In our discussions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, we have debated about the sanity of various characters Homework Help

In our discussions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, we have debated about the sanity of various characters, and the definition of sane and normal Whether we believe a character is truly crazy or not, the fact remains that the novel is set in a mental institution, and a clear line has been drawn between who is sane and who

is mentally ill. Your task in this essay assignment is to investigate why that is, and to decide for yourself how accurate that distinction is. You must answer the

following general question in your essay: Is she/he (or was she/he ever) insane?

You will pick one of the following characters to focus your essay on:

Chief Bromden (Please choose this person!!)

McMurphy

Harding

Billy Bibbit

Nurse Ratched

You must assess your character’s sanity by looking carefully at the reasons why she/he would and would not be considered mentally ill. While your essay should be making

a clear argument for one diagnosis or the other, you need to present the clearest picture possible of her/his state of mind throughout the entire novel. Consider how

she/he views her/himself, how she/he behaves, and how she/he reacts to and interacts with the people and world around her/him. Furthermore, consider how others see

her/him. How does the character’s struggle with and against the concept of normalcy affect others’ perception of her/him?

I expect you to work very closely with the text, using quotes whenever they effectively support and prove your point. Please be careful, however, that you do not spend

excessive amounts of time summarizing the story. Always assume that your reader (me) has read the book; spend your time analyzing the text. In addition to the novel,

you must make use of two outside sources to help strengthen your argument. Be creative with the kinds of sources you use. You may want to look at literary scholarship

about this novel (which you can find through databases like JSTOR and LRC), or you may want to look into historical psychiatric theories, the historical role of women

in the medical field, or studies on the psychological trauma experienced by displaced Native Americans. Look at the character that you’ve chosen carefully, and consider

what external sources may have made her/him the way she/he is. Please make sure that you use reliable sources that enhance your understanding of the character, and

don’t just explain the story to you (Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, and similar study guides are not acceptable ‘ neither is Wikipedia). Proper MLA format must be used for

in-text citations and a Works Cited Page.