Written by Ken Kesey in 1958, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, is a novel set in a psychiatric hospital. The novel is a representation of the study of the institutional processes as well as the mind of human beings. In addition, the novel serves as a study of critique of behaviorism, as well as celebration of principles of human beings (Wasserman and Kesey 13). Published in 1962, the novel took into account the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and the significant changes to the way psychiatric and psychology were being approached in the country. The novel tells about the tale of McMurphy, along with the other inmates in the institution, who significantly suffer under the cruelty of Nurse Ratched, who is extremely controlling. Considering this, this paper sets to assess Chief Bromden, one of the characters in the novel. On this, it carefully focuses on the reasons he would not be considered insane.
Chief Bromden is a tall, half-Indian patient in the mental institution. He has stayed in the institution for the longest period (Bloom 14). Despite the fact that other inmates in the prison think that he is both deaf and mute, it is his decision not to speak. Chief Bromden is the narrator of the novel. He is nicknamed Chief Broom by other inmates because the aides in the institution make him sweep the halls. This signifies how the staff mistreats patients in mental health institutions. .
Despite the fact that Chief Bromden says that he is telling the story regarding "the hospital, and her, and the guys," he is telling about the story of his journey towards sanity. At the start of the novel, Chief Bromden is paranoid and significantly bullied in the institution (Porter 8). In addition, a hallucination fog surrounds him. The fog represents his medicated states as well as his intense desire to hide from the reality (Bloom 24). In addition to this, Chief Bromden has a strong belief that he is extremely weak despite the fact the he used to be strong.
