Gender Subaltern in Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Abstract

Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest raises the issue of the gender subaltern. The novel's portrayal of mental disability is found to be impressive in its avoidance of stereotypes through the representation of its characters as individuals, rather than merely characterizing symptoms of mental disorder. In exploring the novel's investment in individual characters, however, it becomes clear that within the novel, disability and emasculation are intrinsically linked. This creates gender Subaltern of patriarchal undercurrent to the text: Nurse Mildred Ratched's control is a direct result of her continual emasculation and her de-feminized domination of the all-male patients. In contrast, McMurphy is celebrated as liberator despite having been committed for rape. These portrayals of the main characters seem ultimately representative of troubling message in the novel. The text is a genuine demonstration of gender subaltern. Key words: Subaltern, Hegemony, Gender, Power