Cuckoo's Nest Psychosurgery
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Psychosurgery and Institutionalisation
The film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was made in 1975, over 10 years after the book was first sent for review. It won 5 Oscars and another 28 awards, as well as having 11 other nominations. At the end of the film, we see the main character, the rebellious Randal McMurphy, after he was forced to have a frontal lobotomy. He is in a vegetative state and there is no trace of the once fun-loving and adventurous man. This is an excellent example of psychosurgery and institutionalisation and how they were used during the 1940~50s, when the original novel that the film is based on was written.
Psychosurgery was invented in 1935 by Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurosurgeon …show more content…
In a frontal lobotomy, as we see in the film, surgeons cut or drill holes in the skull and remove or destroy tissue in the frontal lobes. This is where most current evidence indicates the higher cognitive and reasoning capabilities of humans are …show more content…
In clinical and abnormal psychology, institutionalization refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a long period living in mental hospitals, prisons, or other remote institutions. Individuals in institutions may be deprived (unintentionally) of independence and of responsibility; to the point that once they return to "outside life" they are often unable to manage many of its demands. This was the case with Chief and several other characters in the film.
Institutionalisation is sometimes a deliberate process whereby a person entering the institution is reprogrammed to accept and conform to strict controls that enables the institution to manage a large number of people with a minimum of necessary staff. This is seen throughout the film, with Nurse Ratchet being the toughest rule maker/enforcer. Here, the institutionalisation is very
The film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was made in 1975, over 10 years after the book was first sent for review. It won 5 Oscars and another 28 awards, as well as having 11 other nominations. At the end of the film, we see the main character, the rebellious Randal McMurphy, after he was forced to have a frontal lobotomy. He is in a vegetative state and there is no trace of the once fun-loving and adventurous man. This is an excellent example of psychosurgery and institutionalisation and how they were used during the 1940~50s, when the original novel that the film is based on was written.
Psychosurgery was invented in 1935 by Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurosurgeon …show more content…
In a frontal lobotomy, as we see in the film, surgeons cut or drill holes in the skull and remove or destroy tissue in the frontal lobes. This is where most current evidence indicates the higher cognitive and reasoning capabilities of humans are …show more content…
In clinical and abnormal psychology, institutionalization refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a long period living in mental hospitals, prisons, or other remote institutions. Individuals in institutions may be deprived (unintentionally) of independence and of responsibility; to the point that once they return to "outside life" they are often unable to manage many of its demands. This was the case with Chief and several other characters in the film.
Institutionalisation is sometimes a deliberate process whereby a person entering the institution is reprogrammed to accept and conform to strict controls that enables the institution to manage a large number of people with a minimum of necessary staff. This is seen throughout the film, with Nurse Ratchet being the toughest rule maker/enforcer. Here, the institutionalisation is very