Ken Kesey September 17, 1935
description
Transcript of Ken Kesey September 17, 1935
Ken KeseySeptember 17, 1935
-was published in 1962
- it was adapted into a Broadway play by Dale Wasserman in 1963, as well as a 1975 film, which won five Academy Awards
-Time Magazine included the novel in its "100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005" list.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
● Chief Bromden- the novel's narrator- a large Indian who pretends to be deaf and dumb
● R. P. McMurphy- the hero of the novel
● The Big Nurse- Also known as Nurse Ratched
●Billy Bibbit - A young man with a stutter who lives in fear of his mother
●Harding- An effeminate man with beautiful, dancing hands
MINOR CHARACTERS
● Mr. Turkel: The night aide, and the only sympathetic black character in the novel
● Doctor Spivey: The doctor who works at the ward. He is just as afraid of Nurse Ratched as the rest of the patients
●Sefelt: An epileptic. He gives his
medication to Fredrickson because he doesn't want the side effect
●Candy: One of McMurphy's female friends, a prostitute from Portland. . Billy loses his virginity to her
●Sandy: Another prostitute and friend of McMurphy
PLOT
ThemesHumor
Power and Control
Women
Metaphorical elements The Hospital- offers inmates a sense of security at the cost of their freedom Nurse Ratched- ruler of this secure worldR.P. McMurphy- represents
revolution against authority
Electro shock therapy-
the obligatory crucifix scene, as
McMurphy says
Billy Bibbitt- is
McMurphy's Judas
Title
The title of the book is a line from a nursery rhyme
Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,Apple seed and apple thorn,Wire, briar, limber lockThree geese in a flockOne flew EastOne flew WestAnd one flew over the cuckoo's nest
●Who do you think killed McMurphy?
●Who do you think escapes the ward?
●Who is the insane one in this novel?
Let’s play!