The Valpo Core Reader
 

Authors

Liz Donohue

Document Type

Freshman Seminar Essay

Publication Date

1984

Excerpt

A community contains many individuals, all of whom have a unique past, present, and future. Each deals with his personal history through a variety of defense mechanisms, yet often these psychological tricks hinder the development of human relationships. In Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the residents at the mental hospital invent protective behaviors which put them in conflict with their environment. Precisely because of these many safeguards, they cannot reach out to one another. Before the men on the ward can form a strong community, they need to understand the reasons for their defense mechanisms and then overcome these protective strategies.

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