Cuckoos Nest Analysis of Randle
Essay by review • March 15, 2011 • Book/Movie Report • 539 Words (3 Pages) • 1,339 Views
Randle Patrick McMurphy is transferred from a prison work farm to an Oregon state mental hospital for 90 days of psychiatric observation; because the prison believes there is something wrong with his sanity. He was placed on the prison work farm for criminal activity as well as being charged for sagatory rape. Randal McMurphy seems like a man who likes to live an adventurous life.
While McMurphy is in the psychiatric ward he demonstrates his basic human rights and impulses, he protests against heavy-handed rules about watching the World Series, and illegally stages both a fishing trip and an after hours party with hookers and drinking. The inmates flock around Randle, as each one of them is an illustrative part of the human psyche, and what can go wrong with it. They suffer from schizophrenia, repressed feelings, sexual incertitude, extreme stress and anxiety aggression. This just shows how fine the line is between sanity and insanity, the need to be free in the real world, and locked up in a hospital. The ward is dominated by the superior, controlling, strict, and cold hearted, Nurse Ratched.
Nurse Ratched sees her organization at the ward as being completely turned upside down, as Randle puts excitement and joy in the lethargic inmates with his eccentric behavior. Nurse Ratched mechanical and automated, such as her robotic movements and precise speech, she has the machinery of power on her side to ensure that McMurphy will not defeat her by changing the ways of the system. It does not take McMurphy long to see that she has made gutless wonders out all the men inside that ward. These men are sedated by drugs and afraid of the electro-shock therapy used for breaking rules, the inmates tremble before her in their ward therapy sessions and free times. The ward therapy meetings illustrate the intimidation and control techniques that Nurse Ratched uses to apply her power over the inmates. The meeting begins with Nurse Ratched selecting a patient and humiliating him by describing his personal and psychological problems, then with Nurse Ratched asking the other patients to comment on the problems she has described. The purpose of this is to put the patients against one another, causing an encouragement of argument among the patients so that they remain obedient to her. This alone would drive any sane man insane; Nurse Ratched takes your weakness to use it against the patients.
McMurphy and Chief had planned to escape during the booze
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