One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey (1962)

Learning goals

1) By the end of this lesson, you should understand the main themes of the book

2) By the end of this lesson you should be able to analyse how these themes are linked to their socio-cultural and historical context

3) By the end of this lesson you should be able to reflect on the relevance of these themes in the present day.

Themes and Analysis (45 min.)

Key themes in the book

1) How does the conflict between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched symbolize the struggle between individuality and conformity?

2) How does the psychiatric hospital represent broader institutions in society aimed at exerting power and oppressing individuals?

3) How does the book question the boundary between mental illness and normality and criticize treating patients in psychiatric hospitals?

Socio-cultural and historical context

1) The United States in the 1960s, a time of social and political change (Civil Rights Movement, anti-psychiatry movement and the rise of the counterculture).

2) How is the influence of the Beat Generation and their rebellion against the establishment reflected in the book?

3) What is the role of growing government distrust during the Vietnam War in relation to the book's themes.

Group discussion and activity (30 min.)

Assignment 1

- Divide into small groupes (3 to 4 students per group)

- Discuss the theme that will be assigned to your group (Conformity and the Individual, Power and Sexuality, Fear and Sanity versus Insanity).

- Find examples from the book that illustrate the theme.

- Discuss the relation to the historical context of the 1960s.

Assignment 2

- Present your findings from assignment 1 to the rest of the class. 

- Share your own opinion on the relevance of these themes in the present day. 

Reflection

What have you learned about the book's themes and its context?

How are these themes still
relevant in modern society?

Homework: Essay 

Write a short essay about the book in which you further analyze the themes of the book and how these are connected to the mental health stigma in today's society.

You can use the following guiding questions 

to write your essay:

1) How does "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" depict the treatment of mental illness and the boundary between what is considered "normal" and "abnormal" behavior?

2) What are some examples from the book that highlight the stigma and mistreatment of those with mental illness?

3) How does the depiction of mental illness in the book relate to the stigma surrounding mental health in today's society?

4) What are some current examples of mental health stigma in the media, workplaces, or schools?

5) How have perceptions and treatments of mental illness changed since the 1960s? In what ways have they remained the same?

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