First Cuckoo's Nest Blog

Unlike The Great Gatsby, in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest the characters are defined and easier to divide into the three categories of hero, antihero, and villain. The three primary characters in the novel are Chief Bromden, Randal McMurphy, and Nurse Ratched.

Hero: Chief Bromden is the hero in the story because he is the sole character that does not disturb or harm anyone. He is patient, quiet, and helpful and does not really question the authority of Nurse Ratched, which really speaks to his character that he respects authority. That being said, Chief is also not very engaging or sociable and does not really exhibit the outward traits of a typical hero. He also submits to an evil authority figure who virtually tortures the patients for her own deranged enjoyment; nevertheless, his behavior towards the nurse is consistent with his other behaviors. According to Billy Bibbit, besides sweeping, "There's not m-much else he can do, I guess"(24). The majority of the patients think he is deaf and dumb because he doesn't speak even though he is actually one of the most intellegent in the ward and is definitely the most oberservant, which makes him a reliable and fair narrator.

Antihero: The new "Admission" definitely fits the category of antihero. Randal McMurphy, convicted of statutory rape, was formerly imprisoned on a work farm, but he manipulated the psychiatrist there to declare him insane so that he could be moved to the asylum. This manipulation and deceit along with his rowdy habits make McMurphy the ideal antihero because of his quest to destroy the villain, Nurse Ratched. I can foresee that it will be a battle of wits and will between the two characters because both are so similar in their manipulative behavior, yet so different in their mannerisms.

Villain: When I started the novel and Nurse Ratched was first introduced, I knew she would be the villain. I could tell by her walk and behavior that she is really not the nice, genteel nurse that she claims to be. As noted by McMurphy," Hoowee, I've seen some bitches in my time, but she takes the cake"(60). After progressing further into the novel, I seriously question if this nurse is not a sociopath who taunts and harasses the patients for her sick enjoyment. She takes every chance she gets to publicly humiliate the patients or exercise her power over them with her "aides" who, I believe, are just as deranged because of their behavior. Nurse Ratched is a villain in every way and Kesey makes it clear to the audience that this woman is not only a villain as a person, but as a society.