One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest--Final Paper

For my final project in English, I have decided to read and write about Ken Kesey's classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. A big fan of Jack Nicholson and having seen the movie before, I chose this novel because I found the movie an absolute delight and really wanted to know the real story behind it as most books are better than the movies that are based on it. So far, I am not dissapointed in the least and find both the characters and the themes presented in the novel captivating and provoking. The ways in which McMurphy uses his wit and quick mind to constantly bring change into the mental ward is, for me, one of the most interesting things in the novel and certainly what drives it forward. His interactions with the Chief, Harding, and the other patients help to create a sense of chaos and disruption to a place that is largely structured around rigid and disciplined schedules and complete order. As a result, McMurphy seems to flip the foundation of the ward inside out, making the patients contained within seem more like prisoners and helpless rational beings than Miss Ratched totalitarian nursing staff. This thus drives the book forward and provides a strong basis for what much of the dialogue and action within is created.

For the paper, I am not entirely sure what I am going to write on, but the initial impressions I have witnessed above is along the lines of what I think would interest me the most in the composition of my essay. The kind of rebelliousness that McMurphy embodies through his character development is definitely a central part to the book and a part that I feel will create a backbone for a lot of the themes that the story conveys. Therefore, I hope that my paper will at least touch on this, if not present it entirely as it is a part of life I think is fundamental to every person and their natural impulses.

I look forward to finishing the book in the coming week and then getting to writing about is as soon as possible.