For my outside reading assignment, I read the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and found it to be a very enthralling book. Even tough the central Character, McMurphy, broke all rules, irretated Nurse Ratched, he was trying to bring across a point. He was trying to tell the other inmates to believe in themselves, and don't rely on everything to be done for you. It's your own life, Be your own boss. The book is set in a mental asylum in America, and makes it a perfect setting to bring across the point.

The book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has many strengths, and few weaknesses. Its major strengths are the unique viewpoint of the narrator, the vivid personality of the characters, the many scenes that are often humorous and highly dramatic at the same time, and the struggles and major changes that occur for most of the characters. The weaknesses of the book are its slowness of pace in part and the black and white comparison between the protagonist, McMurphy, and the antagonist, Nurse Ratched.

One strength and probably the most interesting aspect of the book is the point of view from which the story is told. In most books, the story is told from th

killing him so that he won't be a vegetable under her control. The Chief's escape is very hopeful in that he symbolizes the quest for freedom that McMurphy was trying to instill into the other patients. Indeed, the character, McMurphy, is a metaphor for the freedom of the individual and the character, Nurse Ratched, is a metaphor for state control over the individual.

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Another great strength of the book are the many scenes with great dramatic impact. An example of this is when McMurphy accuses the other patients of being too scared to stand up for themselves. To prove his point, McMurphy appears to change the subject to gambling. He bets that he can lift this colossal steel and concrete control panel. It is obvious that he can't do it, so they accept the bet. With all his strength, he strains to pick it up, and fails. As he walks away, hands bleeding, from his effort he says, "But I tried, though. Goddamnit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?".

om is helped by McMurphy to grow and change so that, near the end of the book, he has a less distorted view of reality and sees through Nurse Ratched's manipulations. Another strength is McMurphy's character. McMurphy is a con man and a gambler, who fakes he is psychotic in order to leave the work camp for someplace easier like the mental hospital. McMurphy possesses a very strong personality that falls in direct contrast with the other patients on the ward, because their personalities have been made weak by struggles with their internal demons, and by their being manipulated by Miss Ratched. McMurphy's will is too strong for Miss Ratched to manipulate, and instead she reveals what she is to McMurphy; namely, an extremely controlling, manipulative person. McMurphy dec

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Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)