In Ken Kesey's "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar," the subject of mental illness is made clear through the discussion of the narrators' experiences in mental hospitals or their everyday interactions with other people. Through descriptions of the emergence of symptoms from both the narrator's and the viewpoints of hospitalized mental patients, the two authors depict mental illness as well as its facets. The scenarios and examples in the stories were based on the authors' own real-life experiences, which allowed them to accomplish this. Ken Kesey volunteered to test the effectiveness of psychological drugs at Menlo Park hospital, where he got his inspiration to write the novel, "One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest." Similarly, Susanna Kaysen has had an experience in a psychiatric hospital. Sylvia Plath's book is the depiction of her clinical depression which led to her receiving medical attention. Therefore, the experiences of the authors enhance the discussion of the similar theme of mental illness. However, based on the narrator point of view, there are differences in their approach to describing mental illness as well as it affects the actions of a patient. The theme of mental illness is revealed in the novel of Sylvia Plath through the main character, Esther Greenwood. Esther had to cope with her state of hopelessness and depression, which is evident from her suicide attempt and giving up on her future. In Ken Kesey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the theme is developed through the manner in which Nurse Ratched, Chief Bromden, and McMurphyopposes are portrayed. Salinger and Kaysen further the subject of mental illness in their works, “The Catcher in the Rye” and “Girl Interrupted” respectively. In this respect, the work by Salinger and Kaysen will complement the discussion of the mental illness theme in the comparison of Plath and Kesey’s novels. The paper entails a critical argument regarding the similarities and differences in the novels in discussing the health of the mind.
Similarities
Both Sylvia Plath and Ken Kesey use allegory in the titles of their novels to express confinement/suffering from mental disorders. In Kesey’s book, the heading is allegorical as it symbolizes mental illness. The name “cuckoo” is used in most cases as an insult referring to a person who is crazy or mad while nest signifies home to a bird. Therefore, “cuckoo” refers to psychological illness while the “nest” is the mental institution. On the other hand, Plath uses the title the Bell Jar to signify Greenwood's personality issues. Greenwood had identity issues despite getting treatment. At the end of the novel, the title’s meaning is explained in two ways. The first explanation is evident as the protagonist explains Joan’s suicide. The use of the phrase “jar” is to explain the reasons why she ended her life. 2 Secondly, the bell jar is used to symbolize innate feeling which can come back to haunt a patient leading to suicide despite being sane. The symbolism is evident through the narration as Greenwood says, "How do I know that someday…the bell jar, with its stifling distortions, would not descend again?" Greenwood compares her mind to the bell jar since the mind stores the information of the emotions responsible for her success and struggles endured leading to her suicide attempt, which is similar to how a jar traps vacuum or materials inside without letting them out. Greenwood addressed this through the statement, "to the person in the bell jar, black and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream." The author forecasts this emotional trap at the beginning of the narration where Greenwood goes through her plans for summer; she says, "I was to be having the best time of my life. I was to be the envy of most other girls.” The statement implies that Greenwood's current lifestyle, from her point of view, is different from what her friends think. She is not happy with the position that she is in her life. The struggle affects all the spheres of her life leading to her deteriorating mental health. Moreover, the jar is a symbol of psychological illness. Greenwood feels like she is trapped in a jar which distorts her views of the world and hinders her from building a connection with other people. Plath constructs the provoking opinion where she makes the protagonist assume that she "would be sitting under the glass bell jar, stewing her sour air.” The author uses the words "sour" and "stewing" to evoke a reader's emotional reactions. Additionally, the possessive pronoun "my" followed by adjective "own" indicates that Greenwood has been alienated from interacting with other people. Thus, her social world is characterized by solitude. Similarly, the title of Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, can also be regarded as allegorical. Holden tells his sister that he would like to be the “catcher in the rye,” a term adopted from a poem referring to an individual who catches the children when they are about to fall off a cliff. Holden’s fantasy is to be the hero who prevents the children from losing their purity and plunging into the perverted world. The protagonist and narrator, Holden Caulfield is an unstable boy who is expelled from school and embarks on a mission of exploring New York. Therefore, all these authors incorporate allegory in their work as it gives them the opportunity to present their thoughts and ideas creatively.
