"Discuss how the world within the ward is mirrored in the world outside."

It is suggested that Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest contains examples of behaviour and attitudes displayed by characters within the clinical environment of the psychiatric ward which can be compared to behaviour found within contemporary American society. These include examples of leadership and hierarchy within a class or caste system, sexism and crime and punishment.

In the text, the theme of leadership is very prominent and important to the story. Arguably it is more important theme of the book, than the issue of mental illness, which forms the setting and the core of the novel.

The leader figure in the ward is Big Nurse, who has complete control over the ward. Any decisions that are made over a patient or with regards the running of the ward must go through Big Nurse first. She is seen by the Chief as being almost mechanical in her approach to her running of the ward:

She's got that bag full of a thousand parts she aims to use in her duties today-wheels and gears, cogs polished to a hard glitter...(10)

The ward is run by her to a very strict daily routine, which

Patients are divided into two categories of Acutes & Chronics:

If a member of the school breaks any of the rules, the head teacher will decide an appropriate punishment. While the head teacher is answerable to the Governing Board of the school, they still have the most 'power' and authority over the school.

Personality types which can be seen in contemporary society can also be seen very clearly with regard to the characters in the ward setting:

is almost fanatically neurotic in it's precision and dedication. Chief describes Big Nurse's devotion to her daily routine:

Some common words found in the essay are:
Cuckoo's Nest, Leadership Hierarchy, Billy Bibbit, Management Board, Shock Shop', Chronics Chronics, North America, Wheelers Vegetables, Managing Director, Acutes Chronics, contemporary society, flew cuckoo's nest, cuckoo's nest, flew cuckoo's, head teacher, daily routine, ward nurse, running ward, feeling control, capital punishment, kesey's flew cuckoo's, class system, seen recover illness, mcmurphy enters ward, illness return society,
Approximate Word count = 2288
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)