Gambling and Taking Risks in One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest

Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest operates as an entertaining and interesting novel on a pure surface level. There’s a good story, well-developed characters and fresh language. It has all the workings of a good novel, but One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest isn’t just a good novel. It’s a great one, because Kesey uses Chief Bromden’s perspective to let imagery flow out of the novel and have it all come back to one theme: individuality and its repression by society. This idea is highlighted by the image of gambling vs. playing it safe, whether in literal card games or as a way of living. The mental ward’s new patient, Randle Patrick McMurphy, is a self-described â€Å"gambling fool† (12)1, while his opposer, â€Å"Big Nurse† Ratched,†¦show more content†¦As the seeds of McMurphy’s influence are being planted, the men on the ward still won’t take any gambles or let loose and have fun (with the exception of McMurphy’s casino), choosing to stay with the mechanical and manufactured routine. As the Acutes begin to gamble more on the ward, the doctor proposes using the old tub room as â€Å"...a sort of second day room, a game room† (111), which is a gamble in itself for the doctor, because he knows the nurse will shoot it down. With the help of some forward thinking from the doctor the idea is approved, and the patients begin gambling on more games, even betting on Monopoly at one point and the World Series. To watch the games, McMurphy proposes at a group meeting that the television time on the ward be changed and it’s put to a vote that the other men are too cagey to actually participate in for cynicism that the Nurse will cheat and get her way. Pissed off at the Acutes, McMurphy bets that he can lift a large control panel in the tub room. They all bet more than they usually do, because they know that McMurphy can’t possibly lift t he control panel, and when McMurphy inevitably fails, he give all the Acutes the accumulated IOUs back and says, â€Å"But I tried, though...Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, didn’t I?† (125). McMurphy establishes the mainShow MoreRelatedOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest2680 Words   |  11 Pages One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Marissa Sobetski University of Michigan-Dearborn Abstract It is fairly often in pop culture that some form of entertainment focuses on some presentation of psychopathology; whether it is a novel, short story, pop-psychology book, or other media, such as film. The public seems to be fascinated by the â€Å"crazies† and their treatment. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is one such film, this 1975 classic focuses on a character named Randle P. McMurphyRead MoreKen Kesey s One Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest2448 Words   |  10 PagesSearching for an archetype, or an example, when trying something for either the first time or something that is daunting is a common train of thought for a person. This same idea can apply to Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in which the protagonist essentially becomes an embodiment of a hero. This piece of literature takes place in the 1960’s, and is presented through the vision of Chief Bromden, a patient that is stuck within an figment of imagination where those who fa ll to the mechanicalRead MoreAddiction Psychology4561 Words   |  19 Pages ADDICTION REVISION Biological Models of Addiction MODEL ONE: GENETICS McGue (1999) found that genes contribute to the development of alcohol dependence, with heritability estimates from 50-60% for both men and women. Noble et al (1991) found that the A1 variant of the DRD2 (Dopamine Receptor) was present in more than 2/3 of deceased alcoholics. Those with the A1 variant appear to have fewer dopamine receptors; they then turn to drugs and alcohol to increase their dopamine levels – compensating