Importance of Humor and Laughter in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
"There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. Since the first two pass our comprehension, we must do what we can with the third."
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, humor is present in a very powerful form. Normally, insane people don’t have the capacity to laugh or find the humor in something as we "normal" people do. They live tragic existences, wandering day by day in the bland, depressing world of an asylum. They have forgotten how to live because they are under the authoritative rule of the head nurse, and under the behavioral influence of drug doses and bossy orderlies. The patients have no real existence of their own, and they are essentially lifeless. As the Lord works in mysterious ways, Randall MacMurphy is "sent" to heal the patients of the asylum. He shows them that to laugh is good, and laughing at yourself can sometimes be the best medicine. He is the comic healer who gives life to the otherwise hopeless patients of the asylum. MacMurphy seems to have an affinity for laughter. In essence, it is an escape for him- it makes him feel good, and most importantly, it radiates to his friends, and helps heal them.
This book is about so many things, it is hard to stay on one topic for any length of time. In order to focus on the laugh and laughing as a healing agent, I would like to look towards other influential writers and thinkers to tie together laughing and healing. First, let’s see what laughter is according to Meriam Webster: laughter- n. a cause of merriment. Using this simple definition, we can assume that laughter can come from any form of merriment or emotion like triumph, contempt, relief, and almost any other emotion there is. It is easy to picture in your head different underlying emotions in laughter; the sinister laughs of witches and ghosts, the insincere, fake laughs you hear after pointless, humorless attempts at jokes on the six o’clock news, to the silent laughs of mimes and clowns that fill the people around them with a happy feeling. These are all examples of what laughter is and how it is used. But why do we do it? What in nature created the laugh and made it so successful?
Although modern science has allowed us to develop many complex medicines, laughter is still the strongest one available in the real world and in the book. Laughter proves to be a strong medicine in more ways than one and is completely free, allowing anyone to use it at anytime. It allows us to connect socially with people, it can be used as a way of overthrowing power, and it is good for your health. As Randle McMurphy showed in the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, laughter can lighten the mood in the darkest situations.
Additionally, this essay would be a good read for those interested in the topic of sexuality, gender and culture or anyone studying anthropology. This essay contributes to understanding aspects of California history that is not primarily discussed. The reader gets and insight on two different cultures, and the effects of them merging together -- in this case, the cultures of the Spaniards and Indians. I believe that this article supports Competing Visions as the text also discusses how “the object of the missions was to convert the natives to Christianity as well as to Hispanicize them…” and both touch upon the topic of the rapes of
Laughing is resorted to in times where we need to laugh. It’s an escape from reality, its comfort, its fear. Laughing subdues any emotion that is too high strung in our system. It lets it vapor out in a melancholy form that helps us cope with problems that no one else can really understand and help us with. In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest it allowed emotional tension escape from the patients and made nurse Ratched lose her ward.
Throughout the novel, McMurphy cheers up the other inmates by telling jokes and getting their minds off of the mental institution, yet the serious issues and problems of the institution often still prevail. During a fishing trip with everyone from the institution, the patients begin to feel awkward and out of place as they are not used to living in the real world and in a normal society. McMurphy soon realizes everyone around him is struggling to act normal and he attempts to cheer everyone up as the comedic hero. Kesey writes, “McMurphy saw how uneasy we were and tried to work us into a better mood by joking and teasing the girl, but this made us feel worse somehow. Everybody was thinking how easy it would be to return to the ward, go back and say they decided the nurse had been right; with a wind like this the sea would’ve been just too rough”(201). McMurphy initially tries to make everyone feel normal in this outside society by picking on a little girl but the inmates feel worse afterward. In some ways, McMurphy’s humor is shown as he knows it’s his job to cheer everyone up and he takes this role with pride acting as a comedic hero. Yet, the satirical aspect of the novel is more prevalent. All the patients know they will never be like anyone outside of society they see on the fishing trip because the institution has ruined their lives. Kesey writes how everyone understands it is so much easier to go back to the mental institution because they are not used anything else and they cannot act or function like normal people. In the institution, the inmates are treated inhumanely and abused by the guards so there is no possible way any of them could operate in a normal society. This idea that the institution has ruined everyone's lives so much they they cannot function in normal society pushes fits Ken Kesey’s own beliefs. Being part of Counterculture groups Kesey disagreed with
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, McMurphy often uses the power of laughter to overcome what is going on in the world around him. Laughter lightens the feeling in the book, and at times gives it a warmer feeling. It also helps develop, and shape the characters throughout the entire story.
