Plot Summary
The novel begins with Chief Bromden waking up in his bed in the mental ward. He describes his surroundings as being controlled by a machine called the Combine, which he believes is responsible for making everyone conform to its will. He also introduces some of the other patients in his ward, such as Harding, Billy Bibbit, Cheswick, Martini, Scanlon, Sefelt, Frederickson, and Ruckly.
He then introduces Nurse Ratched, the head nurse of the ward, who he calls Big Nurse. He describes her as a cruel and manipulative woman who uses her authority to dominate and humiliate her patients. He also introduces some of the staff members who work under her, such as the black orderlies, whom he calls the black boys, and Dr. Spivey, the medical superintendent, whom he calls the Old Doctor.
The next day, a new patient arrives in the ward. He is Randle Patrick McMurphy, a loud and charismatic man who claims to be a gambling addict. He immediately attracts the attention of everyone in the ward with his jokes and stories. He also challenges Nurse Ratched’s authority by questioning her rules and regulations.
He bets with the other patients that he can make her lose her temper within a week. He also tries to persuade them to join him in his acts of defiance and resistance, such as playing cards, watching the World Series on TV, and voting for changes in the ward’s policies.
McMurphy soon realizes that he has made a mistake by coming to the hospital, as he learns that he is not there by choice, but by Nurse Ratched’s discretion. He also learns that most of the patients in his ward are not actually insane, but are voluntary patients who have chosen to stay there because they are afraid of facing the outside world.
He decides to help them regain their confidence and dignity by showing them how to have fun and stand up for themselves. He organizes various activities for them, such as fishing trips, basketball games, parties, and meetings with prostitutes. He also befriends Chief Bromden, whom he discovers can actually hear and speak. He encourages Chief Bromden to tell him his story and to join him in his plans.
However, McMurphy’s actions also provoke Nurse Ratched’s wrath. She tries to undermine his influence by using her power to punish and manipulate him and his friends. She also tries to turn the patients against him by accusing him of being selfish and exploitative.
She uses various methods to control and hurt him, such as electroshock therapy, medication, isolation, and threats of lobotomy. She also uses her influence over Billy Bibbit’s mother, who is a friend of hers, to prevent Billy from having a relationship with a prostitute named Candy.
The novel reaches its climax when McMurphy organizes a party in the ward with the help of Candy and another prostitute named Sandra. He invites some of his friends to join him, such as Chief Bromden, Harding, Billy Bibbit, Cheswick, Martini, Scanlon, Sefelt, Frederickson, and Ruckly. They drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, listen to music, dance, and have sex.
They also plan to escape from the hospital with McMurphy’s help. However, their plan is foiled when Nurse Ratched arrives in the morning and discovers what they have done. She is furious and threatens to tell Billy Bibbit’s mother about his affair with Candy. Billy Bibbit begs her not to do so, but she ignores him. Billy Bibbit then commits suicide by slitting his throat with a broken bottle.
McMurphy is enraged by Billy Bibbit’s death and attacks Nurse Ratched. He rips off her uniform and exposes her breasts, which symbolizes her loss of power and authority. He also tries to strangle her, but is stopped by the orderlies who beat him up and take him away. Nurse Ratched survives the attack, but is left with a scar on her neck and a damaged voice.
The novel ends with Chief Bromden telling us what happened after McMurphy’s attack on Nurse Ratched. He says that McMurphy was taken to another ward where he was given a lobotomy, which turned him into a vegetable. He says that Nurse Ratched tried to resume her control over the ward by showing them McMurphy’s lobotomized body, but it backfired on her as most of the patients decided to leave the hospital or transfer to another ward.
He says that he decided to kill McMurphy by smothering him with a pillow, as an act of mercy and friendship. He then escaped from the hospital by lifting a heavy control panel and throwing it through a window. He says that he hitchhiked his way to Canada with a truck driver named Mac.
