One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Insanity Analysis

The Image of Insanity In a world of technology and cities of massive population, in which strangers abound and close relationships are limited, society itself appears to be one large, emotionless machine, chugging along with no care whatsoever for the individuals that make up the huge entity. A proponent of rebellion against conformity himself, Ken Kesey expresses his views on the dehumanization of society in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest through vivid imagery. More than a novel about the struggles of the individual characters or a representation of the dilemma of insane versus sane, One Flew is a statement about the cause of insanity. Through the imagery in Chief Bromden’s narration, Kesey reveals that the dehumanization and conformity
There is a correlation throughout the novel between the imagery used (mechanical or natural) and the mental health of the patients, and especially the Chief. Although it is hard to pinpoint a time where Chief can be declared completely sane, his perception of reality definitely improves throughout the novel. He continues to think of things in terms of the Combine and the machines, but he no longer sees things that aren’t really there, he is just interpreting what he sees in strange ways. His improvement can be judged by the imagery he presents in his narration. The first event that reveals his improvement is when the “fog machine” supposedly breaks. Before this the fog was almost a defense mechanism for Bromden, one he used to shield himself from other people and from reality. When McMurphy argues with Big Nurse about watching the World Series, the fog rolls in heavy and surrounds Bromden, but one of the things he sees in the fog is his father, who he tends to associate with nature because his childhood was surrounded by the natural world. After this, Chief continues through a dream-sequence with the fog all around, but when McMurphy calls for a vote, he manages to push through the fog and raise his hand, connecting him back to reality. This meeting supposedly causes the fog machine to break, and Bromden remains in touch with his own version of reality for quite some time after this. The next big step for Bromden is when he wakes up to reality in the middle of the night, walks to the window, and is actually able to see outside. “Here he begins to recapture some of his former feelings about nature” (Madden 155), but the power of the machine is reinforced when a dog he sees is run over by a car in the same scene. Despite this reminder, the Chief continues to “regain” his sanity. He begins to remember more of his