The Definitions of Safety in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

In “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Ken Kesey portrays the life of the narrator, Chief Bromden, who lives in a mental institution. Very early in the novel, a new patient, R. P. McMurphy, is introduced into the mental ward, contrasting greatly with the usual patients residing there. While most patients find solace in the confinement of the institution, or something of the like, McMurphy is different – he finds importance in humor and laughter. Through this novel, Kesey demonstrates how both Chief and McMurphy have their own definitions of safety, with the former finding it in the fog and the latter, in laughter.

Chief Bromden reveals early in the novel that he prefers obscurity over being “out in the open where he’d be easy to get at” (Kesey 128). He finds his own sense of safety within the fog, explaining that “nobody complains about the fog” and that it is easier to feel safe there. This is why he understands and agrees with why most of the other patients find their own solace there (128). Chief lives in a nebulous reality, appreciating the safety visible only within his immediate surroundings, disconnected from the external world. This detachment gives him some form of comfort and security in self-isolation.

In stark contrast to Chief’s perception of security, R. P. McMurphy finds comfort in humor and laughter. Before McMurphy entered the ward, most of the patients were afraid to laugh and joke—the humor he brings initially makes the other men “feel uneasy, with all his kidding and joking and the brassy way he hollers… and especially with that big wide-open laugh of his” (19). Slowly but surely, McMurphy begins to shift the ward’s ideology, altering the men’s perception of comfort. They start to warm up to his jokes and gradually move away from the solace of the fog. McMurphy also maintains his sense of humor just to spite the nurse and the black boys. Kesey displays this when he writes, “McMurphy doesn’t seem to know he’s been fogged in. If he does, he makes sure not to let on that he’s bothered by it. He’s ensuring none of the staff sees him as being disturbed by anything” (117). To preserve his sanity, McMurphy utilizes laughter: it is where he finds joy, a sense of humanity, and safety, refusing to surrender to the fog like other patients around him.

Both Chief and McMurphy have their unique ways of seeking safety within the mental ward. While Chief is content with the commonly held belief that the fog is good and focusing on oneself ensures security, McMurphy is the foil. From the beginning of the novel, his distinct humor sets him apart. Throughout the rest of the section, he continues to keep this laughter alive as it is the only place where he feels genuinely safe.

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