Nadeem 1Maham NadeemMiss HallmanfAmerican Literature 033May 27, 2009Shattered Minds: An Analysis of Human Degradation and Its Effect in One Flew Over theCuckoo’s Nest“A hurtful act is the transference to others the degradation which we bear in ourselves”(Simone Weil). Hurtful, malicious acts of degradation are ever-present in

One Flew Over theCuckoo’s Nest

by Ken Kesey. Innumerable agonizing truths about our world hide in Kesey’sdisconcerting novel. One such distressing reality brought forth is the degradation of a human’smind; victimized mercilessly, Dale Harding struggles to survive in a mentally disturbingenvironment. Although Harding cannot be considered as one of the prominent characters in thenovel, he plays an imperative role in the comprehension of dehumanization and what it trulymeans to suffer the state of one who deems himself less than human. Degradation encompassesfar more than merely humiliating a person. When one human makes another consistently bear inmind that he subsists as a low creature, not worthy of anything in life, a beast who should counthis blessings for every single thing this world has spared him. Succinctly, that poor, deprived,unfortunate soul feels that his existence is tantamount to nothing, absolutely nothing, a nonentity.Such feelings can cause so much chaos and mayhem in the mind. Kesey unveils mental turmoilunleashed by Nurse Ratched’s manipulation of anxious sentiments through Harding’s persona.In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey depicts Harding as the embodiment of mentaldegradation.

Nadeem 2Harding’s degradation occurs due to the brainwashing that takes place in the hospital.“The process began by establishing complete physical control over the [patients]. This makesthem feel helpless” (Berger 27). Once inside, the hospital patients’ rights are slowly strippedfrom them in order to show them who’s in charge. Without their rights, patients in the hospital begin feeling weak and powerless and look to others to help and guide them. The act of deducting rights often constitutes as the first step in degradation. Without civil liberties, patientsfeel apprehensive and in need of assistance. At this moment, Nurse Ratched, an utterly tyrannicalfigure, steps in to gain control of the situation.“Her moral righteousness, her shrewd eye and ear…hovered over us, made us uneasy,goaded us” (Codes 183). Harding already feels vulnerable, feeble, and necessitating aid due tothe deduction of his rights and privileges. Harding’s feelings provide Ratched with the opportuneinstance to intervene. Ratched intercedes pretending to be morally upright and representing afigure of assistance. Ratched’s keen eye should make her a great nurse since she is blessed withthe gift of observation; instead, her acute perception worries her patients and induces fear inthem. The patients’ fear and uneasiness around her supply the evidence needed to reach theconclusion that Ratched’s brainwashing motives and imposition have started working to a certainextent. Since Ratched demands sheer obedience in all situations, Harding hangs on to her everyword as if it’s law. McMurphy finds the immense power Ratched wields disturbing.“You mean to tell me that you’re gonna sit back and let some old blue-haired woman talk you into being a rabbit” (62). After stripping Harding of his rights. Ratched’s next brainwashingtactic is to take control of Harding’s mind as she has already paralyzed his body. Harding’s physical paralysis is evident when he has “got his thin shoulders folded neatly together aroundhimself…and he’s sitting very straight near the edge of his chair with his hands trapped between

Nadeem 3his knees” (54). The poor man is “transfixed” and he deems it “vital to adhere” to Miss.Ratched’s every word and answer her every question (Lupack 38). On this cue, Ratched realizesthat Harding’s mind is at an “exposed and susceptible” state (Stripling 109). Ratched takesadvantage of Harding’s vulnerability and starts speaking in riddles and using methods of insinuation to confuse Harding. “She doesn’t need to accuse. She merely needs to insinuate,insinuate anything…she has a genius for insinuation” (61). By insinuation Harding means thatRatched has a “genius” for covertly accusing her patients and making them feel guilty even if they’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. As Harding points out, Ratched never openly puts the blame on anyone, but she insinuates and toys with Harding’s mind to make him feel moreinferior and defenseless towards her. Basically, Ratched forces her patients to regret their ownexistence. The way that Ratched insinuates her patients also demonstrates Ratched’s carefultactics; she purposely phrases her sentences to contain a double meaning. Thus people who arguethat Ratched is not an antagonist are wrong since clearly she is brainwashing her patientsmaliciously.Ratched’s deliberateness can be seen when she demand “extensive and precise verbal phrasing” from Harding (Healy 294). Ratched mandates that everyone speak to her in a prim in proper manner which soon becomes daunting for Harding (Essortment). The robotic way inwhich she addresses Harding causes him great unease; moreover, it frightens Harding and resultsin his acting defensive about all that he says and does. The utmost proof of Ratched’s brainwashing lies in Harding’s behavior. Although, he has done nothing wrong and should not bedefensive, he is! Furthermore, Ratched is pleased with Harding’s “cynical behavior” (Lupack 42). Ratched realizes that she can use her “language to control behavior – shown to effect mindwithout the use of drugs” (Healy 156). Ratched does not require toxic drugs or surgery