Essay Prompts
1. How may a character’s past lifestyle effect their how they interact with others in the mental institution and effect their decision to stay in the mental institution in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Choose either Mr. Harding, McMurphy, or the Chief and analyze how their economic background effects their decisions throughout the novel. Include specific quotes from novel to support your thesis. You may also use any other resources we have used in class to support your thesis (Girl Interrupted, EBSCO resources, books pulled in the library).
2. How do the patients in the mental hospital in Cuckoo’s Nest compare to the changing social dynamics in early 1960s America? In what ways does the atmosphere created on the ward by Nurse Ratched and McMurphy suggest resistance to change or the success of change? Who might Nurse Ratched and McMurphy be symbols of in this context? Why? Include specific quotes from novel to support your thesis. You may also use any other resources we have used in class to support your thesis (Girl Interrupted, EBSCO resources, books pulled in the library).
3. Compare two female characters in Cuckoo’s Nest. Choose from Nurse Ratched, Vera Harding, The Night Nurse (Nurse Pilbow), Mrs. Bromden, Mrs. Bibbit, and Candy. How are these women similar and different? Can they be symbols of feminist ideals, patriarchal society, social reform, etc.? Focu on one of these topics. How does Kesey’s characterization of these women support each symbol? Include specific quotes from novel to support your thesis. You may also use any other resources we have used in class to support your thesis (Girl Interrupted, EBSCO resources, books pulled in the library).
4. Make your own topic!