Compare And Contrast One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

In today’s world it is very common for novels to get turned into films. With this comes a few problems. It is very hard to transform the powerful words onto the screen because the same words that have so much meaning behind them are not expressed the same through acting. Also, every detail that’s included in the novel cannot be included in the film which takes away from the overall story. An example of this happening is the story “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. The novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is better than the filmed version of the story because the point of view, key scenes, and important symbolism that is not included in the film.

To start off, the most noticeable difference between the film and the novel is the story's

point of view. Chief Bromden narrates the entire story in the written version. He tells the story how it appears to him although he suffers from frequent hallucinations of “the fog”. Because he pretends to be deaf and dumb people speak freely around him which allows him to learn secrets other patients do not know. This makes him a reliable source of information of what is actually going on within the ward. In the filmed version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” the story is told in third person point of view. Rather than having Chief Bromden’s point of view the film focuses more on McMurphy’s thoughts and actions. Overall the novel's first person point of view is better for the audience's understanding of key events that occur throughout the story.
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In conclusion, the novel's first person point of view is better than the movie’s point of view because it helps the audience better understand key points throughout the story.

To continue, the novel contains scenes that are not included in the filmed version.

Without these key scenes it takes away from the story. One example of this is when Chief Bromden talks about his life before he was in the ward. He talks a lot about his tribe and how they had to give their land up to the combine. The filmed version completely disregards all of it which gives the audience a lack of understanding of who Chief, who is a very key person in the story, really is. Another example of this happening is the time leading up to McMurphy taking electroshock therapy. In the novel after they get back from their fishing trip they all have to go into the washroom to get cleaned up. George is giving them a hard time so Nurse Ratched orders Washington to take care of the situation. Washington’s behavior towards George upsets McMurphy and Chief Bromden and him take action, sending them to the Disturbed Ward where they receive electroshock therapy. In the filmed version Nurse Ratched sends Chief Bromden, Cheswick, and McMurphy to the Disturbed Ward after McMurphy breaks the nurses window with the help of Chief. The lack of detail in the filmed version is very poor compared to what the novel has to offer. To sum it up, the scenes in the film compared to the novel are very poor and takes away from the overall

story.

Finally, the written version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is better than the film version because there are several key symbols that are not included in the film. One example of this is the power of laughter throughout the novel. When McMurphy arrives at the ward it is the first real, genuine laugh that anyone had heard in a long time. One of the first things McMurphy notices when he arrives at the ward is how none of the patients laugh at all; however, by the end of the story the men of the ward are finally able to laugh which shows them becoming more powerful. Another example in the novel is the fog machine. The fog machine represents an escape from reality, and is used frequently throughout the story. Chief Bromden thinks that there are hidden fog machines in the walls that are controlled by the ward staff. When McMurphy arrives on the ward he takes all the patients out of “the fog”. Both of these examples are not included in the film. Without these two powerful symbols being included in the filmed version of the story it takes away from the audience's understanding of how powerful Nurse Ratched and her staff are to their patients overall being. To conclude, the film does not included key symbols which takes away from the audience's understanding.
To sum it up, there are many reasons why the novel is better than the filmed version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. Without the narration of Chief Bromden in the filmed version it takes away from the audience's understanding of what’s happening within the ward on a deeper level. Also, important scenes are not included in the film which takes away from the story. Lastly, there are key symbols in the novel that further elaborate on how powerful Nurse Ratched and her staff are that are not in the film.