Elaine 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?

Elaine I think so, yes. And I think it's incorrect to say that our ideas of racism and misogyny shouldn't be applied to a work from a previous era because th…moreI think so, yes. And I think it's incorrect to say that our ideas of racism and misogyny shouldn't be applied to a work from a previous era because the racism and misogyny of the past did cause harm to women and people of color in the past. The only reason we're more sensitive now to injustice is that white men and rich people are no longer the only ones with a platform.

That being said, I don't think we should quit reading all racist and misogynist works, ignore their historical context, or feel guilty for loving them. They don't lose all value because they are flawed. I think this is a fantastic book about the ways the individual can get crushed by the machine. It's unfortunate that "the machine" is represented by women and people of color who no longer "know their place," and if I were teaching a high school class and wanted to bring up the themes in this book, I'd probably assign something from the Beats or somebody like Audre Lorde. Or both. But once someone has the critical reading and thinking skills to be skeptical and analytical of their own pleasures, I don't see any reason to discount the greatness of a book because it says some things that are awful.(less)

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Adam Well said. The book is a product of its time. We must also separate the (anti) hero's motivations from the author's when we can. Society changes, we c ...more
Sep 11, 2018 07:28AM

Joel Hildebrandt This is a thoughtful response. Thank you.
Nov 09, 2020 12:04AM

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

by Ken Kesey

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