Question

Symbolism is basically when one thing is meant to represent something else. It can be a person, an item, or some action in the movie. In this movie, there are many different forms of symbolism. Write a paragraph for each word, sharing your views of what the symbolism represents.

In the movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” we watched has many examples of symbolism. Explain what you think these symbols represent.

    Symbol 1-fog

    Symbol 2-laughter

    Symbol 3-control panel

Answer 1

• Laughter becomes a symbol and an active representation of the men’s freedom, even though they are basically imprisoned by the ward and by society. They can still find pleasure in their small rebellions and jokes, and this happiness as embodied by laughter cannot be taken from them.Laughter symbolizes sanity and the refusal to conform to the clutches of the combine.Laughter is a potent defense against society’s insanity, and to him, anyone who cannot laugh properly has no chance of surviving.
• Chief is schizophrenic and sees things that are not literally there, it is recognized that the fog may be medicinally induced and is a fog of the mind rather than a literal fog. It keeps the patients from rising up in rebellion against Nurse Ratched, but it also keeps them satisfied with their lives and prevents them from ever thinking about anything real. It both helps them to live this way and prevents them from ever trying to improve their situations. The fog also represents the state of mind that Ratched imposes on the patients with her strict, mind-numbing routines and humiliating treatment.
• The control panel represents both the Nurse and the Combine and the the immense power and control they exert over the patients.When McMurphy tried and failed to lift the control panel, he was showing the men that they would have to band together if they want to break out of the ward because no single man is able to get out of the ward on his own.