Both novels analyses the stigma associated with mental illness. In the Bell Jar, mental illness is stigmatized by certain social structures. For instance, when Esther declines going back to the mental hospital, her mother is pleased that Esther is not like those “awful dead people”. The use of the phrase ‘awful ‘and ‘dead’ to refer to the patients in the mental hospital is an indication of the society looks down upon these individuals. Most people failed to understand what mental illness was all about, and thus they classified these individuals as outcasts. Moreover, the doctor explains to Esther that most people in school will not want to be close her, they will “avoid her like a plague”. The use of the phrase ‘avoid’ and ‘plague’ further indicates the alienation that mental health patients receive from the society. The same stigma is equally evident in Kasey’s book. One of the medical attendant at the asylum believes that she has a mark due to interacting with the people with a mental health condition. Most of the patients believe that they may never be able to survive in the “normal” world. These sentiments anger McMurphy who say that even if they are not like others, they still do not deserve to be locked up in a “nut house because they are not nuts." The reactions suggest how mental illness is perceived by the society. Those considered mentally ill are usually segregated from the rest of the society.
Another similar theme that is notable in the novels under consideration is the use of sexuality to express some effects of mental illness. In Plath’s novel, Esther is sexually assaulted at a party, wants to lose her virginity four times, and is in a room with Doreen who plays intimately making Esther excuse herself. Therefore, Plath brings out the topic of sexuality and its connection to emotional responses which can contribute to loneliness and depression. In this case, Esther struggles to understand why other people are interested in her friends and not her. In Girl Interrupted, the main heroine is seen to be in an inappropriate sexual relationship with her teacher. In Kesey’s novel, Billy Bibbit, a 31-year-old virgin, had never had any sexual experience mainly due to the nature of how his mother suppressed him when he was growing up. In the novel by Salinger, we can see Holden being sexually confused especially when he gets a prostitute yet does not have sex with her but pays her, which may be regarded as another sign of sexual confusion. Therefore, the implication of the novels in sharing some of the factors causing depression or hopelessness is the lack of relationship experiences. The society orients an individual that their sexuality is an important aspect that influences the perception, attraction, and appreciation of other people. However, when one struggles with finding their own identities, obsession with the appearances or need to have relations to achieve confidence, then the person is likely to have depression if they do have the attention from their friend cycle. The main characters of the novel portray certain acts in a manner that associates them with mental instability.
The authors of the two novels illustrate the signs of mental illness and the differentiation of the mentally ill and the sane from various perspectives. Mental illness is an abnormal behavior or the inability of a person to function socially; it can also be defined as emotional distress. One of the characters in Kesey’s novel, Chief Bromden, experiences episodes of delusion as well as hallucinations. The mental state of Bromden sometimes confuses the reader, as one is not sure whether the narrations he gives are real or the makings of his mind. Bromden believes that there are some machines in the capsules and the engines are responsible for the “fog” that clouds his perception. The ‘fog’ explains the confused mental state of the patient. He is not able to make sound decisions, which is a sign of his mental illness. The lack of awareness of his psychological state is what makes him believe that he has fog in his brain. On the other hand, “The Bell Jar” begins by describing Greenwood’s misplacement from her actuality. She seems to have an identity disorder and feels helpless about her situation. Thoughts of suicide dominate her mind. More than once, she contemplates killing herself and keeps imagining how it will be as easy as the relic of the Roman Empire. All these are symptoms of a person who has mental illness even though some of the people suffering from the condition may not be aware of their psychological state.
