One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

In the novel, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, the author, knowingness Kesey, chose a patient suffering from schizophrenia to narrate the novel that is based on Keseys own experiences. The first-person chronicle of a patient, oldtimer Bromden, excites the asylum setting ordinary, and encourages the indorser to invest in the personalities of its inhabitants instead of perceiving the geniuss as mere poke and sh every last(predicate)ow. Kaseys inclusion of Bromdens delusions within the narrative itself, which argon at first a disruption to the indorser apply to linear narratives of the real, become merely an other narrative model for the reader as the novel progresses.Demonstration thought whollyows the reader to discover that date Bromdens dis baron readys him different, it is not debilitating for him as a narrator, nor, to a greater extent importantly, as a man. such(prenominal) insights into Bromden and the others initiate in the reader a reassessment of potentially unexami ned perceptions of mental institutions, their inhabitants, and lead the reader to review the origins of cin one casepts such as blind and speechless. The novel is seen through the middle of fountainhead Bromden and how he interprets the world he lives in, which he calls the Combine. Bromden has a precise observant eye and gives detailed descriptions. His peers false assumption of Bromdens audition gives mind the ability to spy, revealing foreshadowing details. Although these recordistics make him a sure source and a high-quality narrator, because of head teachers hallucinations and paranoia, some of his opinions and visions are misleading. If the accounting were told through a sane character, such as Randal McMurphy, the distinction between reality and illusion would save been more lucid.Using Chief Bromden as a narrator puts boundations on the readers interpretations, nevertheless overly gives a very(prenominal) reliable and creative perspective of the plaints in K en Keseys, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. Very detailed descriptions make a scene seem more real. Chief Bromden is a very descriptive narrator and he describes his world unusually. Its still cloggy for me to have clear mind thinking on it. But its the truth dismantle if it didnt happen (13), utter Bromden. Though what he describes sounds unrealistic and impossible, it, metaphorically, is true and gives the reader a better understanding of the context, even if it didnt in truth happen.When nurse Ratched became very intense, Bromden describe her as expulsion up, swells till her backs splitting out of the colour resembling (11). A person cannot swell and rip out of their cloths in a matter of seconds and this example shows how exaggerated and animated Bromden narrates. This description gives the reader a clear picture of how mad and furious this woman can get. When Bromden witnesses McMurphy project the make in the hallway wearing only a towel, Chief describes the big nurse s reaction as he interprets it.Bromden exempts the nurses reaction as going from a beastly scarey size to a small intimidated size. Just as shes rolling along at her biggest and meanest, McMurphy steps out of the latrine door safe in movement of her, holding a towel around his hips-stops her suddenly She shrinks to about head-high to where that towel covers him, and hes grinning down on her. Her own grin is giving way, sagging at the edges (86). Bromden explains how the nurse matte extremely threatened by McMurphy exposed sexuality in a very creative and effective way.Metaphorically, what he saw is true. Bromdens unique way of understanding and then explaining events helps emphasize important details in the novel and having this ability makes him an edifying narrator. Along with his unique eye, Bromden has a very interesting way of eavesdropping that in addition makes him a great narrator. Chief Bromdens lack of speech created the impression that Chief was deaf and dumb to the other patients and workers on the ward. Just a bi-big deaf Indian,(26) this is how the stuttering Billy Bibbit describes Bromden to the sane Randal McMurphy. circumstantial do they know the quite and discreet patient heeds in on the surrounding conversations as he sweeps the corridors. The Chiefs secret mother wit of hearing gives him the advantage not just the advantage of self informative but an advantage to all of the gossip within the ward and that makes him a knowledgeable character. The knowledge that Bromden overhears is one of the reasons he makes a good narrator. Such important discussions would not be held around other characters because others know they are capable of hearing. If I signed up itd be the very(prenominal) as coming right out and telling everybody I wasnt deaf.If Id been hearing all this talk about boats and angle itd show Id been hearing everything else thatd had been said in confidence around me for the past ten years I had to keep on acting deaf if