One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

     Author                            Ken Kesey

     Country                          United States

     Genre                             Fiction

     Publication Date           1962

     Pages                             320






Set in the 1960s, this book gives the readers an interesting insight into the life at a mental asylum. The main plot of the the book is built around an ongoing and irresolvable conflict between the two protagonists: Nurse Ratched who likes order and control and the patient McMurphy who is a fun loving, spirited and boisterous rebel. McMurphy's refusal to bow down to the almost tyrannical nurse reflects his streak of non conformity and individualism in a world that is mostly defined by rules and authority. 

Ken has done a fine job of showcasing the human dynamics that come to play in any organizational set up. The willingness of the other patients to succumb to the nurse (for fear of consequences), the refusal to support McMurphy in his crazy expeditions and finally the consequent uprising against authority once they see in McMurphy a leader of their cause, reflects how human psyche works. We are all vulnerable and are willing to bow down to authority to protect our selfish interests; unless there is someone who can lead us to believe otherwise. 

While I enjoyed reading the book, my honest submission is that this is a little over rated. I admire McMurphy's spirit and his courage to stand his own but am confused on the final message that the book wanted to convey. 

McMurphy's tragic end to me signifies the crushing of human spirit in the favour of authority. But am not convinced that that is what Ken wanted to leave us with. Thus, I am left wondering whether the sole idea of the book was to convey the struggle between authority and individualism rather than selecting a winner between the two!

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