To some extent, claustrophobia on a psychological and physical level links The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Bell Jar. Fear and claustrophobia is a common characteristic between Bromden and Esther. Claustrophobia is the reason behind the psychological feelings of these protagonists. Throughout the stories, both external and internal factors contribute to the heightening and escalation of this condition. Esther exemplifies the subways when she says, “peanut-smelling mouth”. The image of ‘a mouth’ is notable as it is an illustration of consumption, but the other interpretation may be that the subway gives her the feeling of being consumed by the overpowering experience of the killing of the Rosenberg. Moreover, the fact that the subway is underground is a suggestion that Esther feels suffocated by the lifestyle in new york. As the title of the book suggests, Esther feels psychologically trapped in a jar and cannot free herself. Technically, she is a free person and can do anything she prefers, however, psychologically she is confined in her mind, and this is what scares her because she cannot seem to find a way out. Bromden says, “as bad as one feels, it is possible to slip back in and feel safe”. The phrase ‘bad’ shows how much he does not like his mental situation. The use of the term “safe’, gives a picture of how Bromden deals with claustrophobia. He immerses himself deeper in psychological illness. The fog he experiences gives him the familiarity and comfort he desires. However, it equally overwhelms and stifles him. Moreover, the constant supervision by the nurse makes Bromden uncomfortable and more paranoid as it reminds him of his confinement. Both Esther and Bromden struggle with freeing themselves from their psychological cells. However, at the end of the novels, Esther is still trapped in the jar while Bromden escapes in a “vehicle boarded with sheep” implying that he is still not able to control his mind. Thus, the authors of the two stories illustrate how one cannot entirely conquer claustrophobia because it is psychological and hence subjective to a person.
With unique writing approaches, Kasey and Plath gave different interpretations of mental illness. In some cases, it is easy to differentiate the one who is mentally ill from the one who is not, but in other cases, it is straightforward. Some mentally ill patients show their symptoms outwardly from their behaviors. In Kaysen’s novel and Plath’s novel, there is seen to be a clear and almost tangible difference between the sane and insane. The ones suffering from mental health are described in detail, and one can tell that they are segregated from the society as they are seen to be abnormal. The mental institution separated the insane individuals from the rest of the society. In the novel by Kasey, it is not easy to tell who is mentally insane and who is sane. The distinction between the mentally ill and mentally healthy is unclear. On the contrary, one gets the idea that the hospital attendants, as well as the patients, were mentally unstable, as they would both act irrationally. On the other hand, The Bell Jar gives a clear difference between the mentally ill and the sane. It is easy to tell that Greenwood has psychological issues since it is clear from the identity struggles she is having. Through the discussion of the experiences, the two authors explain what mental illness is as well as its impact on the character and expressions of an individual.
Differences
The novels are different in some ways, for instance, the manner in which the two authors began their narrations and preparing the reader for the theme of mental illness that would be evident later on in the novels. Plath’s approach is more personal and focuses on the main character of the book. In the first sentence of The Bell Jar, the protagonist says, “it was a queer’s summer; this is the summer when Rosenbergs were electrocuted.” It gives a picture of summer being death oriented as well as the state of Esther’s life experiences and attitudes. She is about to experience a nervous breakdown as she appears to be misplaced having no idea what she is doing in New York. The author's use of the phrase “queer” is significant since it indicates the reactions and dislike of Esther towards sexual orientations. Traditionally, ‘queer’ means something strange or scarce. However, it is applied when referring to a gay person. Sexual encounters will be a part of Greenwood's preoccupation in the book which is evident in the first pages where her repulsions for her life are partly a response to this summer as she remains in the company of an old man. The disarray of thoughts is the indication of Greenwood’s mental anarchy. The author conveys this at the beginning of the novel to show the significance of the following configuration because this information is the basis for the other mental illness advances later expressed. On the other hand, Kesey uses an anaphoric reference at the beginning of the story to show the significance of an unknown community and the contemporaries of the narrator. Kasey intensifies the meaning of the title of the book by using a thought-provoking and evocative opening sentence. The first part of Kesey’s novel begins with the sentence “they are out there” establishing the paranoia of the narrator, Chief Bromden. Towards the end of the novel, it is apparent that Bromden has schizophrenia. The use of such anaphoric reference shows the significance of narrator's contemporaries as well as unknown society. The authors choice of narrators were both effective at bringing out the bigger picture.
