The novel’s protagonist chafes at being locked up in a mental institution, but most of the patients are there voluntarily because they find freedom and safety in being confined. The world is divided into the world inside the asylum (confined) and the world Outside (freedom). But even the world inside the mental ward is divided into freedom and confinement. Though many of the men want to be in the mental institution, they still want to enjoy certain freedoms and they struggle with the way they’re treated—how they can be sent to the Disturbed Ward or for electroshock therapy or to Seclusion simply for asking that they be allowed to keep their own cigarettes.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Although we typically think of murder as a crime worthy of punishment, Chief was actually freeing McMurphy from the prison of his body when he killed him.
Although McMurphy sees confinement as a curtailing of his freedom, most of the patients find safety and freedom in being locked up in the asylum ward.
1. What is the central theme of the novel "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"? |
2. How does the theme of freedom and confinement manifest in the novel? |
3. Why is the theme of freedom and confinement important in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"? |
4. How does the novel explore the concept of freedom? |
5. Does the novel provide a resolution to the theme of freedom and confinement? |
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