#books
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
by Ken Kesey.
The novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was first published in 1962.
It was later adapted into a highly successful film in 1975, directed by Milos Forman, starring Jack Nicholson.
The story is set in a mental hospital and explores the themes of conformity, individuality, and the struggle for freedom in a structured and oppressive environment. The title refers to a line from a nursery rhyme and symbolises the desire for liberation from a controlling authority figure.
The story takes place in the 1960s, with the hospital’s authoritarian head nurse, Nurse Ratched, symbolising the control and conformity imposed on the patients.
The status-quo is disrupted when Randle P. McMurphy arrives, a charismatic and rebellious man, who fakes insanity to escape a prison work detail and is sent to the hospital. McMurphy’s arrival leads to a power struggle between him and Nurse Ratched, as he encourages the other patients to challenge her authority.
The novel explores themes of sanity and insanity, freedom and oppression, and the dehumanising effects of institutional control. Ultimately, the story reaches a tragic and dramatic conclusion.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves deep into the human psyche and societal norms.
The novel raises questions about the nature of mental illness, the impact of institutionalization, and the cost of non-conformity in a rigid society.
The novel remains a classic in American literature for its profound themes and memorable characters.
