Analysis Of Mcmurphy In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Inner Conflict: Randle Patrick McMurphy
“it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody down”. McMurphy States as he speaks to Harding in One flew over the cuckoo's nest. As we come to understand McMurphy and all his faults we see why he comes to this conclusion. McMurphy struggles between doing what is right and what is wrong as well as whether to leave everything alone so that he may fulfill his own desires. We see a man fight against an oppressive environment and all that it entails not only to help himself but eventually to help others. We see a character that may not always make the right choice although having good intentions. Ken Kesey delves into everything from common knowledge to abstract concepts based on
In fact, McMurphy often seems like he might be an antagonist if not for the context that he is placed in. McMurphy attempts to help the other wards of the psychological wing of the hospital, but in doing so seemingly dooms himself. As we see McMurphy develop as a person and character we come to see ultimately that although he helps, part of McMurphy is selfish and worried about himself more than the others. We see this when he speaks to the lifeguard at the pool and they argue about which is better the hospital or jail. “You're sentenced in jail, and you got a date ahead of you when you know you're gonna be turned loose”. After McMurphy hears this he wonders whether he should continue his line of action. He wonders whether it is really worth it to continue to antagonize nurse ratched. We see McMurphy eventually take actions to prevent prolonging his stay at the hospital. Which also leads to some of the patients he has helped feeling sorry for him. They understand what he is doing but do not like it. “Because they can understand as well as i can that the only way he’s going to get the Big Nurse to lift his commitment is by acting like she wants”. McMurphy follows the nurse's orders and stops acting out. He even goes on to stop supporting his friends while they are in their meetings with the nurses. Even McMurphy's seemingly iron will is nowhere to be found while the “Big Nurse” seemingly sucks the life out of him.
We see McMurphy as he develops from a raunchy outspoken individual, to a seldom speaking Chief Bromden reminiscent character, and eventually into a iron willed defender of himself and those around him. As we see the various transformations of McMurphy we see a struggle against the despotism of the hospital environment and we also see him shoved through a crucible of epic proportion when he has to fight his instincts for self preservation to instead help others than himself. Throughout this we understand McMurphy does many unsavory acts, but in the end he faces the music. Works Cited
Kesey, Ken. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. NY, NY: Penguin, 2016. Print.
Sutherland, Janet R. "A Defense of Ken Kesey's `One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'."DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003. N. pag. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Waldmeir, Joseph J. "Two Novelists of the Absurd: Heller and Kesey." EXPLORING Novels. Detroit: Gale, 2003. N. pag. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Wallace, Ronald. "What Laughter Can Do: Ken Kesey's `One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'." DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003. N. pag. Student Resources in Context. Web. 18 Apr.