Power and Sexuality

To possess power means to have the capacity or the ability to direct or influence the behaviors of others or the course of events. The power dynamics in One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are, in a sense, directly related to the characters’ sexuality. The men who have no power fear the feminine form and are seen as unmasculine. The women in the novel make the inmates/patients feel insecure; Nurse Ratched partakes in this by emasculating the men in her care, pointing out their sexual inadequacies and placing the blame on their shoulders in order to maintain control in her ward. Nurse Ratched, by emasculating the patients and castrating them, has taken away their primary means of control.

McMurphy is able to use his masculinity as a weapon against Nurse Ratched. She becomes speechless when confronted by him and can do no more than make a sort of noise when he pinches her bottom. He criticizes her in a harsh way as an effort to expose her weaknesses, constantly asking questions about the size of her breasts. The confrontation between Nurse Ratched’s lack of femininity and McMurphy’s masculine presence result in a hate and power-filled sexual act that destroys them both.

Meloy, M. (2009). Fixing men: castration, impotence, and masculinity in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 17(1), 3+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A197410458/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=cd460a8c

Packer, S. (2014, February). Altered mental state: the clue in the blue bottle. Psychiatric Times, 31(2), 6. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A361848232/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=5c2b3de9

Donaldson, E. J. (2002). The corpus of the madwoman: toward a feminist disability studies theory of embodiment and mental illness. NWSA Journal, 14(3), 99+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A96953118/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=8e210ed8

Human Dignity vs. Institutional Control

Human dignity is something that cannot be taken away from an individual. Every person has value, are worthy of great respect and must be free from manipulation and exploitation; each individual has an inherent value, worth and distinction. In One flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest, Nurse Ratched is known for her strong desire to have complete control over the men who are under her jurisdiction on the psych ward. Nurse Ratched has made a distinction between sanity and insanity and with that being defined, it is then used to control and categorize individuals to make them easier to control. The text explains to us that they categorize the patients in order to treat and rehabilitate them, but it becomes clear that this process is more punitive and controlling than it is helpful for any mental ailment. There are daily meetings that occur and it tends to always pit the men against each other and the list on Nurse Ratched’s desk to record and reward the men for betraying each other’s secrets are all ways to force people to obey, not to make them well, are just a few examples. As the novel opens, the men do not have names, instead they have more broad labels. The categorization of these men shows the inherent loss of human dignity; it does not show or tell us who they are and/or what they may be interested in. The patients have very little freedom of expression and access to the actual outside world. All therapy sessions are scheduled with precision, and are to be with Nurse Ratched. This is exactly as she prefers it to be because she can then strip the humanity of her patients in order to be in complete control and run her ward.

Munoz, M. (2013). “A Veritable Angel of Mercy”: The Problem of Nurse Ratched in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Southern Review, 49(4), 668+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A350339179/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=e26709f9

Ozsu, U. (2018, Fall). NEOLIBERALISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THE BRANDT COMMISSION AND THE STRUGGLE FOR A NEW WORLD. Law and Contemporary Problems, 81(4), 139+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A570819078/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=9190e1ed

Jo, H., & Niehaus, J. (2018, Fall). THROUGH REBEL EYES: REBEL GROUPS, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND HUMANITARIAN LAW. Law and Contemporary Problems, 81(4), 101+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A570819076/GPS?u=sacred&sid=GPS&xid=75317395

Power vs. Patients

One recurring theme in Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is dehumanization. The inmates, not matter their psychological disorders, are treated unfairly and are not viewed equally to the ‘average person:’ “the inmates are typical of disturbed men whose already distorted world is being further systematically dehuman-ized by the ward nurse” (Sutherland, 1992, p. 28). This is obvious because of the way Nurse Ratched acts towards the patients. Her negative, authoritative, and unjust behavior enlightens the reader on the atmosphere of the ward, giving a sense that the environment is somewhat similar to society. The nurses in the ward make the patients feel like they are different from everyone else and that something is wrong with them: “All I know is this: nobody’s very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody else down” (Kesey, 1996, p. 174). This dehumanizing behavior of “tearing everybody else down” makes the patients feel like they are lesser than, therefore destroying their sense of self and confidence, “This process of transforming the patients into obedient automatons involves the loss of their sexuality, their masculinity, and their individuality” (Vitkus, 1994, p. 65). Those who’s disorders are more severe than others have a tendency to grasp what is truly going on, in terms of the way they are being treated and the nurse’s attitude towards the patients. The one who truly knows what is going on is Chief, the narrator of the novel.  Although there is a lot of tension in this ward, Randle Patrick McMurphy is one patient that has humor like no other. Different from other patients, McMurphy sees the abuse done to the patients and in a way, takes control of the situation. One could say that he is the ring leader of the patients due to the fact that he isn’t afraid to defend, but also teach the patients that they shouldn’t stand back while the Nurse Ratched uses her power to take advantage of the patients and make them feel like they are worthless.

