OVERVIEW
OF UNIT PLAN FOR ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO�S NEST
Introduction
One Flew Over the Cuckoo�s Nest by Ken Kesey is not only a critically acclaimed novel which has sold over seven million copies, it was part of an American cultural watershed between the �straight� values of the Fifties and the �counterculture� of the Sixties. Nominally about the struggle for power in a mental hospital, the deeper meaning of the novel concerns the relationship between society and the individual, particularly the relationship between (a) authority and freedom and (b) conformity and deviance. Indeed, while popularly viewed as a commentary on the importance of cultural diversity, Cuckoo�s Nest is nothing less than an expression of a fundamental precept of a democratic society: as Thomas Jefferson himself stated, �God forbid we should ever be twenty years without . . . a rebellion.� (Lipscomb and Bergh, 6:372). As a moral and social compass, therefore, Cuckoo�s Nest teaches both the danger of authoritarianism/oppression and conformity and the importance of individual rights and freedom of expression.
Summary of the Novel
Randle P. McMurphy, a free-spirited rebel, tires of his menial tasks at a work farm and feigns insanity in order to be admitted to a mental hospital. Once inside, he discovers a frightening, authoritarian environment controlled by Nurse Ratched, also known as Big Nurse. Dominating a collection of spiritually broken-down men whose mental health she is supposed to care for, Big Nurse in fact controls, manipulates and abuses them, exploiting their own emotional vulnerabilities to preserve her own power.
McMurphy, dismayed at Big Nurse�s treatment of the men and their own acceptance of her dominance, challenges Big Nurse at every opportunity. What starts out as a kind of playful competition becomes increasingly serious, as McMurphy struggles to free the men � or, more precisely, to enable them to free themselves -- from Big Nurse�s control, while Big Nurse struggles to maintain her authority over everyone, including McMurphy.
Told from the point of view of Chief Bromden, a huge Native-American who pretends to be unable to hear or speak, the story builds to a powerful climax in which McMurphy �frees� the men, if only for an afternoon, by taking them fishing and cavorting with two hookers. Upon learning that Billy Bibbitt, a particularly vulnerable patient, has had sex with one of the hookers, the Big Nurse shames him into suicide. When McMurphy learns this, he savagely attacks Big Nurse, as a result of which he is given a lobotomy which leaves him in a vegetative state. In the novel�s final scene, Chief Bromden, sensing that McMurphy would not want to live in such a condition, suffocates McMurphy and breaks out of the mental hospital, experiencing a powerful redemption through the re-discovery of his own individuality.
Class
Level
The following unit plan is designed for an 11th grade class, 12th grade class, or combined 11th-12th grade class of at least average ability.
Rationale
There are at least four reasons to teach Cuckoo�s Nest. First, it is an example of fine literature in which the various literary elements are skillfully and successfully displayed. Second, it concerns important themes and serves as a reminder of the importance of individual rights and individual expression. Third, regardless of whether one agrees with the views that it represents, Cuckoo�s Nest raises issues in a manner that can stimulate critical thinking. Fourth, Cuckoo�s Nest � written at a critical juncture in American cultural history -- was itself a part of an important social transformation in America, and Ken Kesey himself became a cultural icon: hence, the novel is historically and socially, as well as literarily, significant.
Objective
Students will achieve several objectives. First, students will become familiar with the traditional literary elements as they are used in this novel. Second, students will understand how the novel address themes such as (1) authority and oppression in society and (2) the value of individual expression and nonconformity. Third, students will understand the historical and social context of the novel, including the role that the novel played in an important transformation in American culture.
Standards Addressed
The preliminary daily plan attached hereto identifies the relevant standards for 9th/10th grade and for 11th/12th grade.
Introducing
the Unit
In order to provide students with some context relating to Cuckoo�s Nest, I would begin by providing some background information on Ken Kesey. I would begin by playing the opening of Further: Ken Kesey�s American Dreams. An alternative would be to read an excerpt (or excerpts) from The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
In order to introduce the themes addressed in Cuckoo�s Nest, one might analyze poetry which concerns issues of individualism and conformity, such as �Disillusionment of Ten O�Clock� by Wallace Stevens, �The Purse-Seine� by Robinson Jeffers, or �A Supermarket in California� by Allen Ginsberg.
Through the Unit
The day-to-day activities are set forth on the preliminary daily plan attached hereto.
Beyond the Unit
Students can be asked to reflect on, research, write about and/or debate social transformations in which oppressed (or even under-represented) segments of society became empowered. Examples include the labor movement of the early 1900�s, the civil rights movement, the rise of feminism, the organization of farmworkers, gay rights activism, and disability rights activism.
Students can also be asked to reflect on, research, write about and/or debate the extent to which certain political or social issues reflect a conflict between the views of �society� versus the rights of the individual. Examples may include dress codes, gay marriage, abortion, zoning and land use regulation, restrictions on pornography, restrictions on speech considered �offensive,� seat belt laws, and motorcycle helmet laws.
