How Is McMurphy's Christ-Like Image Displayed in one Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest?

How is McMurphy's Christ-Like Image Displayed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

In my point of view, the time McMurphy spent in the asylum can be linked with Jesus’ short life spent on Earth. Nurse Ratched as Pontius Pilate and the black boys as Roman soldiers. Jesus the messiah, whose was sent by God to save the Jews from the rule of the Roman Empire. McMurphy, is like sent by God to save the inmates in the asylum, to tell them the real meaning of life. Jesus died and resurrected, however McMurphy died, but then he experienced resurrection too, not physically, but mentally, in all inmates’ heart and mind, they will never forget McMurphy, the person who taught them their meanings of living.

Kesey makes a series of simple associations between the events in Jesus' life and McMurphy's to initiate the assertion that the two men's purposes are one in the same. To begin Kesey's story, McMurphy enters the novel by showering upon his admittance into the ward. This showering, demanded by the ward aides, "where they take him into the shower room" (15), is analogous to Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, and introduces the biblical theme in the novel.

When McMurphy shows his provocative and sexual playing cards to the men of the ward, he begins to unmask the importance of sexual expression, allegorical to the word of God or new religion proposed by Jesus. McMurphy also attempts to reveal the damaging effects of Nurse Ratched's mental ward, parallel to Jesus' attempts to bring humanity, "out of the darkness," and, "into the light of the Lord," where one can be eternally saved from original sin

The first scene of this is Ellis, the chronic patient, who stands "crucified" to the wall, held in place by nails. His position mimics the shape of the table in the shock shop, where patients are given shock therapy. They are strapped to the table with arms outspread, just like Christ was nailed to the cross.

Crucifixion,McMurphy’s electroshock: A switch snaps the clasps on his wrists, ankles, clamping him into the shadow". When the graphite salve is put on his temples and he is told that it is conductant, he says "Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?". They also give him a rubber hose to bite on, just as Christ was given a sponge soaked in vinegar to suck on.

Perhaps the most direct symbol used to support Kesey's theme occurs when McMurphy is subjected to electroshock therapy. The electroshock table is depicted as "The table shaped like a cross," (117) - parallel to Jesus' crucifixion (Matthew 27). Additionally, McMurphy questions about a, "crown of thorns," which directly alludes to the Book of Matthew. The electroshock that he receives on his head can also serve as a type of metal crown

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