Ken Kesey accurately depicts one of the most unique theories of the subconscious mind in his 1975 novel “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. With the central setting in a psychiatric hospital One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest clearly depicts Sigmund Freud's Theory of the Id, Ego, and Superego. The characters throughout the book depict these separations of the Id, Ego, and Superego and we see how they work together to create a functioning whole much like our own brains do everyday. Randle Patrick McMurphy is depicted as the Id. His sexual remarks, swearing, and gamble is parallel to the Id, which is our human desire. We all are born with impulses whether right or wrong and Randle is a clear example of our need to get what we want at any cost. "You can't run around here—in a towel!" "No?" He looks down at the part of the towel she's eye to eye with, and it's wet and skin tight. "Towels against ward policy too? Well, I guess there's nothin' to do exec—" (Nest, 1975). Randle is impulsive and dangerous and …show more content…
She's manipulative and deceiving but very well structured. The superego can be defined as the internalization of cultural views. We see this in Nurse Ratched because she is an administrative figure in the hospital that is required to uphold the policies and procedures set. Contrary to the Id, the superego is more controlled and widely accepted in society because the ability to conform to what is “socially acceptable behavior”. She is also constantly depicted as a “ball-cutter” because of her need to uphold the rules and regulations set for the hospital. “ ...When she finally gets the three she wants—gets them one at a time over a number of years, weaving them into her plan and her network—she's damn positive they hate enough to be capable” (Nest, 1975). Despite her ability to cover and mask her reality, Nurse Ratched is a manipulative person who gets what she wants because of her representation as the well-mannered authoritative