Young Adult Literature Selections
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher: A novel which is remarkably comparable to Cuckoo�s Nest, Whale Talk presents the story of T.J.Jones, a protagonist who, like Randle P. McMurphy, justifiably confronts abusive authority and empowers a group of �misfits� to achieve self-respect and dignity. Whale Talk may be used with students for whom Cuckoo�s Nest might be too challenging.
Bless The Beasts and The Children by Glendon Swarthout: This novel, also remarkably comparable to Cuckoo�s Nest, is the story of a group of misfits at a summer camp in the Southwest who, led by their leader, Cotton, struggle to save buffalo from being slaughtered. With its Southwestern setting and imagery and use of buffalo as actual (if not symbolic) �characters,� this book may be used with students with a particular interest in Native American culture or animals.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: This classic novel is the story of unintentional outsiders trying � unsuccessfully � to �fit in.� Through no real fault of their own, George and Lenny are outside the mainstream, and their only dream is to have a ranch and live like others do. While not so much about power and authority, Of Mice and Men highlights the important theme of conformity and its limits. This book may be used with students for whom Cuckoo�s Nest is too complex.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: This novel, like Of Mice and Men, highlights the issue of nonconformity, although in this novel the nonconformist is a girl in high school. The prototypical �new kid in school,� Stargirl express herself in her own way, causing others to shun her and forcing her own identity crisis. Not only might this novel be more appealing to girls, it might better engage students who relate better to the high school setting with which they are more familiar.
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: This novel concerns the struggle against an abusive power structure. The protagonist, Jerry Renault, rebels against the dictates of a school gang, The Vigils, who are, in essence, authoritarian bullies. This novel, like the others mentioned above, ends in suffering. This novel, which explicitly concerns themes relevant to teens, such as bullying, peer pressure, and high school culture, may be used with students who prefer a more direct correlation with their own experiences.
Other Cultural References
The themes of authoritarianism and conformity have been portrayed in other books not necessarily designated as �young adult fiction,� but which are frequently taught in high school, among them 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, Lord of The Flies by William Golding, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Also, the themes in Cuckoo�s Nest have been portrayed in many popular movies, including On The Waterfront (the story of a longshoreman who confronts organized crime in his effort to organize a union), Cool Hand Luke (the story of a renegade who confronts the prison system), Billy Jack (the story of a quasi-mystic hero who confronts racism and animal cruelty in the Southwest), Edward Scissorhands (the story of an outsider trying to fit into conventional society), Mask (same), Breaking Away ( misfits/underdogs who ultimately achieve dignity), and Matewan (labor organizing in Appalachia).
Works
Cited
Billy Jack. Dir. Tom Laughlin. National Student Film Corporation, 1971.
Breaking Away. Dir. Peter Yates. 20th Century Fox, 1979.
Cool Hand Luke. Dir. Stuart Rosenberg. Jalem Productions, 1967.
Cormier, R. (1974). The Chocolate War. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Crutcher, C. (2001). Whale Talk. New York: Random House, Inc., Random House Children�s
Books, Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Edward Scissorhands. Dir. Tim Burton. 20th Century Fox, 1991.
Further: Ken Kesey�s American Dreams. Dir. Joan Saffa. KQED, Inc., 1987.
Ginsberg, A. (1955). Collected Poems, 1947-1908. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.,
Penguin Books, Ltd.
Golding, W. (1954). Lord of The Flies. New York: G.P. Putnam�s Sons, Capricorn Books.
Jeffers. R. (2001). The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Kesey, K. (1962). One Flew Over The Cuckoo�s Nest. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., The
New American Library, Inc., Signet Books.
Lipscomb, A. and Bergh, A. E., editors. (1903-1904). The Writings of Thomas Jefferson.
Washington, D.C.: The Library of America.
Mask. Dir. Peter Bogdanovich. Universal Pictures, 1985.
Matewan. Dir. John Sayles. Cinecom Entertainment Group, 1987.
On The Waterfront. Dir. Elia Kazan. Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1954.
Orwell, G. (1949). 1984. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, The New American Library,
Inc., Signet Classics.
Orwell, G. (1946). Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, The New American
Library, Inc., Signet Classics.
Rand, A. (1943). The Fountainhead. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, The New
American Library, Inc., Signet Books.
Solzhenitsyn, A. (1963). One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich. New York: Frederick A.
Praeger, Inc., Bantam Books, Inc.
Spinelli, J. (2002). Stargirl. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Steinbeck, J. (1937). Of Mice and Men. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., Bantam Books, Inc.
Stevens, W. (1954). The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Swarthout, G. (1971). Bless The Beasts And The Children. New York: Doubleday, Pocket
Books.
