institutions and individual experience
English Essay
How have the ideas about Institutions and Individual Experience been explored in your set text?
In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest the ideas of Institution and Individual Experience are explored deeply. The ideas are conveyed through the characters of the story. They include Randle Mcmurphy, Chief Bromden, Billy Bibbit and a number of side characters.
The effects of institution are quite apparent on the main character Mcmurphy. What Mcmurphy thinks will be an easy sentence in the Institution ends up as a nightmare for him. Life inside the ward begins to weigh down on him heavily, as he struggles under the conditions and is driven almost mad. He begins to understand that Institution is a place that can change you, which is what the text seems to indicate throughout the story as many of the characters change.
In Mcmurphy’s case as he is a rebellious personality defies the Institution and refuses to change. His Individual experiences as a dominant male figure of society make him a threat to the Institution and the rules which attracts the attention of Nurse Ratchet. She is a monstrous bitch who tortures and humiliates the patients of the ward for her own amusement. On a daily basis she humiliates Billy Bibbit and is mainly responsible for his “mental illness” as she torments him. The best example of this is when Billy Bibbit is given his first sexual experience and she asks Billy if he is ashamed of himself. Instead of stuttering out of utter lack of confidence he answers back “No I’m not” in a strong, confident tone. We can see that the Institution has severely damaged Billy’s confidence thus creating his “mental illness” as he is temporarily normalized until Nurse Ratchet threatens him with his abusive mother. Without Mcmurphy’s individual experience of self-reliance and inner strength Billy Bibbit is crushed under the effects of the Institution and eventually commits suicide to escape. Even Mcmurphy is driven insane by the oppressive nature of
How have the ideas about Institutions and Individual Experience been explored in your set text?
In One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest the ideas of Institution and Individual Experience are explored deeply. The ideas are conveyed through the characters of the story. They include Randle Mcmurphy, Chief Bromden, Billy Bibbit and a number of side characters.
The effects of institution are quite apparent on the main character Mcmurphy. What Mcmurphy thinks will be an easy sentence in the Institution ends up as a nightmare for him. Life inside the ward begins to weigh down on him heavily, as he struggles under the conditions and is driven almost mad. He begins to understand that Institution is a place that can change you, which is what the text seems to indicate throughout the story as many of the characters change.
In Mcmurphy’s case as he is a rebellious personality defies the Institution and refuses to change. His Individual experiences as a dominant male figure of society make him a threat to the Institution and the rules which attracts the attention of Nurse Ratchet. She is a monstrous bitch who tortures and humiliates the patients of the ward for her own amusement. On a daily basis she humiliates Billy Bibbit and is mainly responsible for his “mental illness” as she torments him. The best example of this is when Billy Bibbit is given his first sexual experience and she asks Billy if he is ashamed of himself. Instead of stuttering out of utter lack of confidence he answers back “No I’m not” in a strong, confident tone. We can see that the Institution has severely damaged Billy’s confidence thus creating his “mental illness” as he is temporarily normalized until Nurse Ratchet threatens him with his abusive mother. Without Mcmurphy’s individual experience of self-reliance and inner strength Billy Bibbit is crushed under the effects of the Institution and eventually commits suicide to escape. Even Mcmurphy is driven insane by the oppressive nature of