wanted to hear it all (178). Bromden liked being able to listen in on Nurse Ratched and other workers conversations and his clandestine way of doing it made him a dependable, important character to the plot. Some of the information the Chief overhears foreshadows events. Nurse Ratched would often say hugger-mugger things around him because she too believed he was deaf.One day while Chief was sweeping the corridors, he overheard doctors in the staff meeting deciding how McMurphy should be handled due to his disruptive behavior. The doctors were debating whether or not to send him to the disturbed leg of the hospital. Nurse Ratched had a very interesting attitude toward this option and Bromden overheard He is simply a man and no more, and is field of operation to all fears and all the cowardice and all the timidity that any other man is subject to. Given a few more days, I have a firm feeling that he lead prove this, to us as well as the rest of the patients.If we keep him on th e ward I am certain his brashness allow subside, his self-made rebellion will dwindle to nothing, and our redheaded hero will cut himself down to something patients will all recognize and lose respect for (136). This segment is very large for foreshadowing the fact that McMurphy will receive a lobotomy ulterior in the novel. This part of the novel helps lead up to the climax. Bromdens ability to discretely listen into conversations allows supplying information to the reader as well as advancing the plot.Although Bromden does have many advantages as the narrator, there are likewise many limitations due to his illness. Chief Bromdens schizophrenia creates problems for the reader. His schizophrenia causes him to hallucinate. A hallucination is a mistaken idea or an allusion. Sometimes Chief Bromden described things that could have been a hallucination but also could have been real because of his creative way of explaining. This can cause confusion for the reader. When Blastic live ond, Bromden described the death in a way that gave the impression it was a hallucination. He goes to the bed and with one hand grabs the old vegetable Blastic by the hound and lifts him straight up like Blastic dont weight mores a few pounds The worker takes a scalpel and slices up the front of old Blastic with a clean swing I expect to be sick, but theres no blood or viscera falling out like I was looking to see-just a cascade of rust and ashes, and now and then a piece of wire or glass (80, 81). Realistically, if Blastic were sliced open Bromden would see blood and bowels, but because Bromden describes what he sees as rust and wires, it gives the idea that this is only a hallucination.Surprisingly, though this seems unrealistic, Blastic did die during this scene of the novel but not how Bromden described it. This scene also seems like a hallucination because Bromden mentions retreating into the fog. He imagines that the staff controls a fleck of fog machines throughout the w ard, and they are turned on whenever he is frightened. They first the fog machine again and its snowing down cold and white all over me like skim milk (13), describes Bromden before he receives electroshock therapy.The fog represents a safe haven for Bromden that makes him feel unseeable to others when he is afraid. The fog limits the readers understanding of world internal the Mental Hospital because it allows Bromden to ignore reality. Abuse in Bromdens world, which he calls the Combine, could have been even more shocking if we had been able to understand what was actually happening while Bromden was hiding in the fog. As a narrator, Bromdens hallucinations and paranoia create limitations on his abilities to explain frightening details and can even cause confusion for the reader.The chief sees things in literal metaphors, he sees McMurphy as being really big in size because he is so brave (and big in spirit). The chief compares McMurphy to his father, because they were both su ch strong people. His father fought for a long time to save his land from the government, but eventually was made to give it up, this reduced him to wasting the rest of his invigoration drinking and becoming a shadow of the man he once was. Using Chief Bromden as narrator has many ups and downs. He acts as an informational guide throughout the novel because he can secretly listen in on confidential conversations that foreshadow upcoming events.His ability to explain an event in such an effective manner also helps the reader better understands the story. Although, Chief Bromdens mental illness does create defects. His paranoia causes him to often retreat into the fog as an escape from reality which can limit the readers understanding of atmosphere in the mental ward. The hallucinations also can make it difficult for the reader to differentiate a hallucination and reality. Ken Keseys experiences in the 1950s are expressed very well in his novel, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, throug h the main character and narrator, Chief Bromden.