One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay

George Graham Vest once said, “History is written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and biases existing on their side.” People always want to be on the right side of history. They want to make their mark on the world. Today, some have become so hurt by politics that they are paralyzed in fear of mentioning anything that goes against the status quo. However, what people cannot say aloud, books will always shout. One book that deserves this credit is Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which fantastically explores universal human themes through uniquely complex perspectives and incredibly simple storytelling. Some, however, believe that writing can be ‘too offensive’ or ‘outdated’ and call for book banning, failing to see the human aspect. Kesey aches to show what it means to be human. Although parents may want to ban the novel …show more content…
Students learn through Kesey's characterization what it takes to feel human. Through the imagery described by Kesey of the town that the main protagonist grew up in, it can be seen that he was raised in poverty (Kesey 218). His independent spirit, gambling, and charismatic character shows students that despite the belief that a middle-class lifestyle (obtained by graduating from high school, abstaining from sex until marriage, and holding long-term employment) is the expectation, it only represents so many people (Sawhill). This characterization sharply contrasts with Mrs. Ratched’s belief that a middle-class lifestyle is a moral categorized by her uptight and perfect appearance and her attempts to hide her femininity (Kesey 29). Students, through Kesey’s incredible description, can not only peer into the characters' lives, but their own. In fact, according to Schneider, while students are often overscheduled, getting diverse characters, like those of Kesey’s, creates philosophical questions that can only be obtained through reading

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Essay on One flew over the cuckoo's nest