Freedom In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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Written by Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an allegorical novel born out of the psychedelic movement of the 1960’s. The story is centered on Randall Patrick McMurphy, a gambler who is admitted into a mental institution and who drastically changes the lives of the patients residing in it. The novel deals with the themes of free will and the definition of personal freedom. More specifically, Kesey suggests that true personal freedom cannot be obtained at the hands of a leader – it must come from the individuals themselves. This is shown through McMurphy’s initial relationship with the patients, his development into the role of a martyr figure, and Chief Bromden’s dramatic actions at the end of the novel. McMurphy initially assumes
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