Banned Book: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kessey

Randle Patrick McMurphy is a betting man, always has been. So when he was sent to the psychiatric ward as a transfer from the work farm, he bet the other patients that he could get Nurse Ratched to lose her cool and break her rock hard demeanor. You see, McMurphy isn’t insane. Oh no, he is as sane as they come. He just wanted a break from the work farm. But Ms. Ratched is the head nurse of this particular ward and there are things she simply doesn’t allow, like gambling and not taking your medicine. She is in complete control of not only the staff but the mindset of the patients and McMurphy recognizes her power as soon as he arrives. The bet led to a rivalry that would last for months between McMurphy and Ratched. It was struggle that would lead to hostilities between patients and those in control at the mental hospital. It was fight McMurphy was prepared and ready to win at any cost.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was an interesting observation of people in a controlled setting. Here we have patients in a mental institution, some will be there for life, while others have the option to leave under their own free will. All of the patients believe that they are not prepared for what lay outside of the gates. They are not mentally capable of living their lives outside of these gates for a wide range of reasons. But who convinced them of that fact? Society? Nurse Ratched? Their families? These patients were restricting themselves and McMurphy realized the truth. He saw Nurse Ratched, who was an extremely imposing figure, as the physical representation of that restriction and he sought to fight against it. McMurphy’s bravado, charisma, demeanor and character gave strength to those around him and eventually many started to recognize those things that were holding them back.

Kessey’s novel was extremely intriguing and unique. It’s told through the eyes Chief Bromden, another patient in the institution whom everyone thought was deaf and dumb. He was a treasure trove of information because of all these things he was allowed to see and hear because of assumed disabilities. It proved for an interesting way to tell the story. A man who knows the history and can see through the manipulations being broadcast. Our narrator went through his own awakening, in more ways than one, which greatly enriched the novel. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest observed a plethora of themes regarding human nature, fear, sexuality, and mental health. While I can appreciate the necessary aspects of exploring the honesty of human nature in literature, others don’t always feel the same way. For example, Ohio residents actually sued the board of action to remove the novel in 1974 because of its display of pornography, criminal activity, and its descriptions of other acts. When looking at this novel as a whole I can’t honestly describe how any of these issues take away from the story or impact the reader. None of the above mentioned transgressions are highlighted enough in the story to where they can reasonably leave a lasting impression. They were simply used as vehicles to make a specific point or highlight reasoning. Those who support the banning must obviously feel otherwise. But I shouldn’t be affected by their issue with any aspect of the novel, which is why banning is so disconcerting. Where you find offense, I may find art and there are no rules, nor should be there be, regarding how anything should be defined.  

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons  Retrieved 6/16/2014