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!