One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and the Crucible...

Power and control are the central ideas of Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. There are examples of physical, authoritative and mechanical power in the novel, as well as cases of self-control, and control over others. Nurse Ratched is the ultimate example of authoritative power and control over others but R.P. McMurphy refuses to acknowledge the Nurses power, and encourages others to challenge the status quo. The other patients begin powerless, but with McMurphys help, learn to control their own lives. Many symbols are also used to represent power and control in the book, such as the ‘Combine, ‘fog, and the imagery of machines. Arthur Miller develops themes of power somewhat differently in his play The Crucible. Because†¦show more content†¦He rejects authority and ‘keeps them on their toes. The Chief sees McMurphy, like the Big Nurse, as ‘big. McMurphy teaches the men to gain control over themselves by questioning their compliance and apathy towards their own lives. Miller created Danforth to be similar to what Big Nurse is in Cuckoos Nest. Danforth is strict in terms of his authority in the court. And not only is he adamant about his own personal authority, he acts the same way about the authority of the institution of the court system. He thinks that the court is the highest authority in the land, and because he presides over it, he will not stand for people questioning the way he runs it. When anyone tries to speak out against how the court and Danforth are handling the witch-hunt, they find themselves accused of witchcraft. In his efforts to over-power the nurse, McMurphy learns to control his anger. The only times that he really loses self control are when the ‘Black Boys (aides) bully ‘rub-a-dub George - for which McMurphy receives EST (Electro-shock therapy) Ââ€" and when Billy Bibbit commits suicide - the incident following Billys death was what led to McMurphys own lobotomy and eventual death. Throughout the book, many symbols are used to portray McMurphy as a religious icon, which indicates he is powerful. He claims that a girl once referred to him as a ‘symbol, at his EST he asks for a ‘crown of thorns and at once stage he leads twelve patients (disciples) fishing (Christ hasShow MoreRelatedEssay Prompts4057 Words   |  17 PagesKing Lear Anna Karenina Madame Bovary As I Lay Dying The Mill on the Floss The Awakening Moby-Dick Billy Budd Mrs. Dalloway Bleak House Native Son Bless Me,Ultima One Hundred Years of Solitude Catch-22 Othello Crime and Punishment The Scarlet Letter The Crucible Slaughterhouse-Five A Farewell to Arms Song of Solomon Ghosts The Stone Angel The Great Gatsby The Stranger Heart of Darkness A Tale of Two Cities The House of Mirth