One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Essay Topics

You will have the choice to choose one of the following topics to write on for your in-class essay for Friday, October 5^th.

1)    How does power play a role in Kesey’s novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Write an essay in which you analyze the development of the power struggle between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy throughout the novel. Discuss who ends up winning at the end of the novel. Do not merely summarize the novel.

a.       Think about the use of symbolism of power in the novel.

b.      Does the power shift from one character to the other? How is this important to the novel?

 

2)    The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority or the powerful is a recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Write an essay in which you explore whether or not McMurphy gives the other patients a sense of individualism throughout the book. How is this sense of individualism transferred from McMurphy to the patients? How is this sense of individualism displayed by the patients?   Do not merely summarize the novel.

a.       You can focus on specific characters, such as Bromden, or on several characters.

 

3)    Gender Analysis:  One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest has often been criticized for its treatment of gender and female characters.  Is this criticism deserved? How are women depicted in this novel? Analyze the role of femininity and masculinity in the novel and how Kesey uses these traits to move the plot forward.

a.       You can focus on Kesey’s depiction of Nurse Ratched and the prostitutes.

 

4)    Biblical Allusions: Why does Ken Kesey repeatedly allude to the Bible? What comparisons does Kesey try to make with the figures from his novel to the figures from biblical literature? How are these comparisons important for the plot of the novel?