"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey, is centered around a half Indian man named Chief Bromden. He is locked up in a mental institution and has led everyone, maybe even himself, to believe that he is deaf and dumb. Nurse Ratched is the head of the ward and uses manipulation in order to control each of the patients. McMurphy on the other hand is a new transfer and a shrewd conman. He is a very easy-going and funny person, but when he realizes what exactly Nurse Ratched is doing to the patients, he makes it his mission to assist them in becoming more sane and independent. One theme is that although there may not be significant and outright mentioning of many women in the story, they can still be stronger than men in a mental aspect and use that strength to influence others to do their bidding. .
Throughout the novel, Kesey portrays women as dominant and terrifying figures to which men are forced to answer to. Nurse Ratched is the primary woman in the story and the first one to be introduced. When she is originally presented, Kesey insinuates that she is a threatening and overbearing figure and alludes to the fact that Bromden is extremely fearful of her. This is shown in the passage, "In my dark I hear her rubber heels hit the tile and the stuff in her wicker bag clash with the jar of her walking as she passes me in the hall. She walks stiff. When I open my eyes she's down the hall about to turn into the glass Nurse's Station where she'll spend the day sitting at her desk and looking out of her window and making notes on what goes on in front of her in the day room during the next eight hours. Her face looks pleased and peaceful with the thought" (10). From here it is plain to see that Nurse Ratched has a mental grasp over Bromden and constantly keeps him scared and at bay. Kesey explains how once Bromden opens his eyes, Nurse Ratched is calmly in her rightful place of power, and how it is nearly impossible to hide from those in power.