One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Rebellion Essay

Throughout life, one is taught that there are certain things that are right, and other things that are considered wrong. Amongst these teachings, one of the first lessons that a human being learns is to obey authority. A child is initially taught to obey his parents, and as he grows older, this authority figure changes from a parent into a teacher into a boss. However, amongst every group or community, a few figures stand out as people who refuse to obey the authoritarian figure simply because they are expected to: rebels. Whether one may admit it or not, rebellion is a central theme in society today. It can be seen within any group of people, whether it be a classroom or a sect of a religion. Naturally, this idea of rebellion also extends into the culture of a society. In the novels One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest and A Clockwork Orange, as well as the film Cool Hand Luke, rebellion is a constant theme that eventually establishes the influence of the central characters
After reading through the novel, it is clear that Alex’s continuous rebellions did nothing but steer people away from him. For example, from the time that Alex is first arrested to the time when he is released, Dim goes from being a rebel to being a cop. Also Pete ends up giving up his life of crime in order to settle down. These examples show that although Alex may have rebelled against authority, he was not a leader despite his two stints at leading a gang. It is significant to also note that not only did Alex lose his friends to authority, he lost himself to the authoritarian figure as well. Instead of fighting till the very end like McMurphy or Luke, Alex decides in the end that the violence and rebellion was not worth the effort on his part because his rebellion truly had no purpose to it. This lack of purpose is why Alex’s rebellion against authority ultimately