Power, Authority, and Fear

Through out the novel OFOCN (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) by Ken Kesey, women are constantly present.  They portray many things, but the most important elements are power and authority.  A perfect example is Nurse Ratched.  She is the head nurse in the mental ward and every man fears her, even the employees that are above her in status.  On page 58 Harding, one of the patients in the ward, has an interesting discussion with a man named Randal McMurphy.  Harding says that all of the patients are rabbits and Nurse Ratched is the wolf.  Just like in the circle of life, the rabbits must fear the wolf.

Other then some feminine details, Nurse Ratched is seen as a man.  When Kesey describes her, he uses masculine features.  For example, on page 64 a patient says, "Her face is quite handsome."  Normally, a women's face is described as beautiful or pretty.  Handsome is an adjective used to describe men. The only point in time where the patients of the institution do speak about her being a woman is when they mention her breasts.  Many times they talk about how big they are and how ironic it is that she has them.  In my opinion, her "big breasts" symbolize, in a way, the amount of authority she has.  Her breasts are not the only thing mentioned about her feminine appearance in the novel.  On page 38 it says:

"She walked right on past, ignoring him just like she chose to ignore the way nature had tagged her with those outsized badges of femininity, just like she was above him, and sex, and everything else that's weak of the flesh."

Although she is a woman, no one dares to challenge her except Mc Murphy.  Mc Murphy is referred to as the patients' savior.  With just spending a week in the institution, he has successfully gotten under Nurse Ratched's skin.  This becomes a rivalry of who has more power in the ward.  In time, a rebellion takes place.  No one decides to do the house chores and everyone starts to challenge her in the group meetings.  Only when McMurphy visits the pool for the first time does he realize how much authority she has.  After speaking to a life guard, McMurphy decides to behave himself and everything goes back under control.  Many of the patients do not understand his change of attitude until he tells them that she is the one who decides who gets released.  

In order to keep control in the institution, the Nurse uses fear.  Her main resource is the shock therapy.  As soon as someone misbehaves, she sends them to the "Shock Stop".  Although it is quick and painless, it creates fear because it is unpleasant.  On page 162, Harding finally explains the EST to McMurphy.  Once someone goes through it, the person becomes calmer and is "cured".  The patients never return to their normal state, which makes it easier for her to keep control.  On page 164 McMurphy says that she is the heart of the problem.  Only he recognized the fact that she is the cause of fear.  She is comfortable with the idea of being the head of authority, therefore she punishes the patients for the rebellion that had occurred.  She wanted to assure the patients that she was still the boss.  Only when McMurphy stands up and challenges her once more does it become questionable whether she will continue portraying power and authority.