Saturday, November 8, 2008
Cuckoo
I think the word cuckoo has a very strong symbolisim in this book and in the American language. For example look at Coco Puffs, the mascot is a bird and the catch phrase is "cuckoo for Coco Puffs". Not only is this motif present in the book but also on the book, for it is in the title, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Kesey uses birds continually in the book to represent craziness. Therefor, I believe it is obvious from the title that the ward is being called the cuckoo's nest or the crazy bird's home. One question that arose from this observation was is it the patient's nest or Nurse Ratched's nest?
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Even today the taxonomy of Cuckoo birds is under dispute and constant debate in the scientific community. I could be that the "nest" aka the ward is being fought over just like the cuckoo bird. Instead of fighting for proper classification, the patients and Nurse Ratched are fighting over power and control of the nest.
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