One flew east; one flew west; one flew over the cuckoo’s nest. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film) Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick "R.P." Published. That common tie that binds these books together is that they all seem to center, in one form or another, around the theme of oppression. Ratched may suggest the lobotomy, and the Doctor must approve it, but the people who will grab either arm and tie McMurphy down on the operating table are the orderlies. But the government takes our money by force, while businesses must offer us something in exchange for the money (unless of course they buy off the government, and force our business in the form of subsidies, bailouts, grants, and taxpayer-backed loans).Ratched doesn’t care about the inmates “being taken” by McMurphy, she attempts to exploit “their losses” in order to gain the upper hand on McMurphy. You could compare Dale and Billy to people who gladly do their taxes on January 1st, and send off a check to the government with a smile on their face, glad to have done their part for society. Bromden sees society as a giant machine, which he calls the Combine, and he sees the same machine at work in the hospital.

Metaphors of Society in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey's use of description and symbolism not only enhance the depth of the narrative, but they provide the reader with amazing insight into the character’s minds, hearts and souls. Oppression in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou This was the first major success that black activists had enjoyed and it gave hope to the author that people really could make a difference when they were united, organized, and had justice on their side. Can you imagine being stuck in an insane asylum, when you aren’t really crazy?That is sometimes what society feels like, living life in this government controlled nut house.The book was written by Ken Kesey after he worked in a sanitarium. Fog is a phenomenon that clouds our vision of the world. Overview; Cite this; Elena Semino; Kate Swindlehurst; Close. In this novel, fogs symbolize a lack of insight and an escape from reality. Louise Fletcher, who played Mildred Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, said that she imagined the character as a 40-year-old virgin. But Billy didn’t feel guilty about having sex, he just could not handle the thought of his mother finding out, which she would never have, if not for Nurse Ratched.The government tells you drugs will ruin your life. He, like the hippies, challenges authority and brings about change by inciting others to rebel as well. And they will crush anything, or anyone, who stands in their way.5 Ways “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” is an Anti-Government Metaphor,America’s Revolutionary Founders Would Be…,5 Ways the Hunger Games Dystopia Happened in Real Life,Six Ways to Gain Power in Uncertain Times,10 Ways the Communist Manifesto has Infiltrated the USA,3 Overlooked Ways the Drug War Serves the American Empire,The messed up reason age 30 is the new 20,How Government Literally Drives People Insane,Guess who ends up paying those taxes meant only for the rich…,No, you don’t have to care about any of this,How the haunting words of an escaped slave apply today. In the end, McMurphy, supposed to only have a 5-month sentence, is given a lobotomy.If you are a rebel, the government wants you to be violent. Why?' But when Nurse Ratched finds out, she says she will have to tell Billy’s mom, and guilt trips Billy for doing this to himself (since she was a prostitute), and those who love him.When Billy kills himself minutes later, it is not Nurse Ratched who takes the blame, even though it was clearly her actions that led to Billy’s suicide.