Superego In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Freud believed that our subconscious was divided into three sections. Our unconscious thoughts, urges and desires known as the id. Our preconscious thoughts and conscience which represents the knowledge we have learned about right and wrong, known as the superego. Finally, our conscious self which mediates the id and superego, known as the ego. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, is a story about a man who doctors can not decide whether he is insane or just pretending, so they send him to Oregon Psychiatric Hospital which is run by Nurse Ratched. When applying Freud's theory to this novel we are able to distinguish the different personality traits of the two main characters, R.P McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. Through their encounters

we can decipher which character is controlled by the id and which is controlled by the superego. We are also able to discover what the outcome would be if society had no ego to balance the two polar opposite personalities.

The detrimental effects of being controlled by the id are reviewed in the novel by the character McMurphy. He is the perfect representation of the id who is the instigator of fun and the creator of mischief and disarray. McMurphy is boisterous and does as he pleases, which are key characteristics of the id in Freud's theory. Chief Bromden makes a comment about McMurphy, that “The Combine hasn’t got to him in all these years; what makes the nurse think she’s gonna be able to do it in a few weeks? He’s not gonna let them twist him and manufacture him,” which shows us the start of the rivalry between Nurse Ratched, the superego, and McMurphy, the id. McMurphy has been able to withstand being confined in prison and working on a farm, as he is driven by his determination. He assaulted people out of frustration and boredom while on the farm, conforming to the id’s urges and desires, showing us how parallel his character's qualities stand to those of the id. His retaliation on the farm, which rose from boredom, is what caused the staff at the farm to suggest he move to the psychiatric hospital in the first place. Another example of when McMurphy’s id traits shine through is the section of the novel when the patients vote about watching the World Series. When McMurphy loses the vote, Nurse Ratched claims, “I’m afraid the vote is closed,” but McMurphy continues to try to get one final vote, when he does, Nurse Ratched announces, “The vote was closed.” McMurphy retaliated, refusing to do his chores he made his way to the TV and pretended that the World Series was on. He commentated loudly causing a commotion. He was making a point to Nurse Ratched that even though he had lost the vote, he let his emotions guide his actions which urged him to strike back. We gain an understanding of the type of character McMurphy is through encounters with his adversary, Nurse Ratched. We can see that society considers people controlled by their id, outcasts. They are unwelcome in society and dubbed criminals and convicts. They get locked away so that they can’t act on their desires anymore. Society represses the id because they are afraid that if they don’t, they may succumb to it which would make for an extremely unstable society.

By applying Freud’s theory to the novel we are able to immediately identify Nurse Ratched as the superego. The superego is the mastermind of law and order making sure everything is living in perfect harmony. Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward and constructs the schedules which ensure that the ward is manageable and all patients are under control at all times. Nurse Ratched parallels the traits of the superego and they are present throughout the whole novel. It is especially obvious in the way that she runs the psychiatric hospital. Nothing is out of place for Nurse Ratched, everything that happens in the ward happens because she wants it to. “What she dreams of there in the center of those wires is a world of precision efficiency and tidiness….. a place where the schedule is unbreakable”, and being ruled by her superego, Nurse Ratched will go to great lengths to sustain this if it is what she believes is right. “All the patients who aren't… obedient... are wheelchair Chronics,” which further proves the logic behind why Nurse Ratched is the sheer embodiment of the superego. Nurse Ratched is running the psychiatric ward, therefore, she is responsible for making sure patients are making progress, getting better and following the rules, and this is her top priority. The superego craves order and control, much like the manager or CEO of a company. They are in charge of making sure things run smoothly, making sure that there is nothing that will prevent them from completing the task that they have set out to do. Whether it be firing workers who do not contribute or making a schedule that must be stuck to even if it means staying late. The superego and the id are very similar in the fact that they both crave control and power. Where they are different is in the fact that the superego wishes to take control so that everything may be perfect and precise right down to the last detail, whereas the id wishes for chaos and mayhem.

In Freud's theory, there is a final component to one's mind, the ego, which mediates the superego and id, resolving disputes and coming to a final decision which should satisfy the requirements of both sides.

In the novel, there is no effective ego, which is not a desirable situation to be in. With no ego to stabilize the opposing viewpoints of the id and superego, the two completely opposite, but also indistinguishable personalities, go head to head and it is certain that there will be a disastrous outcome. An example of this is when Billy Bibbit committed suicide because he couldn’t live with the thought of how disappointed his mother would be if she found out he had sexual relations with a woman he had only met once. All the nurses and patients were distraught after seeing his dead body being taken away. They were shouting and crying when Nurse Ratched, in a calm tone said, “Now calm down. The best thing we can do is go on with our daily routine.” This shows that, because she craves order, she is heartless and expects the people who spent nearly every day with him to forget he is dead and move on. McMurphy then lunged at Nurse Ratched and strangled her, not thinking about the consequences, McMurphy only wanted revenge. This shows us how the id and superego are unable to resolve conflicts rationally on their own. McMurphy wants to destroy everything Nurse Ratched has worked to create, and Nurse Ratched wants McMurphy to conform to her rules and make him compliant. In a battle between two unmatchable forces, there is only going to be one winner, and in this case, Nurse Ratched won. After McMurphy’s outburst, Nurse Ratched deemed him erratic and sent him to the doctors to be lobotomized. Nurse Ratched wanted so badly to restore order to her ward that she was willing to suppress McMurphy’s identity so that she could control him. This shows how dangerous our world would be if there were no ego to balance the id and superego. In society, people are forced to do

things and conform to others against their will. Without things like the law, police or judges, there would be chaos. There would be no one to decide what is right and wrong, no one to punish those who have broken the law. Our world would fall into anarchy and there would be nothing that could save society.

Freud believed that there is balance in our mind, a rational side, an emotional side and the center which brings those two sides to coincide peacefully. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, we were able to apply Freud’s theories and identify characters who displayed characteristics of two of the three sections, as in this novel there was no ego. The id and superego were left unattended and to their own devices, causing mayhem. By applying this lens we are able to see the effect that having no ego would have on society. These two conflicting forces are constantly trying to overthrow one another to gain power and control over the other. The superego trying to get society to see order and conform to rules and the id, living on desires, acting on their urges and feelings and having no regard for others. To live in either of these worlds would be terrifying, you either live as a robot in society, doing as you are programmed. Or you live as a selfish trickster, only living to please your desires. This is why we have to have balance so that we can have order, but we are still able to live freely and we can act upon our urges but to a point where others are not hurt. Without the balance of an ego, society would surely go down in flames.