Each of the novels uses a protagonist from different sex to address the issue of gender roles in the society. Men are usually the dominant gender, which gives them the need to be always in control. For instance, McMurphy dares to "beat" the nurse "at her game." He intends “to get the nurse when she does not know.” McMurphy’s thoughts are a challenge to the harshness of the nurse which instills the anarchy and fear in the patients’ minds. Additionally, at the beginning of the novel, Mr. Harding tells the other patients and the nurse about the prey of the wife of his securities concerning his sexuality. All this may be due to the intentions of Mrs. Harding declaring herself to be the dominating partner in the relationship. Correspondingly, the novel The Bell Jar depicts Greenwood's behavior and desire to lose her virginity to be triggered by the anger towards her boyfriend is cheating on her and yet present himself as pure. Greenwood got the feeling that her sexual state was a hinder in recuperating from her troubling lassitude. She says that from the time she “learned of Buddy’s actions my virginity became heavy as a milestone.” The line displays Greenwood’s views on her sexuality and desires to avoid the title it places on her because the title weighs heavy on her ever since she learned that her boyfriend was no longer available. Greenwood’s main aim was to lose her virginity to be equal to her boyfriend. Her sexual state "weighed like a milestone" since it gave her the feeling of inadequacy. The reference to the phrase "millstone" symbolizes the woman's' societal task which is to serve. The author uses the phrase of holding a heavy object to show the magnitude of Esther's problem of being a virgin. Therefore, the feminine and masculine contentions regarding an individual fulfilling their role in the community's stereotyping can result in the development of mental illness.
With different narration styles, the authors were able to analyze mental illness from diverse points of view. Kesey uses the first-person account of a minor character. By using Bromden and not McMurphy as the narrator, the author gives a narration which is neutral. Dementia and paranoia, which fills the narration, set the tenor for the theme of the struggles to be free from the mental asylum. The use of a minor character to narrate the story allows the author to expand the scope of the narration. Through this approach, the reader can access the minds of the various characters in the novel and delve deeper into relationships and emotions. The reader can detach from the story's limited filters and see how the other characters interpret or react to different events. On the other hand, Plath uses the protagonist as the first person narrator. The use of the protagonist to narrate her own experiences helps in creating an emotional closeness with the reader. Emotions are not riddled with the third person, but instead, it allows emotions to flow. As the protagonist explain their feelings, fears and thoughts to the reader a connection and better understanding develops. The first person narration by the protagonist allows the reader to access the secrets because it is as if the protagonist is confiding to the reader. Moreover, the use of the protagonist as the narrator allows the reader to spend time with the character and get to know them. The perspective of a first person gives an opportunity to analyze the mood and in this case, the psychological state of the protagonist.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are various similarities as well as differences in the manner that Plath and Kesey covered the theme of mental illness in their works. The Bell Jar focuses on exploring the thoughts of Esther the protagonist and her struggles with suicide and identity crisis from the first-person point of view. On the other hand, The One Who Flew the Cuckoo’s Nest, uses Bromden to explore the psychological issues which the protagonist and other characters are struggling with their lives. Therefore, the different literary methods and forms used were helpful in passing the authors message to the reader. The manner of delivery is similar in some aspects but very distinct in other elements; this helps to further the central message where the four authors, Kesey, Plath, Kaysen, and Salinger, aim at advocating for advancements in mental health care. Swaine noted that Kesey's novel helped to improve medication in the field of mental illness and help patients receive treatment and live healthy lives at home. Lastly, the authors use personal experiences based on the narrator's point of view to discuss the aspects of mental illness and the effects on the behavior of an individual both in the society and in medical institutions.
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