Blogging Notes: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

1. Personal liberation, in the book, can be seen as setting one's self free, rather allowing the staff to control them. The book isn't really anti-woman, it just shows them in a different light-the bossy ones, the religious ones, and the whores. The "good" female characters aren't mean and see the patients as people rather than mental patients and freaks that should be feared. This book has a woman in power for the most part, as in other books the men normally hold the power. 
2. "Ratched" alludes to the word "ratchet" which is a tool with teeth on it. The teeth on the tool symbolize Nurse Ratched's harsh ways and unrestrained power. 
3. In this era, American women were becoming more prominent, holding more power and leverage in society. 
4. I don't see the book as racist, but it has racist tendencies; especially when talking about the aides (the "black boys"). African-Americans were not as integrated in society at this time. 
5. McMurphy is almost a saint sent to the ward in the patients' eyes. The electroshock table is shaped like a cross and there is talk about a crown of thorns, alluding to Jesus and his crucifixion. Candy can be seen as a teasing substance to McMurphy, but I'm not sure how that goes along with any religious ties. 
6. As in America at the time, the introduction of a new character and way of life completely changes the course society takes. The nature of the revolt is brought on by one person causing the rest of the people to rebel; the domino effect. 
7. This shows that McMurphy has experience in nonconformity and defiance. Communists were a big topic during this time, resulting in paranoia in America. In the ward, Nurse Ratched is the communist, while the patients are America, as shown when Chief believes Nurse Ratched is changing the time on the clocks. 
8. Chief is a reliable narrator, until influenced by some kind of drug or anything along the lines of that. The fact that he is an Indian represents the struggle Indians have gone through in their lives and how Chief is struggling in the ward. Chief thinks the Combine is out to control every aspect of the ward and its patients. His liberation takes the form of going against the ward and eventually escaping. 
9. There are many instances in the book where Chief goes off from the story into his own little world where he recalls fragments of occurrences from his childhood and things like that. 
10. In the 1960s, drugs were everywhere. Hippies had weed, crack, meth, acid, etc. This book tells us about the use of drugs and the view of the use of drugs in society. 
11. The book expresses many of the same ideas and thoughts of the rebels of the 1960s.
12. This recalls the book Gulliver's Travels and its opinion and relationship with society and its actions. This period was a time of rebellion withing the country; the government was corrupt and the people were going crazy. In Kesey's eyes, modern America has become too concerned with conformity and does not know how to change what is going on in the world. 
13. The book seems cynical because of how Nurse Ratched runs the ward. She overrules the vote during the World Series debate because she wanted to win. 
14. This hows that the radicalists in the 1960s will end up in mental facilities due to their constant drug use and their ideas. 
15. McMurphy is a control freak; he is power hungry. With gambling, he knows how to work the cards to his benefit and outsmart his opponents. The authorities see him as a cheater due to the fact that he wins all the time, only for his benefit. 
16. Considering the constant machine references, Big Nurse could symbolize the government, which is a machine in a way. The government, at the time controlled everything, as does Nurse Ratched. 
17. The portrays liberation as personal freedom, mental and physical. Liberation, in a political sense, is the representation of the community by one person, not fully guaranteeing one's personal freedom or expression of ideas. 
18. When Chief has his dreams and flashbacks, it is apparent that Kesey was under the influence of some form of drug. Look at the word choice and description of what is going on. There are also instances where spelling and grammar just fly out the window, showing his influence. 
19. Laughter is a theme of the book because of the seriousness of society during the time. For Kesey, it serves as an escape from reality. 
20. The "loonies" see the world from a different perspective than the "normal" society, showing that they have their own thoughts, rather than society's thoughts. Insanity is the only sane response to an insane world. Crime can be seen as a matter of sanity, rather than a matter of motive. Social policy would be affected by this by the changing outlook of the citizens on the world, altering their decisions. 
21. Kesey wants society to lighten up and have some fun. The best way to reform society is to think to an extent, but not think too much. 
22. There is a great amount of imagery and similes in the novel, showing the true nature of Kesey as a person, as well as the characters in the novel. It gives readers and Kesey something to use to picture what is going on in the novel.