One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Flashback Essay

Flashbacks Through his integration of flashbacks in the storyline of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey, the author, is able to demonstrate his criticism of society’s ignorance and its attempt to conform all of its members to the norm. In the novel, Chief Bromden recalls the first time he was ignored, causing him to lose his voice and be rendered into silence. During an encounter with some unexpected visitors in the Falls, Chief’s voice goes unheard and thinks “that they don’t look like they’d heard me talk at all” (Kesey 213). Assuming that the Chief is unable to speak or understand English, the visitors choose to ignore his attempt to be included in the conversation. Through the use of a flashback to highlight the ignorance of the
Throughout the novel, the Chief constantly refers back to the Combine. The Chief believes this Combine molds individuals to fit the norm. During the Chief’s flashback to his childhood, he attributes the loss of his native land to the Combine. He even states that his father was forced to give up his land due to the pressures of society and thinks that the Combine “worked on him for years. He was big enough to fight it for a while. It wanted us to live in inspected houses. It wanted to take the falls” (Kesey 220). The Combine, symbolizing conformity, caused the loss of culture and uniqueness. By pressuring the Chief’s father to give up his land, it took away the traditions and culture of the Native Americans. Through Kesey’s use of flashback to display this pivotal point in Chief’s life, Kesey is able to draw attention to the devastating effects of the Combine and ill treatment of the Native Americans. The detrimental effects of the Combine prompted the Chief to avoid falling victim to it, leading him to avoid attention through his facade of acting dumb and deaf. Through the use of flashbacks throughout the course of the novel, Kesey is able to comment on the prejudices of society and its effort to change people to