One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Group at eNotes

why do patients discouarge McMurphy from fighting back against Nurse...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:13:05 PST

why do patients discouarge McMurphy from fighting back against Nurse Rathched?

McMurphy calls what happened at the group meeting a "pecking party". A...

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 09:23:52 PST

McMurphy calls what happened at the group meeting a "pecking party". A pecking party is when a group of chickens get together and literally peck the eyes out of a hen for seemingly no reason. Just like those chickens, the other men in the ward gang up and pick on Harding, even though they all feel remorse for their viciousness after the act. He also warns that a pecking party can soon wipe out the entire flock, meaning no one will...

Harding has been humiliated by the others concerning his wife and her...

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 09:02:46 PST

Harding has been humiliated by the others concerning his wife and her affairs. How does McMurphy describe what happened at the group meeting?

I remember vividly my teacher from sophomore year of high school...

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:44:37 PST

I remember vividly my teacher from sophomore year of high school explaining the answer to this question, and ironically she said the answer is always the same (no matter what literary work is in question). Why does any literary work receive the title of "classic"? The answer, according to Miss Campbell, is the following: The piece of literature has stood the test of time, plain and simple. Here we are six decades later and One Flew...

There is definitely more than one answer to this question, but I would...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:43:07 PST

There is definitely more than one answer to this question, but I would consider the following: Chief's physical description of the nurse, particularly of her chest. She has very large breasts, which are obviously symbolic of femininity and motherhood. However, she goes out of her way to hide them, along with any other type of "softness." Chief's hallucinations. Chief sees the nurse at one point as a huge monster who can reach out and...

The previous answerer touches on many good points concerning Ken...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:39:52 PST

The previous answerer touches on many good points concerning Ken Kesey's modern classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The characters that Kesey creates, particularly Randall P. McMurphy and Chief Brombden, are rich in originality and depth. The story is superb on two levels: that of McMurphy and his attempts to maintain his individuality in the mental ward; and the social statements made concerning America's ever-conforming...

The answer to this will depend on who is receiving the question. For...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:28:48 PST

The answer to this will depend on who is receiving the question. For my bet, I would say that Kesey's work is so profound because it forced social settings to reexamine what does it mean to be mentally ill. For so long, mental illness was seen as individual problems, conditions for which society could only shun and deny its presence. Kesey's characterizations and his depiction of an institutional setting that lacked individual...

Why is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest considered a classic?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:17:55 PST

Why is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest considered a classic?

how did mack manipulate the doctor? Why did he fll for it?

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 06:50:30 PST

how did mack manipulate the doctor? Why did he fll for it?

There is a motif of invisibility in the interactions of the characters...

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 11:07:08 PST

There is a motif of invisibility in the interactions of the characters in Kesey's work. I think this is most evident in McMurphy's desire to show the inmates what can be as opposed to what is. The vision McMurphy offers over Nurse Ratched's vision is steeped in the idea of being invisible. The other inmates do not really see what McMurphy is trying to do, as they are content with the progression of their lives under Ratched's control. ...

Examine the motif of invisibility and its function in the novel, "One...

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:50:54 PST

Examine the motif of invisibility and its function in the novel, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

what similarities or connections are there between one flew over...

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:35:17 PST

what similarities or connections are there between one flew over cuckoo's nest and bookseller of kabul?

McMurphy's actions evoke a great deal of thought and analysis. On one...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:34:54 PST

McMurphy's actions evoke a great deal of thought and analysis. On one hand, his actions can be seen as unethical because he breaks rules and consciously seeks to undermine the structure and order to life at the hospital. There is little evidence of actions which speak of sustaining order and established patterns of acceptability. The lack of ethics can be seen in this desire to not follow an established structure of conduct. However,...

McMurphy continually questions authority and challenges the hospital...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:29:11 PST

McMurphy continually questions authority and challenges the hospital staff why? How might his behavior be seen as ethical or unethical?

The "Black Boys" dressed in their white pants, as the Chief refers to...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:00:48 PST

The "Black Boys" dressed in their white pants, as the Chief refers to them, are Nurse Ratched's aides. They do her bidding. They are strong, sudden and sadistic, and they keep order in the ward by subjugating the will of the inmates. The only one they can't subdue or intimidate is McMurphy. Of course. They symbolize power and control in a society warped and at war against individuality and self expression. They are the storm troopers and the...

What does "Black Boys" dressed in white pants symbolize?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:45:21 PST

What does "Black Boys" dressed in white pants symbolize?

The narrator of Ken Kesey's classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,...

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 12:49:49 PST

The narrator of Ken Kesey's classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief Brombden is the all-seeing conscience of the novel. Although he himself is quiet and unassuming despite his giant size, he quickly takes to the gregarious Randle McMurphy, who is faking insanity in order to serve out his prison sentence in the hospital. Brombden, too, is faking his inability to speak, but he finally confides this fact to McMurphy, and the two quickly...

In One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, what does Chief see at night?

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 07:27:53 PST

In One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, what does Chief see at night?

Big Nurse calls McMurphy "Mack".

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 16:10:09 PST

Big Nurse calls McMurphy "Mack".

What does Big Nurse call McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

Sun, 4 Oct 2009 16:17:18 PST

What does Big Nurse call McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?