One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Psychology

In the state of Oregon , Nurse ratched operates a hospital, a mental institution for the mentally ill. In the hospital nurse ratched has total control of her patients manipulating them to do as she pleases and stripping them of their bathroom privileges or medication if she decides they misbehaved or displease her. The patients, institutionalized, admit themselves into the mental institution sacrificing their freedom and “sanity” for the safety of confinement . But what separates the so called mentally ill from the manipulative nurse ratched, or any other “normal” person? In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest directed by Milos Forman in 1975, He reveals the-madness, thin line between “normal” and “abnormal” Through characters such as the

structured nurse ratched, nutty Randle McMurphy, and silent Chief.
A closer, Freudian analysis, showcases behaviors that can be explained by freudian terms of human consciousness. Id, Ego, and Superego, Present themselves in the film and, twist and turn those definition to further reveal the latent theme of madness.
According to Simply Psychology, “The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others”.

Nurse ratched character is a perfect example of the superego. When Billy Bibbit, one of the mental patients, commits suicide, nurse ratched delivers the line “Now calm down. The best thing we can do is go on with our daily routine.” Nurse Ratched’s need to go on with the routine in a quiet orderly way reveals nurse ratched’s superego tendencies and further supports the theme of madness. Nurse Ratched’s cold, heartless reaction to Billy’s death is truly abnormal. The line grows thinner and one is not sure who is more insane Nurse Ratched or her mentally ill

patients.
The next Freudian term Ego is seen in the film by the character Chief. Simply Psychology says the
“ego operates according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfactileason to avoid negative consequences of society. The ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette and rules in deciding how to behave”
Chief, in the film, lives the entirety of his life being molded by the pressures of society. When chief was first introduced, everyone assumed he was deaf. “it wasn’t me that started acting deaf; it was people that first started acting like I was too dumb to hear or see or say anything at all”. This further relates to the theme of madness. Because everyone believes chief is crazy and deaf he can continue to keep fooling them. Chief comes to the conclusion that a mental illness has an aspect of power and the more insane a person is the more powerful he can become.
The final freudian term, the Id, according to simply psychology,“operates on the pleasure principle (Freud, 1920) which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences.” The Id is represented by Randall McMurphy.

McMurphy, wild and confident, is first introduced when he is admitted to the hospital. McMurphy acts as a symbol of freedom and is a complete contrast to nurse ratched's oppressed ward. “ Jesus, I mean, you guys do nothing but complain about how you can't stand it in this place here and you don't have the guts just to walk out? What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.” Again the line between abnormal and normal is being drawn thinner. McMurphy believes that the patients at the hospital are not so crazy as they make themselves to be and that the only thing stopping them from living in a regular society is fear. In the end Nurse Ratched sentences McMurphy to a frontal lobotomy leaving him paralyzed. This can be seen as a sacrifice, McMurphy gave up his sanity in order to inspire and convince the patients of the hospital of their sanity.. Again the idea of normalness is challenged when nurse ratched sentences McMurphy to a lobotomy leaving her morals and sanity in

question.
Although psychoanalysis has no practical use for treatment in the modern, it can be used to study behavior and art. For Example, Freud's defense mechanisms can be seen being used everyday. Freud's explanation of consciousness, the id, ego, superego holds some truth and can be used to story film, literature, and music. It is true