Kesey, Ken.Pratt, John Clark. (1996) One flew over the cuckoo’s nest /New York : Penguin Books,

Sutherland, J. (1972). A Defense of Ken Kesey’s “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. The English Journal, 61(1), 28-31. doi:10.2307/812889

Vitkus, D. (1994). Madness and Misogyny in Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics,(14), 64-90. doi:10.2307/521766

Power’s effect on the mind

It’s difficult to understand the actions of Nurse Ratched throughout the book without understanding the psychology behind control dynamics. In an article titled, “It’s All About Control,” behavioral researchers explained why people prefer certain positions of power over the other, and the difference between choice and power. Humans tend to instinctively prefer higher positions compared to lower positions, and to have the ability to make choices compared to no control in making choices. When deprived of the ability to make choices, there is a greater thirst for power and desire to move up in position. Having either power or choice can satisfy an individual, but when deprived of both, humans tend to be unsatisfied. The patients in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest suffer from not having power nor control. They are constantly having decisions made for them which leaves them hopeless and angsty. Having power means constantly being strong enough to tolerate whatever results as a result of your actions. Having power almost completely eliminates one’s ability to see the world from other people’s points of views. A one set mind tract causes someone to have their goal or motive and be completely set on obtaining or enforcing it. Selfish, impulsive, and aggressive actions are often a result.

Cites

“It’s All About Control.” Association for Psychological Science, http://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/its-all-about-control.html.

“The Power Paradox.” Greater Good, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/power_paradox.

“The psychology of power.” Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2016, p. 94+. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A456900703/SUIC?u=sacred&sid=SUIC&xid=2ef6542e. Accessed 20 Jan. 2019.

Overview of Patients and Power

In Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the theme of power and how the patients in the institution are affected is crucial to understanding the role mental health hospitals play, and how they affect human behavior. While mental health hospitals were created in the hopes of “curing” the mentally ill and enabling them to re-enter society as contributing individuals, a negative reverse effect outcome is not uncommon. In the 20th century, one family in three would admit a family member to a mental institution where many of them would never leave ( DISCovering U.S. History, Gale). Patients went into the hospitals misdiagnosed or with no mental disorder at all, and their mental state eventually deteriorated due to two main related factors; the inhumane methods of therapy and the repressive environment caused by overly powerful authority figures. For example, Nurse Ratched, also known as “Big Nurse”, is the main authority figure in the story who seems obsessed with her position over the patients. She shows distaste towards patients thinking for themselves and will do whatever she deems necessary to stay in command. When McMurphy’s character was introduced and he served as an example of disorder and a ruin of the power structure, chaos ensued. The power construct can take over one’s psych and they may lose themselves in a fight over how they can stay in control especially when another opposing force comes into play.

Cites

“Mental Illness in the 1950s, 1950-1959.” DISCovering U.S. History, Gale, 1997. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2104240287/SUIC?u=sacred&sid=SUIC&xid=1ea24baf. Accessed 19 Jan. 2019.

McClellan, Chandler, et al. “Behavioral Health’s Integration Within a Care Network and Health Care Utilization.” Health Services Research, Dec. 2018, p. 4543+. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A567633373/SUIC?u=sacred&sid=SUIC&xid=8e354a68. Accessed 19 Jan. 2019.

“Electroconvulsive therapy.” World of Health, Gale, 2007. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CV2191500419/SUIC?u=sacred&sid=SUIC&xid=4b940063. Accessed 20 Jan. 2019.