One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Essay Topics

1.       One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest has often been criticized for its treatment of female characters.  Compare two female characters in Cuckoo’s Nest. Choose from Nurse Ratched, Vera Harding, The Night Nurse (Nurse Pilbow), Mrs. Bromden, Mrs. Bibbit, and Candy. How does Kesey depict women in this novel? How are these women similar and different? Can they be symbols of feminist ideals, patriarchal society, social reform, misogyny etc.?  Focus on one of these topics.

 

2.      Discuss Kesey’s use of Chief Bromden as the narrator. Why is the novel told from his point of view? How does this viewpoint reflect the novel’s purpose or meaning?

3.      Many critics and readers feel that there are many parallels between McMurphy’s story (behavior, etc.) and that of Jesus Christ. Explain this comparison.  What is Kesey’s purpose or message in drawing a comparison between McMurphy and Jesus Christ?

4.      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 discuss the topic of individualism vs. group conformity in the novel. What is Kesey’s message about individuality and it’s connection with deviance and social exile? Which characters best demonstrate the conflict between individuals and group conformity? What lesson can be taken away from their journey towards individual self-discovery? Do not merely summarize the novel.

5.      Compare the mental institution in Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Big Brother and The Party in Orwell’s 1984. What message is each author sharing on authoritative figures and entities? How does each portray authoritative organizations differently and why are these differences important to their respective messages? You must use quotes from each novel.

Requirements:

·         Essay must be a minimum of 2 ½  pages, and it must follow all MLA style rules.

·         Essay must include direct quotes from the novel (minimum of three). 

·         Please write in the third person; in other words, no “I” or “you” pronouns.

·         Your essay must have an original title.

·         Your Thesis Statement must contain the three P’s (Prompt, Provable, Purpose).

·         Your Introductory Paragraph and First Body Paragraph will be due Friday 10/25. Therefore, I strongly suggest you finish the novel by Wednesday 10/23.