One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Ken Kesey
- First Published: 1962
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Mythological literature
- Subjects: 1950’s, Self-discovery, Suicide, Escapes, Mental illness, Native Americans or American Indians, Cruelty, Pacific Northwest, Nursing or nurses, Euthanasia or right to die, Hospitals, Psychiatry or psychiatrists
- Locales: Oregon
The title, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, which echoes a children's song (“One flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo's nest”), puns cleverly on a variety of themes covered in the book: the sadness of the “cuckoos” confined in insane asylum, the freedom enjoyed by the geese far above the nest, and the sterility of the nest itself. Kesey's novel can be read at many levels. It is a tall tale about a conflict of wills and a social tract attacking the medieval and inhumane treatment of mental patients and calling for reform. On a broader level, it is a...
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See Also:
See Also:
- - For teachers, the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Lesson Plan.
- - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest summary and study guide in the eNotes.
- Add One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to your favorites