One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest is a little bit difficult to understand at first, mostly because the narrator is a schizophrenic, but after reading the chapter summaries in addition to the book it began to make more sense. Because the narrator is often times distant from reality it makes it difficult to know what is real and what is just a part of his imagination. Often times the chief sees things through distorted eyes and exaggerates what is actually going on. The chief’s unreliable perspective of the ward makes the reader have to analyze what he says and figure out what is actually happening. I think the book does use very racist language, but this is used due to the time period that the book was written, which helps to make it authentic. Even though some of the language is degrading and insulting, I think that it is used to help portray the time period to the reader. Also I don’t see the book as misogynist. While it does portray the main antagonist as a woman I don’t think that means that the book deserves to be criticized for misogyny, because I don’t think that is the books aim. I think the main antagonist happens to be a women nurse who is sometimes involved in the emasculation of men. Thursday, October 20, 2011
One Flew Over The Cuckoos nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest is a little bit difficult to understand at first, mostly because the narrator is a schizophrenic, but after reading the chapter summaries in addition to the book it began to make more sense. Because the narrator is often times distant from reality it makes it difficult to know what is real and what is just a part of his imagination. Often times the chief sees things through distorted eyes and exaggerates what is actually going on. The chief’s unreliable perspective of the ward makes the reader have to analyze what he says and figure out what is actually happening. I think the book does use very racist language, but this is used due to the time period that the book was written, which helps to make it authentic. Even though some of the language is degrading and insulting, I think that it is used to help portray the time period to the reader. Also I don’t see the book as misogynist. While it does portray the main antagonist as a woman I don’t think that means that the book deserves to be criticized for misogyny, because I don’t think that is the books aim. I think the main antagonist happens to be a women nurse who is sometimes involved in the emasculation of men. 
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with Jasmine about how the book is difficult to understand. I had to read a few summaries online to fully understand what was occurring. The characters talk kind of different, since Kessey is trying to portray them as mental patients. Chief Bromden is schizophrenic so it’s often hard to understand what he’s saying. Whenever he exaggerates something it’s hard to picture what happening since you can’t see it. The book is somewhat misogynistic but I don’t think it should be banned. It’s still a good book and can be read without coming off too misogynistic. The book helped usher in cultural changes because before then people didn’t really challenge authority. But after the release of this book Kessey was able to change that.
ReplyDeleteI also had to read a few summaries to understand the book, but it all made sense. Bromden's allusions sound kind of weird, like the fog allusion and how the nurse is a robot, but I see how the fog portrays society. When you're in the fog, you're "safe". But when you step out the fog, you're stepping out of that conformity. This novel changed society in a way that basically is saying that you should be yourself and not listen to everyone else. And like Luke said, it helped people challenge authority. The book isn't that bad to be banned from schools. The racism and sexual references are what was going on in the 60s, I don't think the author purposely wrote it like that for no reason, it's just what was going on around him at that time. High school students shouldn't be shielded from these sorts of things, if anything, being exposed to some of those things like racism helps a student understand a world different from their own that use to exist.
ReplyDelete