Thursday, May 30, 2019

Racism in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest

Racism in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest   Sometimes things that seem crazy actually call sense. A good example is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Chief Bromden. He appears to be an insane patient at a mental hospital who hallucinates about irrational mechanical people and a thick fog that permeates the hospital ward where he lives. In reality, Bromdens hallucinations provide valuable insight into the dehumanisation that Bromden and the other ward patients atomic number 18 subjected to. Ken Kesey, in his writing of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest brings out his racism in the novel.   The Aides in Keseys novel, who be also called black boys, negatively portray blacks as inferior to white people in society. The aides had a poor, rough childhood growing up as seen by their lack of education as seen in the quote Why, who you spose signed chief Bromden up for this rabies? Inniuns aint able to write (191). Their aides hatred of the patients stems from their rough childhood. They are also cast as irresponsible and unable to carry out simple jobs. This is evident in the quote Ill take him. Hes always untying his rag week and roaming around. (147), when Turkle, the night-shift aide, lies to the nurse in charge at night by saying that Bromden untied his sheets, when Turkle Irresponsibly untied Bromdens sheets for him.   On the morning of the fishing trip on Nurse Ratcheds ward, one of Ratcheds aides called Bromden illiterate because he was half-Indian. The General statement made by the aid, which was in the quote Why, who you spose signed chief Bromden up for this foolishness? Inniuns aint able to write. (191), describes Keseys racism toward Indians. The quote reflects how Indians in Keseys novel are portrayed as illiterate. Bromden also represents the Indians as imprisoned at the mercy of white people. In Keseys novel Indians, such as Bromdens father were forced to hand over their land to white people. The In dians land was very important to them and being forced to open up up land was essentially giving up their freedom.   The types of jobs that the hospital workers have also indicate Keseys racism in his novel.

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