One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: A Character Analysis

Comparisons in the Christ-like characteristics between McMurphy and Jesus Throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, there are signs that McMurphy is a comic Christ-like figure; despite his apparent faults and shortcomings, his actions match that of a tragic hero who saves his people. McMurphy may be considered boorish and in many ways immoral, however, he has other characteristics that resemble Christ- McMurphy has a modest background as a logger, he helps his people rise up against the ward, and he also has a humiliating and sacrificial fall when he is lobotomized. In Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, there are analogies between McMurphy and Jesus’s actions and teachings, behavior and influence to their followers, and deaths
The torture and icons throughout the events leading to McMurphy’s death are significant to these characteristics. Before his shock treatment, he receives conductant from the technicians stating, “Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?” (237). The crown of thorns is a direct parallel from Jesus’s crucifixion. Also, the crown of thorns presented to Jesus was given during his torture and death which is alike to McMurphy during his shock treatment. This shows the suffering and torment he goes through before his death. Furthermore, another similarity between the deaths of McMurphy and Jesus is their crucifixion. After McMurphy’s lobotomy, he is “… wheeled in this Gurney with a chart at the bottom that said in heavy black letters, MCMURPHY, RANDLE P. POST-OPERATIVE. And below this was written in ink, LOBOTOMY. They pushed it… along next to the Vegetables” (269). Similar to the crucifixion of Jesus, McMurphy is placed upright in an immobile position. His gurney is a reference to Jesus’s cross. Also, being placed to Vegetables may represent Jesus being crucified alongside other criminals. The Vegetables, other patients who are results of failed treatments, are similar in that they did not conform to society while mobile. They were looked down upon by society and therefore represent the other criminals Jesus was crucified with. Not only does this show the humility McMurphy faced during death, it shows the significance of the other Vegetables in the