Biblical Allusions and Symbolism of Names in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1. Biblical Allusions andSymbolism of Namesin One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2. Biblical Allusions 1. Big Nurse: "Stay back! Patients aren't allowed to enter the- Oh, stay back,I'm a Catholic!" (p.76)     In this quote Nurse Rachet is hiding behind the religion she professes to believe in when things get difficult she uses her religion to justify her fear.

3. 2. "they lifted him off the table for the last time, in the same shape, arms out, palms cupped, with the same horror on his face.  He's nailed like that on the wall" (20) This quote gives the reader an image of Jesus on the cross.  He was nailed to the cross with his arms out, palms cupped, and a sad look on his face.

4. 3. "And when he finishes shaking hands with the last Acute he comes right over to the Chronics, like we aren't no different." (p.25) This passage shows McMurphy to be a accepting person who values everyone even the people society has determined have no value.

5. 4. [Bromden] "I'd take my place in the line and wait my turn at the table. The table shaped like a cross, with shadows of a thousand murdered men printed on it, silhouette wrists and ankles running up to to a silver band goes across the forehead." (p.117) In this passage the idea of being shocked is presented as similar to being hung on a cross both in the sheer amount of horror that it instills but also as the idea of a sacrifice for the good of all.

6. 5. Harding: "Our Miss Ratched is a veritable angel of mercy...unselfish as the wind and toilink thanklessly for the good of all..."(58) This quote paints Nurse Ratched as an angel or a saint.  Even though Harding doesn't think Nurse Ratched is a saint, he still gives the reader that image in this text.

7. SymbolismofNames

8. Chief  Bromden         1. His name was given to him because of his Native American heritage, but is also mocking him because at this point in the book he is clearly not a "chief" or a leader.          2. the "Bromden" part is symbolic of how he is always holding the broom and sweeping (they call him "Chief Broom")      "Nobody up to see, just old broom Bromden, the half-breed indian back there hiding behind his mop and can't talk to call for help" (Page 11).

9. Nurse Ratched "Big Nurse"     1. Ratched sounds like wretched, and despite her pleasant appearance, all of the patients and her coworkers know how evil, controlling, and "wretched" she is.   "...that nurse ain't some kinda monster chicken, buddy, what she is is a ball-cutter.  I've seen a thousand of 'em, old and young, men and women... people who try to make you weak so they can get you to toe the line, to follow their rules, to live like they want you to."(Page 57)     2.  Ratched is mechanical and dehumanizing.  The one humanizing feature about her is her large breasts, which she tries to hide at all costs.      3.   Also, Big Nurse sounds like Big Brother, symbolic of her dehumanization and oppressiveness.

10. Names signifyinginsane vs. sane Everyone in the ward who is insane is clearly separated by the sane by their names.   McMurphy and all of the "black boys"  names like Washington, Sam, and Williams, which are regular sounding names because they are normal.   All of the insane have crazy sounding names and nicknames, such as Chief Bromden (chief broom), Old Vegetable Blastic, Billy Bibbit (who babbles), Pete Bancini ("I'm tired..."), Martini, etc.