Editor's Choice
Does this novel fit the classic definition of tragedy involving a heroic character with a tragic flaw, or does it diverge from this concept?
Quick answer:
The novel fits the classic definition of tragedy, featuring McMurphy as a heroic character with the tragic flaw of hubris. McMurphy's confidence and defiance against authority, particularly Nurse Ratched, inspire hope among the other patients. However, his excessive arrogance leads to his downfall, culminating in his tragic lobotomy. This aligns with the traditional structure of a tragedy, where a hero's flaw leads to their demise.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a classic tragedy because McMurphy is a hero who has the tragic flaw of hubris. McMurphy fits the definition of a classic hero because he has more confidence and a greater willingness than the other men on the ward to fight authority. He is not cowed by the power structure, including the seemingly invincible Nurse Ratched. By exemplifying courage in the face of the control of the doctors and nurses on the ward, McMurphy inspires the other men on the ward to hope for something greater than their drug-addled life in the hospital. He organizes a fishing trip that enables the men to experience real life for the first time in a long time. However, McMurphy overplays his hand by inviting prostitutes to the ward, and he exhibits hubris, or overwhelming arrogance, that gets him and the other men in trouble and that brings about his own demise and that of another man on the ward. His conflict with Nurse Ratched ends tragically for him, when he is lobotomized.
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