McMurphy's struggle against Nurse Ratched, although it ends in failure, is portrayed as a sacrifice that liberates his fellow patients. At the novel's end, Scanlon encourages Chief Bromden to flee, reminding him that McMurphy "showed you how one time, if you think back." This theme of sacrifice is highlighted by recurring imagery of crucifixion throughout the narrative.

Consider the tragic figure of the mentally broken Chronic Ellis, who, in Chief's view, is "nailed" to the wall, with ominous wires and machinery humming behind him. Additionally, there is the cross-shaped table used for electroshock therapy. This crucifixion imagery is mirrored in Chief's description of Sefelt's position during an epileptic seizure: "His hands are nailed out to each side with the palms up and the fingers jerking open and shut, just the way I've watched men jerk at the Shock Shop strapped to the crossed table, smoke curling up out of the palms from the current."