Top 10 Characters in One

Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Josh, Brenna, and Gabbi
Thesis: In Kesey’s novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he brings
together a wide variety of characters and shows the dehumanizing
battles they face while under the reign of the ultra-powerful Nurse
Ratched. These patients suffer issues stemming from medication,
race, conformity, gender, and power.
 Name: John Spivey Pros: Treats patients with some decency
Gender: Male and respect and sticks up for the men.

Group: Staff (Doctor) Cons: Easily controlled by Nurse

Diagnosis: Possible opiate Ratched and Mcmurphy; a pushover.
addiction.
Purpose: He is a catalyst for activity
and conflict in the story. He is the reason
ake
they are able to go on the fishing trip,
e r , it didnt t o have a second day room, and watch the
h
g toge t but tw
“Workin and the girl octor baseball game. These all caused tension
hy d
McMurp and the little ice between Mcmurphy and the Nurse.
in u t es g u p his off
m kin
wn loc he hall,
was do g back up t ief Nurse Ratched’s Impact: It’s
in br
and com papers in a rumored that the Dr is addicted to
g
crammin 4)
( 2 3 opiates and Nurse Ratched is using
case”
that against him so that he will do
what she wants and turn a blind eye
to the way she treats her patients.
 “We wa
nt
done ab something Pros: Sees injustice happening in ward.
ou
that rig t it, ain’t Has courage and tries to take a stand.
ht
he got , Mack?”... all
was sil
(172) ence”
Cons: Timid, unsure of himself, and gets
“I hope upset very easily.
yo
Playing u’re satisfied.
wit
lives” (3 h human Purpose: He tries to stand up to Nurse
18).
Ratched, but is not supported by the
leader McMurphy. This negatively
Name: Charles Cheswick impacts him leading to his death. His
Gender: Male drowning opens McMurphy’s eyes and
makes him see that patients aren’t pawns.
Diagnosis: Temper. Very timid.
Group: Acute Nurse Ratched’s Impact:
Nothing is wrong with Cheswick.
Treatment(s): Group Therapy
He is just a fragile man. Nurse
Arrival: January 13, 1965 Ratched makes him feel like there
is something wrong with him by
Time of Death: 2:01 pm. February 7, 1967
making him subject to her pecking
Cause of Death: Drowning. Possible suicide. parties.
 “Never
be Pros: Stands up for McMurphy in group
that m fore did I reali
ent ze
have th al illness cou therapy when McMurphy isn’t there.
e aspec ld Takes over as leader when McMurphy is
power. t
Think o of power, gone.
perhaps f it:
t
man is, he more insan
th e
he could e more powe a Cons: Doesn’t tell McMurphy the full
become r fu
238). ” (Kese l truth. Scared to face societies prejudice
y
of being a homosexual

Name: Harding Purpose: Harding is initially set up as

Gender: Male as McMurphy's foil. Harding is the
natural leader that everyone looks up to
Diagnosis: Homosexual before McMurphy shows up

Group: Acute Nurse Ratched’s Impact: She

bullies him in group therapy by
Treatment: EST, Group Therapy saying “ample bosom at times gives
him a feeling of inferiority” (Kesey
Arrival: October 28 1962 44). Nurse Ratched makes Harding
feel more insecure about his
Departure: April 28, 1966 homosexuality.
Theme: Controversial views on medication for treating
mental health.
● “treatments are influenced by the
financial interests of the
pharmaceutical industry.”
● “historical events and cultural shifts
have an outsized influence on
prevailing views on causes and
treatments.”
● People have different views
regarding whether pharmaceutical
drugs actually work in treating
mental illness because they are so
new. Only 1st approved by the
F.D.A in 1954.

Source Link
 Name: Sefelt Name: Bruce Fredrickson

Gender: Male Gender: Male

Diagnosis: Epilepsy Diagnosis: Epilepsy

Group: Acute Group: Acute

Pros: Stands up to Nurse Ratched by not Pros: Supportive friend.

taking his meds and giving them to
Fredrickson. Cons: Conforms to Nurse Ratched’s
society by taking pills she wants.
Cons: Suffers
from seizures “She kno Purpose: Kesey uses Sefelt and
ws as w
as anyb e
because he doesn’t
ody; Sef ll Fredrickson to criticize the new use of
take his meds. holds th elt meds during the 60’s. Medication for
Missing teeth. e capsu
his mou les mental illness was controversial during
th and g in this time. Nurse Ratched is all for it. Sefelt
them to ives
Fredricks doesn’t take the medication due to its
later” (1 on
77). “disastrous side effects” (177). Fredrickson
takes “double dose” because he is “scared
to death of having a fit” (177).
Theme: Impact racism has on mental health and views of
power.
● “Racism is a mental health issue
because racism causes trauma.”
● Racism: “one
person/group/institution has
more power than another).”
● Stressful conditions of
discrimination can lead to “PTSD”
and other “mental health
conditions like depression,
anxiety, and overall poor health
outcomes.”
● We witness the trauma of racism
and stress during childhood by
the way that Washington &
Warren express their pain by
hurting other patients. Source Link
 Name: Washington Name: Warren

Gender: Male Gender: Male

Group: Staff Orderly

Group: Staff Orderly

Pros: Good at his job. Runs a tight ship. Pros: Compliant. Does what he is told.

