A Learning Object designed to assist student knowledge and understanding in a mainstream English class for One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.

1. YEAR 11 ENGLISH
One Flew over the
Cuckoo’s Nest

2. Introduction
“One Flew over the Cuckoo‟s Nest“ by Ken Kesey is
set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital. The narrator of
the story is a half-Indian man known as the Chief who
is a seemingly deaf and dumb patient who suffers
from hallucinations and paranoia. Nurse Ratched is
the head nurse of the hospital and she runs a tight
ship with strict rules and routines governing the
running of the ward. The story begins with Randle
McMurphy‟s transfer from the Pendleton work farm
where he has been sentence to six months hard
labour and it is his introduction to the ward and its all
male patients that set the story in motion.

3. Main Characters
The Chief
•Narrator. The son of a Columbian Indian, the Chief is a patient in
the hospital (chronic) who is deaf and dumb and suffers from
hallucinations and paranoia.
The Big Nurse
•Protagonist. A self confessed gambler and con man, McMurphy
has been transferred to the mental hospital in an attempt to get
out of his sentence on the prison work farm.
The Big Nurse
•Antagonist. She is the head of the ward and runs it to a tight
schedule/routine. The nurse likes to be in control and as such
she uses strict rules and manipulation to ensure that the patients
and other hospital employees do as she asks.

4. Characters
Dale Harding Martini Scanlan Charles George
Cheswick Sorenson
Ellis Billy Bibbit Pete Bancini Sefelt Fredrickson

5. Literary Devices
These are the tools that an author uses to tell their story.
Characterisation Irony
Symbolism Personification
Motifs Metaphors
Themes Similes
Narration Exaggeration
Foreshadowing Flashbacks

6. Literary Devices: Symbolism
The Combine
• The combine is the machine the harvests wheat. This symbolises the
mechanical nature of the hospital and the way in which the
individual is cut down to size and controlled
The Fog
• The „fog‟ clouds our vision of the real world. In the fog the harsh
realities of life can be softened, you can choose not to deal with
things, you are protected. The chief tells us that McMurphy attempts
to pull all the patients out of the fog.
The Electro Shock Therapy Table
Images of the table are linked with crucifixion. The
table also serves as a symbol of the nurses power.

7. Literary Device: Motifs
Real Vs Imagined Size
•Size is an imagined construct. The people in the ward are thought to be „small‟, the
chief too, is a very tall person; however, he sees himself as being small, cut down by
society and the nurse.
•McMurphy may not be the tallest man, but to the Chief he is larger than life.
•Size is linked with confidence.
Invisibility
•The nurses control of the ward is invisible but always there.
• The Chief tries to be invisible. He moves about the ward with ease blending into his
surroundings and he chooses to be deaf and dumb, for him a defence against a
society that doesn‟t listen to him or value him as a person.
The Power of Laughter
Chief comments on the fact that before McMurphy‟s arrival no
one actually laughs. Laughter seems to be linked with freedom
and in the confidence of a person to accept what is happening
in their life and defend themselves against society.

8. Literary Device: Themes
Mental Illness
Rebellion Against Authority
The Individuality
Expressing one‟s sexuality

9. Literary Devices
First Person Narrator: The Chief
The reader comes to know what is
happening through the Chief. We learn
about the characters, the plot and the
storyline through the Chief and are limited
to his point of view.
Foreshadowing
This is used to alert or warn the reader about
what is going to happen. An example of this
is when the chief tells us about Ruckly and
Fredrickson.

10. Literary Devices
Irony
.When a statement or situation is made and the
opposite of the literal outcome occurs.
The Nurse dislikes that way McMurphy has power
over and manipulates the patients (in her view). This
is ironic because that is what she does to them.
Personification
.Giving human characteristic to inanimate objects.
It can be said that the nurse personifies what the
chief sees to be society constraints. She too
personifies the negative images of women in the
text.

11. Literary Devices
Imagery
.This is used to help convey ideas to the
reader. Imagery about the fog and the
combine help us to understand the
Chief and his views about the world.
Metaphors and Similes
.These also help to convey ideas to the
reader. The metaphor of the nurse as a
tractor and similes where the patients
are thought of as chickens.

12. Literary Devices
Exaggeration
We exaggerate when we overstate things or
stretch the truth. In telling the story the Chief
may be doing this to grab our attention.
.
Flashbacks
A device used to present action that occurred
before the beginning of the story. As the chief
tells us his story he often reveals a story from his
past.
.

13. Writing an Analytical Essay
Knowledge and •Develop an argument that shows your understanding
Understanding of text and the way it was created.
Analysis •develop a point of view, connecting ideas from the text
to your essay question.
Application •support that view through close textual references and
analysis
Communication •Write a well planned and well structure essay that
answer the essay question.

14. Writing an Analytical Essay
• Essay titles come in two types, the specific and the
general.
QUESTION
• Write your selected question or thesis statement at
the start of your essay
• Say how you intend to approach the question,
INTRODUCTION define terms, outline the points you intend to
elaborate on in the order you plan to tackle them
• take each point you have outlined in the
MAIN BODY introduction and discuss it using evidence from the
text and quotes as support.
• This single paragraph pulls together the parts of
CONCLUSION your argument in a summary, do not include new
information here

15. Writing an Analytical Essay
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
Analyse the
question. Define STAGE 3
key terms and Outline, in point
ideas and rewrite form, the main STAGE 4
ideas for each Begin writing.
these in your own Ensure that each
words to ensure paragraph. This Proof read your
means your paragraph has a
that you topic sentence, essay and let it sit
understand. introduction, main for a while – you
body and clear argument
and that this is may find errors
conclusion later. Submit it for
supported with
evidence. drafting prior to
the due date.

16. Analytical Essay
Students complete an analytical essay on
one of the questions below:
Can one person make a difference?‟ To what extent
does One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest provide an
answer to this question? Refer to symbols, motifs,
characterisation
The Chief often makes reference to the combine. What
is the combine and how does it work? Why do you
think the Chief is so fearful of „this machine‟?
How does Ken Kesey use the interaction between
McMurphy, and two other characters to explore ideas
in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest? You might look at
McMurphy, the Big Nurse and Chief Bromden here.

17. Can one person make a difference?‟
To what extent does One Flew over
the Cuckoo’s Nest provide an
answer to this question? Refer to
symbols, motifs, characterisation
• If you choose this question you could focus on either
McMurphy or Nurse Ratched and you will need to argue
for or against the question.
• If you choose McMurphy you would be looking at how he
was successful, or otherwise, in reforming the patients and
the ward. In some ways you could say he was successful
as many patients did gain the confidence to lead the
ward; however, the cost were high.
• If you looked at the nurse you could focus on the
difference she has made to the lives of the patients for
better or worse.

18. The Chief often makes reference
to the combine. What is the
combine and how does it work?
Why do you think the Chief is so
fearful of „this machine‟?
• If you choose this question you need to define the
combine, telling the reader how it works using textual
references and evidence
• Explain what the combine symbolises to the chief
• Then say why you think that he is so fearful of it.
• “what can you pay for the way a man lives”

19. How does Ken Kesey use the
interaction between McMurphy, and
two other characters to explore ideas
in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
You might look at McMurphy, the Big
Nurse and Chief Bromden here.
• To answer this question you need to discuss two or three
ideas, themes or symbols and then explain how it is
through character interaction that these ideas are
conveyed.
• Example: Idea of Authority – Interaction between the
Nurse and McMurphy
• Example: Idea of Mental Illness – Interaction between
McMurphy and the other patients
• Example: Idea of Expressing Sexuality – McMurphy and the
Nurse or McMurphy and Harding.