The Clash Between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Abstract

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest written by Ken Kesey and published in 1962, is considered one of the most important works of American fiction in the 20th century. The novel recreates the story of a group of mentally ill patients and their medical treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Oregon, which is led by the head nurse Ratched. The narrative serves as a study of institutional processes and the human mind as well as a critique of psychiatry and a tribute to individualistic principles. The narrative presents a microcosm created and ruled by the head Nurse, who wields an unchallenged authority until the novel's protagonist arrives at the psychiatric facility. This thesis will focus on the clash between the Nurse and the newly arrived patient named Patrick McMurphy. It will analyze the reasons for their confrontations and the collateral effects on the other patients. It will assess the effects of the totalitarian leadership and the rebellion led by McMurphy. The analysis will be based on the approaches of New Criticism.