Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Psychology Cuckoos Nest Cuckoos Nest We feel that One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest is filled with many psychological connotations. This movie is set in a mental hospital where McMurphy was admitted to be psychologically evaluated because of violent behavior. Upon his arrival McMurphy noticed that the patients were very robot-like in their actions. The hospital is extremely structured where the patient’s daily life was monotonous. We will discuss the various connotations by answering the following questions that have been asked. A variety of treatment techniques were present in the mental facility. We will examine those of McMurphy, Nurse Ratchett, and the head doctor. Nurse Ratchett and the head doctor had similar treatment techniques. Regardless of the condition of the patient both Nurse Ratchett and the head doctor treated the patients as inferiors. The patients were seen as “robots,” and were treated the same way regardless of the patient’s state of mental health. Nurse Ratchett continuously ordered around the patients instructing them on their daily activities. She showed no emotion towards the patients and had them do what she saw fit, forgetting what was right for each patient’s individual needs. The head doctor felt that each patient was in need of a psychiatric intervention. He felt that each patient was a “lab rat,” by treating them with unnecessary procedures. These procedures often led to circumstances that left the patients unable to make rational decisions. Contrary to Nurse Ratchett and the head doctor, McMurphy treated everyone as equals, but with a respectful manner to boost their self confidence. Even though his condition appeared healthier than most, his actions refuted this fact. McMurphy advocated group participation in activities making sure that each individual was involved in a way that would better their condition. For example, Chiefs beginning to play basketball is a major accomplishment on the part of McMurphy. His constant encouragement finally drove Chief to play. Another example is the group discussions. McMurphy tried to incorporate everyone into these discussions simultaneously. This can be seen when he rallied everyone’s support to try to convince Nurse Ratchett to let them watch the World Series on television. The two psychological interventions that were administered to McMurphy while in the mental institution were a lobotomy and shock therapy. A lobotomy is the removal of the portion from the frontal lobe of the brain. This procedure’s main goal is to eliminate aggressive or violent behavior. This invention took place in 1935 by Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz. However, by the late 1940s the realization those individuals undergoing lobotomy procedures took place without initiative became apparent. Although the methods of a lobotomy have changed the basic underlying idea of neurosurgery exists today in the form of “psychosurgery” (Encarta 2000). Shock Therapy uses electric current or drugs to control psychotic disorders. In 1933, Dr. Manfred Sakel used drugs and instituted insulin shock to control mainly Schizophrenia. In 1938, Drs. U. Cerletti and L. Bini used electroshock therapy to treat severe depression (i.e. manic depressive psychoses). Alternating current through the brain using parallel electrodes causes immediate unconsciousness and convulsive seizures. Treatment frequency ranges from extreme, such as two to three per day, to mild, such as three times per week, for two to six weeks. The introduction of tranquilizing drugs have all but completely eliminated the use of electro convulsive therapy, as well as insulin shock (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1999-2000). McMurphy was brought to the mental institution because he had been involved in too many altercations with his fellow inmates at his prison. The doctors at the prison wanted to have McMurphy psychoanalyzed to see if there was evidence of any psychological disorders. During his analytical viewing, McMurphy appeared normal, but with sarcastic tones in most of his speech towards the nurse. After his analysis, it was popularly agreed that McMurphy did not belong in the institution. Nurse Ratchett, being the sadistic, self-indulged person that she was, interrupted the discussion between the doctors and claimed that she could make progress, by continuing her treatment with “Mac.” Her “opinion” was based on a personality conflict between herself and McMurphy. Although Mac refused to conform to the pre-established ways of the institution, Nurse Ratchett acted more sadistically. She thrived on personal control over the patients, disregarding their diagnoses and prescriptions for recovery (or stabilization of their conditions). Nurse Ratchett and McMurphy’s primary reason for living varied in the fact that he believed that life should not be taken so seriously. You should relax and enjoy life as it comes to you. McMurphy disagreed with the conventional rules of society. The beliefs of Nurse Ratchett were the opposite of McMurphy. She valued a strict and extremely orderly daily routine. Ratchett saw life as something that should be structured and not tolerant of radical behavior such as McMurphy’s. Her primary reason for living was to have a successful life. However her view of a successful life was to be able to dictate daily activities of her patients. In conclusion we believe that the film had a few very important meanings. The primary theme was McMurphy’s struggle with Nurse Ratchett. Their conflicting personalities forced McMurphy to adapt to live with the conditions put forth by Nurse Ratchett without completely conforming. The theme of camaraderie existed based on the evidence that McMurphy could have escaped the institution several times, but he felt the need to aid his fellow inmates during Nurse Ratchett’s reign. Similar to the theme of camaraderie was McMurphy’s attitude to help his friends (inmates) begin to believe in themselves and to develop a sense of individualism. Overall McMurphy’s motivation to both better himself and others exemplified his want to spite Nurse Ratchett, and eventually fill his need for self-gratification to help his friends. Bibliography: Word Count: 1000
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