Authority in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

On the surface, L iodineliness of the long master(prenominal)tain blue runner and One Flew everyplace the guys Nest seem like deuce very different burgeon forths. Loneliness is film in black and white and constitutes smirch in an incline borstal civilise repeats Nest takes place in an American psychiatric hospital protect and is presented in color. Dig a little deeper, however, and it is deport that these films be actu altogethery quite similar. to each one(prenominal) film depicts the rebellious protaganistsColin and McMurphyattempting to overcome the tyrannical experiences of functionthe governor and view as Ratched.Because of the temper of the films, viewers atomic number 18 lead to recall Colin and McMurphy heroes and to despise the authorities. While it is hard to forswear that the regulator and maintain Ratched dont at times take receipts of their jurisdiction, it is also unfair to argue against the situation that they ar just 2 deal doing their jobs. Both Loneliness of the abundant Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest depict rebels who argon doomed. The authorities at the psychiatric ward and the borstal have strict rules and expect Randle Patick McMurphy and Colin smith to conform to these rules, just as all(prenominal) other patient or savant has done.The differences surrounded by the tone and outcome of these two films are a result of the differences between the types of characters who represent authority. In Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, authorities are shown to be invasive and aggressive. As Colin manpowertions in the porta line of the film, his family is always running from the police. advance into the film, a flashback shows a detective track Colin down at his house later on he steals from a bakery. Before eventually catching him, the detective is very opinionated in his efforts to catch Colin.This surly cosmos provides a search rationalise nevertheless is unsuccessful in his attempts to locate the stolen money, so he tells Colin that he will be watching him. The true authority figure in Loneliness, though, is the Governor at Ruxton Towers. The Governor is a comminuted man with impregnable power. At the borstal he runs everything by the book. He holds the boys to very strict rules and standards, from having to wear uniforms to having a monitored sleeping schedule. With the boys living and going to school in the same place, there is actually no way of escaping the watch of the Governor.In fact, he even comes into the locker fashion and has conversations with the boys while they are in the shower. throughout the film, there are also several(prenominal) religious undertones present in the original of authority, shown primarily in the singing of the English hymn Jerusalem. The Governor uses conformity as a tool to strengthen his school. His main goal is recognition for the school and for himself. In Cuckoos Nest, Nurse Ratched is visualised as a very glacial figure. She runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist.Yes, she answers to the straits doctors and has a large staff to friend her, unless she runs the place. The nurse takes advantage of the pic of her patients. In group therapy sessions, she often pushes the men to talk about experiences that they are loath to talk about. She uses her friendship with Billys mother as a nemesis in order to stimulate him to work with her. Instead of listening to what McMurphy and the other patients indigence to do, she pushes her own agenda. When McMurphy and the others compliments to watch a game of baseball, she wont let them for the sole purpose of non magnanimous McMurphy what he wants.It seems as though the lead doctors (the citizenry who should really be the authority) are oblivious to the actions of Nurse Ratched. In fact, they adulation her work and there is no one capable of arguing with them. It is interesting to government note that in terms of authority, there i s no religious imagery in thie film like in Loneliness. Instead, it is McMurphy who appears Christ-like and takes on disciples. Nurse Ratched uses conformity to get her patients to do as she says. Her goal is to try to fix each of them. The Governor is intimatelyly respected by the boys.Hes a nice man, but everyone is afraid of him because of his power, just as employees fear their bosses. They dont fixture with him because they know they can only get so far. He has total adjudge over them because they eat, sleep, and go to school all under his watch. Ruxton Towers is the type of place a teenage boy would want to play from, but the Governor has made the boys spirit as though escape is beyond reality. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, is not respected by her patients. This is a place result of her concern with getting muckle to do as she says rather than gaining their respect.though she demands to be taken seriously, she rarely is. Her patients are all tired of her oppression but lack the physical and mental capacitor to do some(prenominal)thing about it. Also, like in Loneliness, her authority is not challenged simply because her subjects are afraid of her. Randle McMurphy and Colin Smith are game-changers. Their arrivals present their cohorts to act out against the system. We see the authority of the Governor challenged in the food trash scene and the authority of Nurse Ratched challenged in the fishing scene. However, Colin and Randle doom themselves in their terminal acts of defiance.Colin throwing the race results in his contemptment by the borstal Randle throwing a party and chocking Nurse Ratched results in his lobotomy. In going against authority, these protagonists are left worse off than they were before. Nurse Ratched and the Governor each bring down the antihero. that does that warrant them heroes? No. It doesnt make them groovy or bad. Yes, Nurse Ratched seems evil and the Governor seems overbearing, but we are only conceive them t hrough a lens. They lead a system bad enough for people to want to rebel against it, but mayhap that rebellion is against the system and not the characters.These are two characters merely doing their jobs. Their borstal and psychiatric ward are not ones that I would want to be in, but I wouldnt want to be in any borstal or psychiatric ward. Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest acquit similar themes and represent similar figures of authority. Nurse Ratched and the Governor are not the most likeable characters. They desire order and take advantage of their power, and that makes us dislike them. But none of their actions are unprovoked. They have uncompromising jobs and they made mistakes. Theyre human.