One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest VS. the Grapes of Wrath - Comparative Essay
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST VS. GRAPES OF WRATH - COMPARATIVE ESSAY - ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ENGLISH GRADE 12
False riches, consisting of money, houses and lands, acquired by selfish means at cost to others
and thereafter used selfishly, are almost always used for the oppression of other people – (Joseph
Franklin Rutherford). One Flew over the Cookoo’s Nest (Ken Kesey) and the Grapes of Wrath (John
Steinbeck) are two novels about oppression, rebellion and self-sacrifice. Both protagonists have been
disenfranchised by oppressive societies in which people are segregated into classes and all power
centralized; however, both are led to salvation and escape their confinement.
The books protagonists have been deprived of power by their oppressive leaders, they have been stuck
at the bottom of society forced to conform just to survive. McMurphy; the protagonist from (OFOTCN)
has been deprived of his power within the mental institution. Although his idea of power is to be
sexually superior to women he has lost all control of his grip on women.
“So you see my friend, it is somewhat as you stated: man has but one truly effective weapon
against the juggernaut of modern matriarchy, but it certainly is not laughter. One weapon, and with
every passing year in this hip, motivationally researched society, more and more people are discovering
how to render that weapon useless and conquer those who have hitherto been conquerors” - (RPM)
In this quote McMurphy is talking about the penis and how the only weapon man has
left against the juggernaut of modern matriarchy is rape. Nurse Ratched is one of the people who
discovered how to render the weapon useless against man by not revealing any cleavage, wearing
concealing clothing and not showing any signs of lust. McMurphy tries to show the patients she is not a
tough leader by exposing her feminine side, he starts by wearing just a towel, pinching her butt,
False riches, consisting of money, houses and lands, acquired by selfish means at cost to others
and thereafter used selfishly, are almost always used for the oppression of other people – (Joseph
Franklin Rutherford). One Flew over the Cookoo’s Nest (Ken Kesey) and the Grapes of Wrath (John
Steinbeck) are two novels about oppression, rebellion and self-sacrifice. Both protagonists have been
disenfranchised by oppressive societies in which people are segregated into classes and all power
centralized; however, both are led to salvation and escape their confinement.
The books protagonists have been deprived of power by their oppressive leaders, they have been stuck
at the bottom of society forced to conform just to survive. McMurphy; the protagonist from (OFOTCN)
has been deprived of his power within the mental institution. Although his idea of power is to be
sexually superior to women he has lost all control of his grip on women.
“So you see my friend, it is somewhat as you stated: man has but one truly effective weapon
against the juggernaut of modern matriarchy, but it certainly is not laughter. One weapon, and with
every passing year in this hip, motivationally researched society, more and more people are discovering
how to render that weapon useless and conquer those who have hitherto been conquerors” - (RPM)
In this quote McMurphy is talking about the penis and how the only weapon man has
left against the juggernaut of modern matriarchy is rape. Nurse Ratched is one of the people who
discovered how to render the weapon useless against man by not revealing any cleavage, wearing
concealing clothing and not showing any signs of lust. McMurphy tries to show the patients she is not a
tough leader by exposing her feminine side, he starts by wearing just a towel, pinching her butt,