The Theme Of Absurdity And Restoration Of Freedom In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is the representative work of Ken Kesey in the 1960s, which severely criticizes the integrated institution of the industrial society and has the notion of a satirical critique of the social conformity. This thesis analyses the theme of absurdity and restoration of freedom from the historical background at that time and the image of alienated humankind so that Ken Kesey seriously and silently criticizes the dehumanized industrial society.The introduction makes a general review of the background about the author, the work and critical reception, and the theme of absurdity and restoration of freedom that the thesis is based on. The need-hierarchy theory of Maslow has been put into use in the analysis. Chapter One analyses the alienated phenomenon of human beings from the image in the industrial society, the dehumanized control and governance to the mental patients and the dehumanized representative, Nurse Ratched. Chapter Two shows that the rebellion against the institution in the absurd society due to the oppression of institution, which concerns about the individual against the society, the sanity against the insanity and the nature against the civilization. Chapter Three deals with the pursuit of freedom of the mental patients in different ways that include McMurphy as the Christ figure, Chief Bromden as the executor and other patients as the unable men. Ken Kesey expresses his deep concern on the living state of human beings and tries to seek a way of getting rid of the dilemma. It shows Ken Kesey's humanitarian solicitude about the fate of the humankind in the modern industrial society and expresses his abiding faith in mankind. The last chapter comes to conclusion that includes the summary of the theme of absurdity and the restoration of freedom in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and restates the purpose, its significance.