The Authority

Women and men have always had their conflicts, like which is the superior sex. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, women are the authority, they hold the power. For example, Miss Ratched, is the one that has the power over the men.

Miss. Ratched is a nurse which is the one in charge to give them their medicine, but she should not be the one in charge of intimidating the patients and the whole staff. Even the doctor, who holds a higher position, fears her because she has the power of firing him. She has this power, not because of her work experience but because her friend is the supervisor. "The doctor doesn't hold the power of hiring and firing. That power goes to the supervisor, and the supervisor is a women, a dear old friend of Miss. Ratched." (Pg.56) Her power is so strong that the men are the ones that give the power to the Big Nurse uncontiously. Although she should be there to help them, she uses fear to threaten them so that everything goes the way she likes.

As said in the book, this hospital is a matriarchy. "We are victims of a matriarchy here" (Pg. 56) The people that have the authority and power are women. For example, the supervisor, Miss. Ratched and Harding's wife. They all have the power of making a difference in the hospital or in the lives of the people there. Miss Ratched contolls what goes on with the patientes, the supervisor is the head of the hospital, and Harding's wife has an impact on what happens in his life. For example Billy Bibbits mother has the power of taking her son out of the hospital but because she doesnt say so he is still there. At the beginning of the novel, McMurphy seemed to always win against the nurse but time started to pass and she began to win. "Some way she has regained all her old power in a few short minutes. Just sitting there, similing up at the ceiling and nos saying anything, she has taken control again and made everyone aware that she's the force in here to be dealt with." (Pg. 133)

This reminds me of how my everyday life is. My house is as if it was the ward. Although it is not full of "crazy" people, well I hope, it is a system in which my mother has the ultimate power over all of the people in the household. This being a sort of matriarchy.  Although she does not obtain that power because of fear, she is the one who is boss in the house. My father can be seen as the doctor, because although he does have an important roll in the house, my mother has the ultimate say. My father may be the head of the house, the same as the doctor, but my mother, like Miss. Ratched is the neck, and can turn the head anywhere she likes. This is surprising both in my home and in the novel because society has shaped men to be the ones with the authority. Most presidents are men, it is surprsing to see a women with such an important position. It is not common for men to follow a women's instructions, although today it is changing. Now women have important positions, and they are equally capable of being as succesful as any man.

In "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" women are portrayed as the authority, their actions have an effect on all of the men, regardless if they use their power for good or for worse. In this novel women are the neck.