"Papa, they're foggin' it up again..." Thus begins the play "One Flew Over
             the Cuckoo's Nest," by Dale Wassermann. (Wasserman & Kesey, 1974) The
             person uttering these words is Chief Bromden, a Native American inmate of
             an institution for the mentally unstable. The best-selling novel by Ken
             Kesey inspired this play. (Kesey, 2002) The contents of the novel can be
             viewed at several levels. Some of them Orwellian ("Animal Farm" (Orwell,
             1974) and "1984" (Orwell, 1984)), some a metaphor for the free-spiritedness
             of the 1960-70s; other interpretations are biblical. (Perry et al., 1990)
             Most interpretations of "One Flew..." however, do not take into account the
             literal interpretation. Perhaps Ken Kesey, based on his personal
             experiences during the time of the novel, did indeed want to indicate the
             sign of the times and the antiestablishmentarianism of the prevalent and
             burgeoning Flower Culture. (Whitmer, 1987) In that Kesey was successful.
             In this work however, the literal sense of the novel will be explored. The
             mentally unstable populace needs to be cared for by letting them exist in a
             controlled environment where the right medication and therapy is delivered.
             Some mentally incapacitated who were violent and behaviorally incorrigible
             needed electroshock therapy or perhaps, in keeping with the treatment
             modalities of decades ago, even a lobotomy. The doctors, nurses and
             orderlies who have to deal with myriad mental cases day in and day out
             would naturally have to put on masks of polite efficiency so that they can
             acquit themselves well in their jobs. Sympathy for the methods employed at
             the mental institution is also deserved.
             The story of the novel unfolds when Randle Patrick McMurphy enters a
             mental institution for rehabilitation. McMurphy opts for the institution
             by displaying symptoms of ment...