Friday, May 1, 2020

Oppression in Cuckoos Nest free essay sample

Native Americans. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,† and â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† are similar due to the fact that they both metaphorically represent racism in the United States; it is clearly displayed through entrapment, subjugation of people, and prejudicial undertones used to limit the societal roles of those who face bigotry. The forced entrapment of Chief Bromden in â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,† represents the forsaken lives of the Native Americans during the early part of the nineteenth century. Chief Bromden was taken prisoner in the mental institution simply because he was different and does not conform to the patterns of society. The mental institution can be related to the reservations that Native Americans were forced to live on during the nineteenth century because both imprisoned people simply for their differences not because they have committed a serious crime. During the nineteenth century society was changing, and ignorance was encroaching on the minds of the American people resulting is a large uprising against a multi-cultural society. As a response to this the government removed Native Americans away from civilization and forced them west simply because they did not fit in with the European culture that existed (Rohrborgh 543). The novel’s plot events can be a representation of the entrapment the Native Americans faced because Chief Bromden was deemed as unfit to be part of society and was kept imprisoned. Women during the early twentieth century faced just as much hostility and social barriers that the Native Americans faced during the nineteenth century; this oppression of women was displayed in â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† through Lucynell’s entrapment. Women during the twentieth century had â€Å"limited roles and social limitations,† (Super 1003), and because of this were metaphorically trapped inside their homes. The male dominance that existed during the 1950s kept women from being a part of government as well as taking part in the workforce. Following World War II, women who held positions such as editors and corporate managers were fired and replaced with men (Super 1004). The idea at the time was that the women’s place was in the home, to stay home and take care of the family. The historical information about women oppression goes hand and hand with Lucynell’s oppression in â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† because Lucynell had a physical handicap which limited her ability to do things around the house. This handicap represented the handicap that the women possessed during the 1950s’. Furthermore in the story Mr. Shiflet, the man, was given various task and responsibilities whereas Lucynell only available task was to keep to herself in the house. Nurse Ratched’s subjugation of the patients corresponds with the oppressive nature of the United States government. In â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,† the patients including Chief Broodem were forced to live according to the rules and regulations as established by Nurse Ratched. She was the head nurse and that position gave her a great deal of power; she was in charge of all staff and patients and was able to manipulate everything that goes on in the hospital. Nurse Ratched’s dictatorship over the mental institution can be compared to the control that the United States government had over the Native Americans during the early twentieth century. For instance in the novel, when Chief explained the asylum’s procedures he says, â€Å"The chronics and the acutes don’t generally mingle†¦ it’s the way [they] want it (Kesey 21). †[They] represent those in charge of the asylum and displays their power over daily life in the mental ward. Nurse Ratched forced the patients to conform to her guidelines, such as when Chief was forced to sweep rather than live freely as he pleased. Chief like Lucynell in â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† does not have a voice to express his feelings or thoughts. This lack off voice can be compared to the Native Americans who were made by the federal government to give up their traditions of hunting and gathering and forced to farm. Both the government and Nurse Ratched did not allow for any intervening, and they forced upon their subjects a certain lifestyle. During the early twentieth century women did not control their own lives, it was controlled by society and they were expected to conform to society and follow its laws and patterns. In â€Å"The Life You Save May Be Your Own,† Women were denied access to public power and the idea of women in the early 1900s was a perfect wife and mother, thus leaving their lives to be run by men (Bruccoli 324). Women of this time were voiceless, and this lack of voice is display in the story because Lucynell literally was a mute, and could not speak. Lucynell’s lack of a voice metaphorically represents the women who had no voice in the early twentieth century whereas Mr. Shiftlet does have a voice; he represents the men during the twentieth century. Lucynell has no say in whether or not to marry Mr. Shiftlet, similar to that of the women in that time when the parents arranged marriages for the children, and the women had no say in the matter. Lucynell was also torn apart from her mother never to see her again this happened to many women who married; after they got married they would become a part of their husband’s families never to talk to the family they grew up with again. Prejudice feeds on ignorance and hate; and this is what fed the movement against Native Americans during the nineteenth century. This ignorance and hate is displayed throughout â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,† through prejudicial undertones. There was a instance in the novel were the patients go out onto a fishing trip and one of Ratcheds aides called Bromden illiterate because he was half-Indian. The statement made by the aid, which was in the quote `Why, who you spose signed chief Bromden up for this foolishness? Inniuns aint able to write. (Kesey 191) is an example of how the overseers had a feeling of superiority over Bromden. The statement used by the aide was used for the aide to disassociate herself from Bromden. The disassociation occurred during history through Native American stereotypes that existed throughout American History. During the first half of the century women in the United States were considered second class citizens, and were kept this way by men through prejudice and sexism. We see this represented in the story through Mr. Shiflet’s use of the word â€Å"lady† which he uses as a derogatory statement to dissociate himself from both female characters in the story; Mrs.

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