Sanity Like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest - 1905 Words

Throughout the mid 1960’s to the late 1970’s, the concept and interest of mental illness has been studied and discussed in countless different mediums ranging from films that tackled issues of sanity like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to novels that dealt with much darker issues such as schizophrenia in Flora Schreiber’s Sybil. One of the most controversial and talked about productions of the 20th century is Peter Shaffer’s 1974 Tony winning play, Equus, which recounts Dr. Martin Dysart’s encounter and treatment of a seventeen year old boy, Alan Strang, who blinded six horses with an icepick. The play focuses on therapy sessions between Dysart and Alan in which Dysart struggles arduously to bring to the surface Alan’s inner psyche and reasons for blinding the different horses. The play has content that may suggest the story focuses on mental illness, sexuality, and religion; however, this is only when the text is read and understood on an efferent level. The true essence of Equus is located in the numerous biblical parallels found through the analyzation of the plot lines that suggest. Through the analysis and biblical relation of plot points and scenes in Equus, the true essence of the story is revealed; not only is Equus a story of mental illness and sexuality, but it is also a parable of sorts, showing biblical passages and stories in a different and more relatable light. The root and essence of the biblical parallels in Equus are present from the first moment thatShow MoreRelatedKen Kesey s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1629 Words   |  7 PagesKesey’s One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a timeless classic. This novel has been subject to analysis through many different literary lenses: feminist, Marxist, and of course, psychoanalytic. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest provides a plethora of evidence when it comes to using the psychoanalytic lens. The lens in question deals with the teaching of Sigmund Freud. When reading this novel, the audience sees quite clearly that the world of psychology plays an impactful role in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’sRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest Essay1604 Words   |  7 Pages The Truth Even If It Didn’t Happen: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest By: Aubree Martinez Period 1 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is one of the greatest novels of the 1960s that expertly uses mental illness, rebellion, and abused authority to captivate the readers. This book is densely populated with interesting characters, such as the new admission R.P. McMurphy, that makes you dive below the surface of sanity, rebellion, and authoritative issues that are spread throughoutRead MoreThe Lines Between Sanity And Insanity1064 Words   |  5 PagesThe lines between sanity and insanity are commonly tested in young adult literature. Shown to be entirely based on individual perception, sanity or insanity attempt to form a reflection of the characters’ personalities. In society, as shown in the novels, people are often too quick to write off nonconformist as crazy or insane. Girl, Interrupted and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest both illustrate how society’s stern view cause them to treat mental illness unethically and take away from individualismRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest Research Paper1764 Words   |  8 PagesDrugs and Insanity Against Society The author of the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Ken Keasey, received his inspiration for the book while volunteering at a veterans hospital. This is where he was first introduced to LSD. The moment he tried it, he became addicted, and began experimenting on himself with the drugs, observing the effects. The novel deals with the tyrannical rule of head Nurse Ratched in a mental hospital somewhere in Oregon. She runs all business and daily life in the asylumRead More Christ-like McMurphy in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest1379 Words   |  6 PagesChrist-like McMurphy in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Ken Kesey utilizes Jesus Christ as a constant symbol throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. The protagonist of the story acts as a model and leader for other characters in the book, just as Christ was for his disciples. It is appropriate that such a leader would be closely associated with a powerful, and worshiped figure. Keseys use of Christ associates the ideas or theories in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest withRead More In ken keseay’s one flew over the cuckoo’s nest a psychiatric ward becomes613 Words   |  3 PagesIn ken keseay’s one flew over the cuckoo’s nest a psychiatric ward becomes a metaphor for the oppressive nature of society In ken keseays one flew over the cuckoos nest a psychiatric ward becomes a metaphor for the oppressive nature of society. This symbolic novel relays the story of an inmate standing up against the powerful forces that operate a mental institute. This novel represents more than man vs the institutions. The novel compels us to think about just how thin the line isRead MoreReview Of Ken Kesey s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest 1603 Words   |  7 Pagesdefinitions of sanity and insanity are affected by many different aspects and according to common knowledge, insanity has a direct correlation to mental illness. Likewise, sanity seems to have a direct link to what is considered normal. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey describes the connection that both insanity and sanity have to mental illness and the people that suffer from it. Furthermore, it describes how the people who work in the mental ward are connected to how sanity and insanityRead More Narration, Metaphors, Images and Symbols in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest3029 Words   |  13 Pagesand Symbols in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest   Ã‚   In 1962, when One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (the Nest), was published, America was at the start of decade that would be characterized by turmoil. Involvement in Vietnam was increasing, civil rights marches were taking place in the south and a new era of sexual promiscuity and drug use was about to come into full swing. Young Americans formed a subgroup in American society that historians termed the â€Å"counterculture†. The Nest is a product ofRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1549 Words   |  7 PagesOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest In today’s world with the recent chaos that has erupted many people tend to think that the world has become insane and that they are the last sane individuals alive. However, in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest the ones who are seeking treatment for insanity seem more reasonable then the sane ones. This is because in the novel, the person that holds jurisdiction, Nurse Ratched also maintains a fearsome reputation. Many people would agree that the theme thatRead MoreRebellion in Fight Club and One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest1861 Words   |  8 PagesRebellion in Fight Club and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest All societies have a basic structure, and in order to function well with others, a person must conform to the laws and regulations of said society. In the novels Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, a variety of themes are discussed, with the major theme being rebellion. The main characters of both these novels struggle with the established structure they are living in and are unwilling to conform