McMurphy is Not a Christ Figure in Ken Keseys One Flew...

McMurphy is Not a Christ Figure in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Literary fiction is littered with references to Christianity. It is very obviously a large and influential force in the western world so it is hardly surprising that a novel such as One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, which is so questioning of our society and moral values, should be so full of references to what is arguably the basis of these values. What the question asks, however, is if the character of McMurphy is portrayed as a Christ figure. A Christ figure being a reflection of the New Testament messiah within the characters actions, beliefs and effect on those around him. The figure will then redeem his followers, lead them to salvation, be†¦show more content†¦The number of men that accompany McMurphy are twelve; the same number of Christs disciples, many of whom were fishermen . During the fishing the men come into themselves, following McMurphys lead when he uses the `advantage in Hardings words of mental illness to intimidate and outwit two gas-station a ttendants ` The doc wouldnt lie like that about just any patients, but we aint ordinary nuts; were every bloody one of us hot of the criminal insane ward, on our way to San Quentin. As the men and the doctor grow in confidence McMurphy retreats further into the background , allowing the men to individually challenge themselves and grow. For example when there are too few life jackets McMurphy does not do as most heroes would and go without, instead he forces another of the men to do so and assert themselves, in the Chiefs words ` It started slow and pumped itself full, swelling the men bigger and bigger. Further allusion to Christs life comes when McMurphy and the Chief are disturbed following the incident in the shower room protecting George from the violence of the aides. This trial and punishment mirrors that of Christs. A patient on the ward is heard to say ` I wash my hands repeatedly, the words of Pontious Pilate. As McMurphy is given EST his head is `anointed with conductant before he is given a `Crown of Thorns. There is a curious inconsistency with the comparison of McMurphy and Christ,Show MoreRelated Christ-like McMurphy in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest1379 Words   |  6 PagesThe Christ-like McMurphy in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Ken Kesey utilizes Jesus Christ as a constant symbol throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. The protagonist of the story acts as a model and leader for other characters in the book, just as Christ was for his disciples. It is appropriate that such a leader would be closely associated with a powerful, and worshiped figure. Keseys use of Christ associates the ideas or theories in One Flew Over the Cuckoos NestRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Literary Analysis1003 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom can be obtained through the defiance of society’s expectations to find a sense of individuality. Ken Kesey’s ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ is a novel originally published in 1962, which centres on the lives of patients in a psychiatric hospital. Symbolism, one of the many techniques, was incorporated into the novel, to convey the main ideas of freedom, and society versus individual. Motifs and symbols are vaguely different, in a sense that motifs are symbols unique to the novel, whereasRead MoreOne Flew over the Cuckoos Nest - Analytical Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesEssay – One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest is a creation of the socio-cultural context of his time. Social and cultural values, attitudes and beliefs informed his invited reading of his text. Ken Kesey was a part of The Beat generation and many of their ideologies and the socio cultural context of U.S post WWII were evident through characters and various discourses throughout One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, giving us his invited reading. Ken Kesey isRead MoreGeorge Orwell s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest2635 Words   |  11 PagesGrace Wang Period 3 Humanities V 4/17/2015 Defending Controversial Novels Essay Draft Kesey Flew East, His Critics Fly West: They’ve All Missed the Merit in the Cuckoo’s Nest â€Å"There s something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy† (Kesey qtd. in Sova 244). This energy, however, comes with a cost, as demonstrated by Kesey’s revolutionary novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In the process of writing the book, Kesey embarked with ambitious goal of ultimately reshapingRead MoreDiscourses of Conformity in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest and Advice to Young Ladies1200 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the novel ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ written by Ken Kesey, and the poem ‘Advice to Young Ladies’ crafted by A.D. Hope, there is evidence to suggest that the discourses represented by the characters in the novel and poem unveil the ways discourses of conformity underpin the characters’ actions, perceptions and motives, as well as inviting and silencing beliefs, attitudes and values. The author and poet are able to strongly convey their beliefs to the reade r from their personal experiencesRead MoreEssay on One Flew Over the Crucifix1969 Words   |  8 PagesHospital, Ken Kesey was stricken with an idea that would later turn into his first novel. That novel, entitled One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, went on to become his most famous work and a celebrated piece of modern American fiction (Lupack 566). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tells the story of a mental hospital which is running quite smoothly until a new patient enters the ward and sets chaos in motion. This new patient, McMurphy, disagrees with the rules of the ward’s authority figure, Nurse RatchedRead MoreThe Role of Men and Women in Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest1181 Words   |  5 Pagestext of Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in many ways, conforms to the structure of conventional male myth and asks the reader to accept that myth as a heroic pattern. From a masculinist perspective, it offers a charismatic h ero in Randle Patrick McMurphy, a figure of spiritual strength and sexual energy, whose laughter restores the patients of the mental institution to life and confounds the combine’s â€Å"machines,† or authoritarians. However, the struggle between McMurphy and NurseRead More Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Essay1160 Words   |  5 PagesKen Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Ken Keseys use of symbolism in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest transforms the novel and the hospital within the novel a microcosm of society, a battle between the sane and insane, the conformist and the non-conformist. Randle McMurphys arrival influenced the lives of almost every person, whether patient or employee. Whether or not his motives and actions were moral or good-hearted is difficult to conclude, however. On one hand, he undoubtedly savedRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1765 Words   |  8 Pages A novel based off of a nursery rhyme must be peaceful and cheerful right? Not according to Ken Kesey. In his kaleidoscopic novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey introduces the reader to a plethora of kooky, loony, and downright absurd situations, all the while being set in a mental hospital in the 1960’s. Kesey adventures in experimenting with elements of an entirely new literary time period, Post-Modernism. By using an overabundance of tones that, to the ordinary author, would be insaneRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest Essay1604 Words   |  7 Pages The Truth Even If It Didn’t Happen: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest By: Aubree Martinez Period 1 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is one of the greatest novels of the 1960s that expertly uses mental illness, rebellion, and abused authority to captivate the readers. This book is densely populated with interesting characters, such as the new admission R.P. McMurphy, that makes you dive below the surface of sanity, rebellion, and authoritative issues that are spread throughout