Joel Hildebrandt answers “I have long thought of this book as one of...”

Adam asked this question about One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest:

I have long thought of this book as one of my favorites, but noticed some heavy racist and misogynistic undertones when I re-read it. Much of this was left out of the film. Does old fashioned sexism sully an otherwise great work of literature?

Joel Hildebrandt Yes, it really does. Cuckoo's Nest is, in my opinion, a powerful literary work. So much of it is brilliant, from the symbolism to the plot, the dialog…moreYes, it really does. Cuckoo's Nest is, in my opinion, a powerful literary work. So much of it is brilliant, from the symbolism to the plot, the dialog and the evocative, psychedelic descriptions. It's also very funny.
I cannot begin to express the impact of those who defend the racism and sexism in this book with terms like "political correctness". I would ask, if you are willing to face a challenge, that you just reverse the roles in the novel. All of the inmates are Black and there are 3 anonymous white guys, domineering and sadistic, whose only role is to abuse the inmates and keep them in line. If you don't mind taking the thought experiment one step further, now imagine that white people have been abused, enslaved, denied justice, murdered by (mostly black) police, denied economic opportunities, etc. for 3-4 centuries. The setup in Cuckoo's Nest is designed to blame those who are already dehumanized for our oppression. It's actually the essence of trumpism. We don't need to question our privilege in society, because stories like this make it clear that it's ok to turn those "black boys" into non-people, all the while appealing to the spirit of rebellion and individualism in those who are presented as people.
Interested people should definitely read this book. It is in many ways a work of genius. And they should read it critically, because to do otherwise is offensive, demeaning and dehumanizing to women and to people of color. (less)

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Adam Joel! Most of the time I'm sorry I asked this question, but I really appreciate this response. I would definitely by the book if you took this experim ...more
Nov 09, 2020 06:33AM

Joel Hildebrandt That sounds like a big project!
But I think in a real sense, that experiment is just the history of the US: white people abusing black people and contr ...more
Nov 09, 2020 01:25PM

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

by Ken Kesey

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