In paragraph 2-4 he first argues that statistically it 's not logical for people in the bottom 40% of their class to go college because they most likely drop out. Then he argues that its a waste of time to go to college then drop out because they’ll usually not even have learned anything. Lastly, he argues that even if they d go to college, once they graduate it’s still unlikely they’ll find a job that their degree was worth.
In the pilot we are introduced to Dr. Robert Jekyll, the grandson of the original character from the novel. With this change, the television series is set in a more industrially advanced 1935 London as opposed to the horse-drawn-carriage era. We are immediately given visual references of split personalities. The opening
Fred Wright, Lauren's instructor for EN 132 (Life, Language, Literature), comments, "English 132 is an introduction to English studies, in which students learn about various areas in the discipline from linguistics to the study of popular culture. For the literature and literary criticism section of the course, students read a canonical work of literature and what scholars have said about the work over the years. This year, students read One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, a classic of American literature which dates from the 1960s counterculture. Popularized in a film version starring Jack Nicholson, which the class also watched in order to discuss film studies and adaptation, the novel became notable for its sympathetic portrayal of the mentally ill. For an essay about the novel, students were asked to choose a critical approach (such as feminist, formalist, psychological, and so forth) and interpret the novel using that approach, while also considering how their interpretation fit into the ongoing scholarly dialogue about the work. Lauren chose the challenge of applying a Marxist approach to One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Not only did she learn about critical approaches and how to apply one to a text, she wrote an excellent essay, which will help other readers understand the text better. In fact, if John Clark Pratt or another editor ever want to update the 1996 Viking Critical Library edition of the novel, then he or she might want to include Lauren's essay in the next edition!"
In Linda Lee’s case, her son was one who was smart but never really applied himself and then when it came time to go to college he was ill-prepared and had no clue about what to do with himself; however, with how “America is obsessed with college” (Lee 3) it isn’t really his fault that he wasn’t prepared but more of a lack on the educational systems part. During high school, you are pushed to take what classes best
1. Many people have multiple reasons why they want to be able to help others in their everyday jobs. My attraction to being a Speech Language Pathologist is because I want to be able to people overcome their speech problems. As a Speech Language Pathologist I want to be able to help people that have speech problems, overcome this problem and be able to be independent without needing the help of myself or other people that are trying to talk to them. I personally know their feelings and have actually been in their shoes to know how frustrating life can be trying to talk and have someone else talk for you.
The spectrum of therapeutic techniques available within the health care continuum is very complex and varied. From traditional medicine, to holistic remedies, and anything in between, nurses have a rather large arsenal at their disposal when it comes to treating the patients that are under their care. Humor as an alternative therapy has long been understood as a proven means to aid in the recovery process. “With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health” (Smith & Segal, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to discuss situations in which humor would be a viable alternative therapy
Dexter’s laboratory is an old show and this may contribute to why it was able to get away with what is now blatantly obvious stereotypes and sexism. I do believe that media is beginning to push for more woman involvement in science based shows, such as Bernadette and Amy in the Big Bang Theory. Although many shows, Big Bang Theory included, still likes depict stereotypes surrounding science and scientist. Hopefully, when the media changes how science and scientist are portrayed people will get a better understanding of what science is really
Feeling down and depressed? Laugh all those troubles away. Laughter is a simple yet substantial way of putting that little spring back in the step. When people say “Laughter is the best medicine,” what are they referring to? Laughing acts as calorie burner, prevents heart disease or other illnesses, can increase learning abilities and focus, or even bring a more optimistic outlook on life.
Many people tend to set goals. They can set goals for their personal life, academics, or even for their professional lives. You can literally set a goal for pretty much anything you can imagine. I believe that people should set goals, they help you stay focused and want to do better for the future. Goals change all of the time though, because of a lot of different reasons, maybe you found that one thing just really is not what you want to do with your life, so you find something else to do. To me that is just how life is, my goals will most likely change as I am getting older and trying to find what I want to do with the rest of my life.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and