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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?
Amir A. It's true the characterization of blacks throughout the novel is like the Three Stooges with a sadist bent. I found it disconcerting, personally. Miso…moreIt's true the characterization of blacks throughout the novel is like the Three Stooges with a sadist bent. I found it disconcerting, personally. Misogyny is harder to argue but, in a similar vein, the feminine characters in the book do all have negative traits. On the other hand, McMurphy's Irish ancestry figures in his characterization, and there is a decidedly pro-Native American attitude throughout the story.(less)
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
by Ken Kesey
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