Characters and Character Development
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest features a large cast of characters who are mostly patients or staff members in the mental ward where the novel takes place. The main characters are:
- Randle Patrick McMurphy: The protagonist of the novel. He is a rebellious and charismatic convict who is transferred to the mental hospital after faking insanity to avoid hard labor. He becomes the leader of a group of patients who are oppressed and dehumanized by Nurse Ratched and tries to inspire them to rebel and regain their dignity and freedom.
- Chief Bromden: The narrator of the novel. He is a half-Native American patient who pretends to be deaf and mute to avoid attention. He is a paranoid schizophrenic who believes that the hospital is controlled by a sinister machine called the Combine, which aims to destroy individuality and conform everyone to its will. He is McMurphy’s friend and accomplice, and the only one who knows his true fate.
- Nurse Ratched: The antagonist of the novel. She is the head nurse of the ward, who rules it with an iron fist. She is a cold-hearted and manipulative woman who uses her authority to dominate and humiliate her patients. She sees McMurphy as a threat to her power and tries to break him by any means necessary.
- Billy Bibbit: A young and timid patient who suffers from a severe stutter and low self-esteem. He is dominated by his mother, who is a friend of Nurse Ratched. He falls in love with a prostitute named Candy, whom McMurphy introduces to him. He commits suicide after Nurse Ratched threatens to tell his mother about his affair with Candy.
- Dale Harding: A well-educated and intelligent patient who is the unofficial leader of the patients before McMurphy arrives. He is a closeted homosexual who is married to a woman who constantly emasculates him. He admires McMurphy for his courage and charisma, but also resents him for his popularity and success.
- Charles Cheswick: A loud and outspoken patient who is one of McMurphy’s first followers. He often complains about the conditions in the ward and demands changes, but lacks the courage to act on his own. He drowns himself in the swimming pool after McMurphy fails to support him in a confrontation with Nurse Ratched.
- George Sorenson: An elderly and gentle patient who suffers from germophobia and paranoia. He is a former fisherman who enjoys going on fishing trips with McMurphy and his friends. He is abused by the orderlies who force him to take a shower against his will. He is given electroshock therapy after he fights back against them.
- Max Taber: A rebellious and aggressive patient who challenges Nurse Ratched’s authority. He is given electroshock therapy and lobotomy after he accuses her of lying about the medication he is given. He is used as an example by Nurse Ratched to scare the other patients into submission.
- Martini: A cheerful and friendly patient who suffers from hallucinations and delusions. He often sees imaginary things and people that no one else can see. He joins McMurphy in his activities and games, but does not understand what is going on most of the time.
- Scanlon: A cynical and sarcastic patient who suffers from paranoia and explosive tendencies. He often talks about blowing up things and people with his homemade bombs. He is loyal to McMurphy and supports him in his rebellion.
- Sefelt and Frederickson: Two epileptic patients who share a room in the ward. Sefelt refuses to take his medication because it makes him lose his teeth, while Frederickson takes double doses of his medication to prevent seizures. They are both attracted to Candy, whom they meet during McMurphy’s party.
- Ruckly: A former patient who was given a lobotomy after he attacked Nurse Ratched. He is now reduced to a vegetative state, sitting in a wheelchair with a picture of his wife pinned to his chest. He occasionally utters profanities or laughs maniacally.
- Dr. Spivey: The medical superintendent of the hospital, who works under Nurse Ratched’s influence. He is a timid and nervous man who suffers from a morphine addiction. He initially opposes McMurphy’s presence in the ward, but later becomes sympathetic to him and joins him in some of his activities.
The novel shows how these characters develop throughout the story, as they are influenced by McMurphy’s actions and personality. Some of them become more confident and assertive, while others become more rebellious and defiant. Some of them escape from the hospital or transfer to another ward, while others die or are lobotomized. Some of them remain loyal to McMurphy until the end, while others betray him or abandon him.