Wolfe, T. (1968). The Electric
Kool-Aid Acid Test. New York: Farrar,
Straus & Giroux.
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO�S NEST DAILY PLAN
Lesson __ -- Chapter 1
Goal: To introduce Ken Kesey and the unit
Show an excerpt from �Further: Ken Kesey�s American Dreams.�
Play recording of chapter 1
Class discussion: how do you feel? Scared? Afraid of authority? Weak?
HW: read chapters 2-4 and think about characters/actions/dialogue/images/symbols or words that represent authority/individual
Lesson __ -- Chapters 1-4
Goal: Students will understand narrator/point of view/voice, how those elements affect other aspects of literature, and use of voice in Cuckoo�s Nest (R3.9 (9/10))
Journal: write as though students were Chief Bromden
PowerPoint presentation on narrator/point of view/voice
Class discussion: What type of narrator? Who is narrator? [Chief Bromden] What are his outstanding features? [male/Native American/big/paranoid and mentally unstable/hallucinatory/acts hearing and speech impaired] Why is he male? [one of themes is relationships between men and women] Why is he Native American? [Native Americans stereotyped as closer to nature; thus enhances conflict between nature and industrial society] Why is he big? [accentuates power of Nurse Ratched] Why is he paranoid and mentally unstable [accentuates power of Nurse Ratched/allows heightened reactions to things] Why is he hallucinatory? [allows visions] Why does he act hearing and speech impaired? [he can see things others can�t/accentuates his role as observer] How does narrator affect tone? [reader feels fears of men/reader can enter the world of the mind � stream of consciousness]
Lesson __ -- Chapters 1-4
Goal: Students will understand theme and how the elements of character, dialogue, plot, imagery, and symbolism contribute to thematic development, as in Cuckoo�s Nest (R3.3; 3.5; 3.7; 3.10 (9/10)); students will also understand the ways in which the theme or meaning of the book represents a view or comment on life (R3.2 (11/12)
Journal: Write about a time when you confronted authority, felt that the authority figure was wrong, and you had to accept the authority figure�s decision
PowerPoint presentation on theme
Small group: fill out �society v. individualism� sheet with references
Class discussion about sheet
HW: read chapter 5
Lesson __ -- Chapter 5
Goal: Students will understand the character of Nurse Ratched, how that character is developed by her interactions with other characters (including her dialogue), and how her character relates to the theme and plot (including conflict) (R3.3; 3.4 (9/10)
Journal: Write about the emotions you felt when you were reading chapter 5: pity/fear/anger/sympathy
Act out the same part of the play (by Dale Wasserman) with props � scrub shirts/nurse outfit/stethoscope
HW: read chapters 6-8
Lesson __ -- Chapters 6-8
Goal: Students will understand setting and how setting relates to tone, as in Cuckoo�s Nest (R3.10 (9/10))
Journal: Write about (1) what about classroom/school reminds you of a mental hospital and (2) what about classroom/school is different than a mental hospital
PowerPoint presentation on setting
Small group work (3): What are other settings in which this novel might be set? [prison (Cool Hand Luke)/army/professional football team (The Longest Yard)/corporation (Matewan)/small town (Billy Jack)/family (East of Eden)/labor union (On The Waterfront)]
Each group presents
HW: read chapters 9-11
Lesson __ -- Chapters 9-11
Goal: Students will understand the character of Randle P. McMurphy, how that character is developed by his interactions with other characters (including his dialogue), and how his character relates to the theme and plot (including conflict) (R3.3; 3.4 (9/10)
Journal: Write about your single main reaction to RPM and support with at least one reference to text
Small group work (4): two people are authority figures/two are like RPM, and each will act out a scene in which there is a confrontation, as set forth in slips of paper to be distributed [such as: pulled over for speeding/wants to check out more books than the limit at the library/wants to eat in a restaurant without having shoes or shirt/wants to substitute french fries for baked potato/wants to return a purchase after the time for returns has expired/wants to be admitted to Foothill Park without proper identification (even though he�s entitled to it)]
Each group presents
HW: find a character from fiction or real life that reminds you of RPM and be prepared to explain why
Lesson __ -- Chapters 9-11
Goal: continuation from previous day
Journal: write about why the figure you selected reminds you of RPM
Class discussion about parallels with RPM; teacher to add examples
Class discussion: is RPM all good? [sexist/racist/forceful/manipulative]
HW: read chapters 12-15 (finish Part One)
Lesson __ -- Chapters 12-15
Goal: Students will understand irony, subtleties, ambiguities and similar conventions (R3.8 (9/10)) (R3.3 (11/12).
Journal: Was there anything about the novel that has surprised you?
