Women as Authority Figures in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

â€Å"We are victims of a matriarchy here my friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Harding). A matriarchy is a social order where women have power. In the novel One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest the women are portrayed as the power figures and have the power manipulate, or control the men in the ward, as shown by the characters of Nurse Ratched, Mrs. Bibbit, and Vera Harding. Nurse Ratched is a former army nurse who works in the ward, she has manipulates the men in many ways. One way is having the patients â€Å"spy on each other† making them write things down, they think she would want to hear, or know. Bromden described Nurse Ratched as having the ability to â€Å"set the wall clock to whatever speed she wants†, a metaphor for her control, showing how the patients lose track of†¦show more content†¦Nurse Ratched chooses to use outside influences to help her control her patients, as is the case with Billy Bibbit, whose mother is friends with the nurse. Mrs.Bibbit, Billyâ€℠¢s mother, and friends with Nurse Ratched, is another authoritative figure in the novel. Mrs. Bibbit gains her power by preventing Billy, from becoming an adult. At first Mrs. Bibbit does realize that Billy is an adult and is able to function in society, When his mother tells him he has plenty of time to accomplish things such as going to college, and Billy reminds his mother that he is thirty-one years old, she replies, Sweetheart, do I look like the mother of a middle-aged man? (Kesey 247). This shows that Billy’s mom does not seem to understand that Billy is an adult that is able to live in the outside world. This Results in him feeling Insecure and he chooses to remain in the ward. â€Å"Sure! It’s Billy, turned from the screen... If I had the guts.† (168). This takes place after McMurphy realizes that the men are there voluntary, Billy explains to McMurphy that he could leave at any time if he wanted to but he believes he doesn’t have the guts to go out in society. Unfortunately in the end it is just the fear of his own mother, and Nurse Ratched’s manipulative ways that causes him to take his own life. Another family member who manipulates her loved one is Vera Harding, whose control over her husband is similar to that of Billy and his mother. Vera Harding, the wife of Harding,Show MoreRelatedThe Role of Men and Women in Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest1181 Words   |  5 PagesIn a perfect world, men and women would live as equals, sharing power in all aspects of life. While this may be an appealing notion, it is nonexistent in society. Strong men are seen by women as abusive and dominating, while strong women are seen by men as castrating and emasculating. 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