1 flew over the cuckoo's nest (essay)

[-GS-]

This is an essay i had to do and its due this coming wednesday, and i was just wondering if i could get some insight from everyone here, as to what i should change or keep.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Black Boys

Chief Bromden despises the black boys in the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” This is due to the fact that Nurse Ratched selects them, because they are full of hatred, and over the years they have successfully become tuned into the nurse’s “frequency.” Ken Kesey also discriminates against the black boys, this is because the novel takes place in a post war era, and racism is a major concern. In the novel the “black boys” never harm anyone in the novel, so could it be that Chief Bromden is inclined to label them as being evil due to his times, or his insanity?

The main reason that the “black boys” are hated is because they are controlled by Nurse Ratched. This automatically makes them seem immoral because they are seen to be minions of a greater evil (which happens to be the nurse.) The nurse is shown to be the great antagonist in the novel, and it seems that everyone that submits to her will is shown to be either evil or a very weak individual. For example, the “black boys” are shown to be evil because they love to inflict pain and horror upon the patients, while the doctor is shown to be very weak and submissive to Nurse Ratched, and will do anything that she says, even going so far as calling McMurphy mentally ill. The “black boys” can almost be looked upon as being the Darth Vader’s of Star Wars. This is true because they are full of hatred and anger, and they are controlled by a more supreme evil (also known as the Emperor.) Another important fact that we should consider is that all battles have two sides. These sides are almost always portrayed as being evil and good, Yin and Yang, or furthermore the “black boys” and McMurphy. Although all black people are not the root of evil, could it be that Mr. Kesey had reasoning to make the nurse’s acolytes black?

Since the novel takes place post war, there is still a lot of racism still around. This may be one of the reasons that the Chief hates the black boys. There are many instances of there being racism in the novel. The “black boys” are shown to be illiterate and unable to form proper sentences, for example “Why, why you s’pose signed Chief Bromden up for this foolishness? Innuins ain’t able to write.”
It is evident that the author is displaying his racist attitudes and beliefs by further showing white people as being successful by having professional jobs that are high paying. These people play roles such as doctors, nurses and any other occupations which are respectable. While on the other hand the "black boys" are given very low paying jobs that are looked down upon. There is also the Native American (Chief Bromden) who is given the jobs that even the “black boys” wouldn’t want, such as cleaning the floors, and washing the bathrooms.

Chief Bromden is a very complex person, but could it be that throughout the whole novel that the hatred towards the “black boys” is unjust? In the novel they are portrayed as being full of hatred and evil, but they have never committed anything that would show them as being these things. They have done what is best for the patients throughout the whole novel, but this may be the reason that they are portrayed as being evil. Some may argue that they start off the novel by almost insulting the Chief, but does that really qualify in making them evil? The “black boys” are also portrayed as being evil because they intimidate and threaten the patients. Intimidation may be the only way to make things work in the mental hospital, and that may be the only way that peace is maintained, so that cannot be used against the “black boys”

In conclusion the “black boys” are shown to be one of the greater evils in the novel, they are the minions of the greatest evil, Nurse Ratched. They also have a lot against them; they are black and are in a post war era. This leads Ken Kesey (the author) to have a very skewed outlook on the roles and jobs of minority ethnic groups. So the question that remains is, are the “black boys” really evil, or is it just the mental illnesses, and the racist prejudices that make the “black boys” seem so evil?
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[freakray]

A good piece of writing but it's difficult to relate to since I have fortunately/unfortunately never read the book in question.

[-GS-]

Thanks for the comment man, appreciate it.

[Andydg]

I thought it was very good and I had to write a couple papers on this book in high school. Very well done.