Every American has grown up with these words, lived by these words, and therefore accepted them for granted: “We hold these truths to be self-evident. , that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This phrase also made its way into the United States Constitution, and variations of it exist around the world: “liberty, equality, fraternity” (liberty, equality, fraternity) in France, “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit” (unity, justice and freedom) in Germany, and many others. Not having to restrict speech, control every movement, or suppress individuality are gifts often taken for granted in today's society. People go about their daily lives without worrying about choosing when to smoke a cigarette or being able to play a game of cards with friends without fighting over it. But in Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, personal freedom, sense of self, and individuality are denied to the patients of an Oregon insane asylum. The asylum itself is a symbol of society and how it pressures people to act a certain way, and shows how to deviate, even slightly, from etiquette “normal” is a reason to be confined. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, characters such as Chief Bromden and Dale Harding are prime examples of how society manipulates differences into weaknesses, and that's only with with the help of Randle McMurphy that they are able to reassert themselves and challenge the conformity of society. Chief Bromden is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and although at first he appears to readers as physically formidable, he is a docile and unusually submissive man. He's an incredibly big N...... middle of paper ...... he wouldn't have wanted to be an example, a trophy for Nurse Ratched and suffocate her (Kesey 270). Even then, it is the driving force that pushes the leader to permanently leave the union and its oppression. Society can be an antagonist or an ally, depending on the individual and the circumstances. This is shown over and over again in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Differences such as Chief Bromden's race and Dale Harding's sexual orientation turned into weaknesses, and it was only through the courage and perseverance of Randle McMurphy that they could be overcome. However, this came at a cost. McMurphy died for this cause. Billy Bibbit and Cheswick suffered casualties along the way. So readers should ask themselves the question posed by the chef's father: "What can you pay for the way a man lives?" What can you pay for what a man is? » Works Cited Kesey, Ken. We flew over a cuckoo's nest.