One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Is Chief crazy? Is he a trustworthy narrator? Did the events that Chief narrates really happen? Is Nurse Ratched really all that bad?
  2. Who wins the battle in the end—Nurse Ratched or McMurphy?
  3. How does One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fit into the literature of paranoia and conspiracy theories? In what ways does One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest suggest that conspiracy theories are true, rather than a product of mental illness?
  4. Is it possible to cure people with mental illnesses? Is it possible to incorporate individuals with mental illnesses into modern society?
  5. Does our modern system of insane asylums seek cures or does it simply keep people confined?
  6. What does the book suggest is the consequence of confining men for years?