? (133-137)

6. Why are there so many references to breasts? (11, 23, 43, 44, 66, 138, 159)

7. Why does Kesey include the scene between Billy and his mother?

8. How does the viewpoint expressed by the nurse on Disturbed reflect Kesey’s own misogynistic attitude? (234)

9. What is the effect of the line beginning, “What worries me Billy…” (264)

10. Explain the significance of the scene in which McMurphy rips Nurse Ratched’s uniform? (267)

THE WAR BETWEEN MCMURPHY AND THE BIG NURSE Note: These questions relate to all three themes. 1. What are the conditions of the bet (68-69)?

2. Describe some of McMurphy’s initial victories against the Big Nurse?

3. What vital information does McMurphy learn from the lifeguard? Why does this cause him to “retire” from the battle? (147-149)

4. Why does Cheswick commit suicide? (151)

5. Why does McMurphy decide to renew his battle with Nurse Ratched (167-168)?

6. . Who, in the final analysis, won the war between RN and McMurphy?

CASE FOR RN

CASE FOR M (see 262, 268, 269)

7. What is the meaning of this line at the end of the second paragraph: “It is like he’d signed on for the whole game and there wasn’t any way of him breaking his contract.? (260)

8. Why did the Chief murder McMurphy? Is “murder” the right word?