Cons: Abuses “They hate

power. Trash talks en Cons: Abuses power. Forces Chief to
capable” (3 ough to be sweep.
patients. 0 ).
Traumatizes “Y ears of t
raining, an Purpose: Kesey uses Washington and
George by spraying three black d all
boys tune
him with “salve” c loser and in Warren to demonstrate how race, mental
clo
because he Big Nurse ser with the health, and power are intertwined. The
’s frequen
couldn’t “afford to (31) cy” “black boys” (29) harshly abuse their
pass up the power in the ward due to their lack of
chance” (271). power in society. The way they treat
patients exposes their pain and trauma.
Name: Orderly Turkle
Pros: Is a nice staff member to the
patients, treats them with respect and
Gender: Male
treats them like ordinary people, he is
especially nice to Chief when he will
Group: Staff “untie the sheet from across from me if
it’s so tight I squirm around” (Kesey 90).
He also is the one that lets them have the
party.
“Turkle o
pe Cons: He is easily manipulated by
door and ned the
s
out and lipped McMurphy.
met her
in the h
all” (Kes
300). ey Purpose: To show an opposite way of
treating people compared to how the
black boys treat the patients.

Nurse Ratched’s Impact: He is

fired from his job.
 Theme: Conformity is dangerous
● “humans are social beings—and for the
sake of group cohesion, people are
evolutionarily driven to fit in.”
● “At its worst, though, it can bring out a
person's darkest impulses and even be
used to justify—and carry
out—large-scale atrocities.”
● “it can motivate someone to go along
with a group even if they know the
group is wrong.” (ex: Nazi Germany)
● No changes were being made in the
ward due to conformity. The group
followed what Nurse Ratched said due
to the need for belonging and to fit in.
This is why many of the patients never
left. Source Link
 “But you Pros: Compassionate, becomes
, you’re
exactly not “independent” towards the end of the
t he every
man on da story when he dances with Candy.
the stre y
but you e t,
’re
nuts.(19 not
6)” Cons: Has issues with his mother
causing him to not be able to leave the
ward, cannot stand up for himself and
subservient.
Name: William Bibbit
Purpose: Kesey uses Billy as the final
Gender: Male straw for Mcmurphy and final wicked act
Diagnosis: Stutter of Nurse Ratched when she threatens to
tell his mother that he slept with Candy.
Group: Acute
Treatment(s): Group Therapy Nurse Ratched’s Impact: Nurse
Ratched made Billy feel ashamed for
Arrival: Self-Admitted losing his virginity and said she
wondered what his mom would think to
Cause of Death: Suicide.
which he slit his own throat.
Theme: Gender & Power
● “Social structure theory postulates that the
powerful roles that men hold lead to the
development of related traits, such as
aggressiveness and assertiveness” and
“feminine traits” such as “submissiveness and
cooperativeness.”
● “men who lack other types of power may
compensate by exerting power through
violence.”
● “men's greater power and status in societies
underlie the differences in gender roles.”
● Roles reversed in Kesey’s book because Nurse
Ratched is a woman in a powerful position.
McMurphy can’t handle this and acts out with
violence as he “ripped her uniform all the way
down the front” (319).
Source Link
 “Playing w
ith Pros: A female in charge of a ward of
lives– gam human
human liv
bling with men, knows how to handle herself and
es– as if keep her composure when dealing with
thought you
yourself
be a God
(318)”
to patients like Mcmurphy.

Cons: Abuses power, abuses patients,

finds joy in torture. Maintains power by
using shame and guilt.
Name: Mildred Ratched
Purpose: Nurse Ratched represents the
Gender: Female
“Combine” as Cheif calls it, or the
dehumanization and mechanization of
Group: Staff (Nurse)
the modern society. Even though Kesey
portrays her as an impenetrable machine,
he gives her one weak spot… her breasts.
The one way McMurphy can really “get
her goat” is by making an overtly sexual
comment about her bosom.
 But I tr
ied, Pros: A good time, stands up for the
though… other guys, and becomes caring.
Is
as hell d ure
id t
much, no hat Cons: Self-centered, gambler, racist,
w,
didn’t I?” and rapist
(125)

Purpose: Kesey uses McMurphy as a

symbol of nonconformity. His purpose is
Name: Randle McMurphy to come in and stand up to Nurse
Gender: Male Ratched’s corrupt power. He gives the
other patients a taste of freedom. He
Diagnosis: Psychopath opens their eyes to Nurse Ratched’s
unjust society.
Group: Acute to Vegetable
Nurse Ratched’s Impact: His
Treatment(s): EST (4 times), Group competition. She was his revival. They
Therapy, and Lobotomy were similar in the way they wanted
Arrival: April 5, 1966 power. Their characters sharpened
Time of Death: 5:01 am. May 4, 1967 each other. She ultimately killed him.

Cause of Death: Lobotomy or smothering.

 Pros: Physical strength, Saves
McMurphy from getting beat up, great
“Maybe t listener
he
wasn’t a combine
ll-p
(Kesey 3 owerful” Cons: Coward, Deaf and Dumb,
05).
Purpose: Kesey uses Chief as a symbol
Name: Chief Bromden of conformity. His purpose is to show his
journey toward sanity and ho it can be a
Gender: Male long path, but there is hope at the end. He
represents the change that can happen in
Diagnosis: Schizophrenia society.

Group: Chronic Nurse Ratched’s Impact: Turned

Chief into a cagey person being “scared
Treatment(s): EST (1 that we know of) of his own sh-sh-shadow” (Kesey 24).
Arrival: June 5, 1955
Departure: May 4, 1967