Gliederung/ Plot Outlineof
One Flew Over the Cuckoo'sNest
by Ken Kesey

Part I| Part II | Part III | PartIV


Part I (p. 9)
1.1 (9) Welcometo the Funny Farm  (Intro to Chief and the ward)(bird imagery—12)(truth even if it didn’t happen 13)
1.2 (14) The New Guy (Macis admitted)
1.3 (19) Mac's Entrance(meets all the people on the ward: Acutes; Chronics -- walkers, wheelers,vegetables) Foreshadowing:Ellis: Crucified by ETS; Ruckley lobotomixed.Characters: Billy Bibbit,Harding, Cheswick
(27 Chief’s hand swells whenMac shakes it)
1.4 (29) 4 The BigNurse—ward schedule: Mr. Taber (ward manipulator who she defeated before;lobotomy). The Combine—adjusted Inside to Outside/ 35—radio parts likein the Army. 40—combine
  • 1.5 (42)  Group Meeting:48—theraputic community speech/ 55 pecking party/ 57 ball-cutter; Cheswick62—Chinese Prison camp 65 Crown of thorns/ Chief received 200+ shock treatments
  • 1.6 (70) Time Passing—nocontrol. Mac living on the ward. Hustling everyone, manipulating them.Not yet causing trouble. 77--Recognizes Chief isn’t deaf.

  • 1.7 (78) dream at night—BlastIc’sdeath. No pills but paranoid hallucinations
    1.8 (83) Mac in theMorning: singing (mac is free because no one depends on him) 86 Chief;sstory abt his father and the geese. Mac wins first skirmish with Nurse
    1.9 (92) Tub room/games: alliance with Dr. gets Dr. to suggest tub room. Mac wins another,bigger battle. But Chief is scared—FOG 101.
    1.10 (102) Monopoly– funny, nobody normal
    1.11 (104) World Series—Nobodywill vote with Mac except Cheswick. Bet about control panel..
    1.12 (112) Fogged in
    1.13 (114) Fogged in
    1.14 (115) Fogged in
    1.15 (116) The fog—memoriesof airfield. Another vote on the world series. Mac wins 20 of 40 votes.Chief lifts hand. Other Acutes watch TV—first organized rebellion againstNurse.
    Part II (p.129)
    2.16 (129) Nomore fog anyplace. Overhears staff meeting discussing Mac—
    2.17 (138) Clear night—Chiefin touch with sense, oriented
    2.18 (145)  Swimmingpool. 147--Learns he’s committed. Starts getting cagegy (doesn’t like deepwater) Refusing the call. Cheswick drowns in despair.
    2.19 (152)  Double-bindsIEFELT AND fREDERICKSON
    2.20 (156)  Nursein control again
    2.21 (157) Harding’swife—another ball-buster Mac dreaming of faces
    2.22 (162) Mac defendinghis lack of fight. Mac realizes all the other guys are not committed
    2.23 (169) Ringingin Chief's head. Nurse punishes them for World series by taking away tubtoom. Mac breaks the window.
    Part III (p. 174)
    3.24 (174) Macfighting back. Planning fishing trip. Basketball.  Chief rememberingchildhood; talks to Mac (185)
    3.25 (191) FishingTrip—self esteem for guys, except for Mac: strained (218 -- FRANTIC) 201pride in craziness.  203 Combine: train.
    Part IV (p. 219)
    4.26 (219) BlowingChief back up to size. Rub-a-dub George freaks out. Chief and mac attackordelies.
    4.27 (232)  Upon disturbed. Little Japanese nurse.   Chief's hallucinationsduring EST:  239: Mrs. Tingle Tangle Toes; 240 I'm the dice. Chief standing up to fog.
    4.28 (242) More ESTfor Mac.  247--B's mother. Candy and Billy.  Mac and Turkle fallasleep
    4.29 (260) Billy'sdeath:  264 nurse threatens to tellB's mother.  266 B's suicide.267 Mac attacks nurse. 269 lobotomy