The role of the hero in Ken Keseys novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, is played by Randle P. McMurphy, a wrongly committed mental patient with a lust for life. McMurphys personal qualities that gain the respect and admiration from his fellow patients are also responsible for his tragic downfall. These qualities include his temper, which is the reason for the tension between him and nurse Ratched; his stubbornness, which results in his numerous painful disciplinary treatments; also his free spirit, which leads to his death. Even though McMurphy is a good man, in the end, these characteristics hurt him more than they help him. Throughout the novel, McMurphy shows that he has a wild temper. The first group meeting that he is involved in, he shows his irritation. This is when nurse Ratched comments by saying And you? With your red hair and black record? Why delude yourself” (Kesey 68).
This shows that McMurphy is already seen as a man with a temper after only one day on the ward. This temper helps him in his battle with nurse Ratched for control of the mental ward. However, his temper eventually works against him. Upon McMurphys arrival to the ward he tells the patients that he is a con man and a gambler. One of his first bets with the other patients is to see if he can put a bee in nurse Ratcheds butt, a burr in her bloomers. Get her goat.
Bug her till she comes apart at those neat little seams (Kesey, 69).
McMurphy makes this bet after he learns about the Disturbed Ward where assaultives are sent, and also about the shock shop where Electro-Shock Therapy is administered to disobedient patients. Since McMurphy does not like losing, he wants to be certain that he can get away with harassing nurse Ratched without receiving any of these punishments. He is told by his fellow patient, as long as you dont lose your temper and give her actual reason to request the restriction of the Disturbed Ward, or the therapeutic benefits of the electro-shock you are safe (Kesey 76).
The Essay on Big Nurse Mcmurphy Patients Ratched
Randle McMurphy's Role As A Savior In Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest Randle McMurphy's role as a savior in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest Thesis Statement: Through his laughter and struggle with the Big Nurse, Randle McMurphy shows the other characters in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest that they can think and act for themselves. I. Introduction A. Preview ...
This shows that his fellow patients know that he has a temper problem. McMurphy displays this temper from the starting of the novel, but one incident finally gets him into trouble. The argument McMurphy has with the black helps and the nurse Ratched, a punch is thrown and a fight breaks out.
This is what the nurse has been waiting for; an excuse to send McMurphy to the Disturbed Ward. Upon his arrival to the Disturbed Ward, Electro-Shock Therapy is given to McMurphy as punishment. The nurse is able to get the upper hand in her battle against McMurphy when he allows his temper to take over and the same temper will lead to his downfall. Another important personality trait of McMurphy is his stubbornness. It is part of his fighting spirit that he will not accept defeat. This is seen when McMurphy makes a bet with the other men that he can lift a large control panel.
Despite everyones doubts, he tries to lift it, and fails. After he defeat he tells the others, but I tried thoughgoddammit I sure as hell did that much, now, didnt I (Kesey 111).
This shows his fighting spirit by accepting the challenge but it also shows his stubbornness because he does not admit to total defeat. He attempts the impossible and refuses to listen to anybody who doubts him. When McMurphy is committed to the Disturbed Ward, he has the opportunity to return to his old ward as long as he admits to being wrong. This would give nurse Ratched the final victory, but McMurphy is too stubborn to allow that to happen.
As a result, he receives numerous Electro-Shock Therapy treatments. Each time he comes, the nurse offers him the chance to apologize and to admit that he was at fault, but he tells her “she could kiss his rosy red ass before hed give up the goddam ship” (Kesey 242).
If McMurphy admitted he was wrong, he could avoid the Electro-Shock Therapies. However, he is too stubborn to allow the nurse Ratched to win the war so easily and this will lead to his downfall. In this novel, McMurphy also demonstrates that he is free spirited. He wishes to live his life on his own terms, not what is expected of him, and he spreads his mentality to the other patients.
The Term Paper on Explain How Important the Nurse Patient Relationship
Peplau (1952) observed the nurse as a fundamental tool for change whilst explaining how powerful the nurse-patient relationship is. The nurse approaches the relationship with understanding and experience obtained personally through their lives but also through their training and work. Generally, it is considered the more training and work experience a nurse has, the more therapeutically effective ...
His inspiration to his fellow patients helps them become able and willing to struggle for life. This is one reason why they look up to him so much. He helps them regain some control over their lives during his stay on the ward. McMurphy does this bye teaching them how to laugh again, saying that you have to laugh at the things that hurt you, just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy (Kesey 212).
He is telling the patients that they need to laugh and by doing this his free spirit has taken responsibility to help the patients get better. McMurphy also shows his rebellious nature to the others by standing up against all the ward policies that he disagrees with.
He doesnt want his life to be controlled bye rules and restrictions, which is why he challenges nurse Ratched authority. At the end of the novel, McMurphy attacks the Big Nurse, and consequently receives a lobotomy. Although his mind is taken away, his body still struggles to stay alive. Knowing that McMurphy would not want to live his life in that state, a fellow patient decides to kill him for his own good. This task is more difficult than he anticipates, because “the big, hard body had a tough grip on life. It fought a long time against having it taken away” (Kesey 270).
This shows that McMurphys free spirit and stubbornness is so strong and deeply anchored that even though his mind is gone, his body continues the fight to stay alive.
In Ken Keseys novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, there is one character heroic enough to stand up against the cruelty of the nurse Ratched. This character is Randle P. McMurphy who helps almost all the patients. However, it is McMurphys own personality traits which ultimately defeat him in the end. His temper his stubbornness and his free spirit are all the cause of his death..
The Term Paper on Assisted Suicide Patient Life Suffering
In the world today there are arguments for everything, ranging from matters of great importance to things that may seem ridiculously trivial. However, there are always different sides to every case and right and wrong is in the eyes of the person involved in the dispute. This argumentative essay is based upon a very serious situation that faces our medical community. The topic of assisted suicide ...