PowerPoint presentation on irony
What are examples of irony? [watching television with no picture/Nurse Ratched becomes the one who loses emotional control (role reversal)]
What are examples of subtleties? [RPM tricks Bromden into revealing that he�s not deaf]
HW: students reread chapters 11-15; then read excerpt of play concerning World Series scene (explain that homework will be light tomorrow)
Lesson __ -- Chapters 12-15
Goal: Students will compare genres (R3.2 (9/10))
Students read aloud excerpt of play concerning World Series scene
Watch excerpt of movie concerning World Series scene and fill out �novel v. movie� sheet
Class discussion: (1)
which one did they like best; (2) what were differences; (3) what were
similarities
HW: bring in a symbol of the Sixties � song/picture/story
Lesson __ -- Chapters 12-15 (Part One)
Goal: Students will understand the way in which Cuckoo�s Nest in related to the emergence of the �youth counterculture� in the United States in the Sixties (R3.12 (9/10)) (R3.5 (11/12)
Journal: What you know about the Sixties. Hippies? The civil rights movement? John F. Kennedy? Vietnam? Rock and roll?
Show and tell: tie the item to Cuckoo�s Nest
HW: read chapters 16-18
Lesson __ -- Chapters 16-18
Goal: Students will understand themes of time and sequence, including flashbacks and forshadowing (R3.6 (9/10))
Journal: Write about these questions: (1) �Is freedom frightening?� (2) �Does freedom bring responsibility?�
PowerPoint presentation on time/sequence
Class discussion about examples of flashback and foreshadowing
Class fills out baseball scoreboard in contest between RPM and Nurse Ratched
HW: read chapters 19-23 (finish Part Two)
Lesson __ -- Chapters 19-23
Goal: Students will consider how society defines insanity and deviance
Journal: Write about (1) what are the ways that society expects us to conform and (2) is conformity good or bad?
Class discussion: (1) How does society define insanity and deviance? (2) Are there examples of people which were once thought �insane,� but now are not? [gays/learning disabled]
Small group work: Are these men really insane? Which are/which are not? Why? Do you feel like any of them could be your friends? What would it be like if they lived next door to you?
HW: find a situation from fiction or real life that reminds you of conflict in Cuckoo�s Nest and be prepared to explain why
Lesson __ -- Chapters 19-23
Goal: continuation from previous day
Journal: write about why the
situation you selected reminds you of Cuckoo�s Nest
Class discussion about parallels with Cuckoo�s Nest; teacher to add examples
HW: read chapter 24
Lesson __ -- Chapter 24
Goal: Students will (1) consider the element of reversal/epiphany/redemption, (2) examine the relationship between white society and Native Americans, and (3) examine the relationship between white society and Africa-Americans
Journal: Write about a time when you suddenly realized or felt something very powerful, so powerful that it changed you.
Powerpoint presentation on reversal/epiphany/redemption
Read aloud from 182-190
Class discussion: (1) What is happening to Chief Bromden? (2) What does his story say about treatment of Native Americans? (3) What do the roles of the African-Americans say about the place of African-Americans in American society? (4) What about the language used by RPM?
HW: read chapter 25
Lesson __ -- Chapter 25
Goal: Students will examine elements of allegory and symbolism (R3.7 (9/10))
Journal: Write about a time when you felt liberated or alive
Watch excerpt of movie concerning fishing trip
Class discussion
HW: read chapters 26-27
Lesson __ -- Chapters 26-27
Goal: Students will examine literary elements, including stream of consciousness (R3.9 (9/10)) (R3.4, 3.4 (11/12)
Journal: What are examples or right brain/left brain activity
Read aloud
Students work in pairs: one student is left brain/head; other student is right brain/heart � how would you approach a particular situation; what are symbols of left brain/right brain
HW: read chapters 28-29
Lesson __ -- Chapter 28-29
Goal: Students will understand the pyramidal design of plot, including rising action, falling action and climax
Journal: How do you feel about the ending in the book? Billy�s death? McMurphy�s death? Chief Bromden�s escape? The relationship between McMurphy�s death and Chief Bromden�s escape?
Listen to reading
Small group work: Who has changed? What has changed? What is the meaning of the nursery rhyme? Who won � the Combine or McMurphy? Was there a winner? How is death used to bring plots to climax?
HW: Reflect on what was the most meaningful moment in the novel for you/bring in something that reminds you of the novel
Lesson __ -- Beyond Cuckoo�s Nest
Goal: Students will reflect on what the book meant to them
Show and tell
SOCIETY AND INDIVIDUALISM IN ONE FLEW OVER THE
CUCKOO�S NEST
Directions: Read the assigned part(s) of One
Flew Over The Cuckoo�s Nest and look
for characters, actions, dialogue, images, or symbols of either
society/authority/conformity or individualism/freedom/deviance. Write the reference, type (e.g., character, action, etc.), and page in the appropriate column.
SOCIETY/AUTHORITY/CONFORMITY INDIVIDUALISM/FREEDOM/DEVIANCE