Is Nurse Ratched The True Villain Of The Story?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Nurse Ratched (also known as “Big Nurse”) is a fictional character and the

main antagonist of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

, first featured in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel as well as the 1975 film adaptation. A cold, heartless tyrant, Nurse Ratched has become the stereotype of the nurse as a battleaxe.

Is Nurse Ratched based on a true story?

While the storyline of Ratched is fiction, the title

character is actually based on a real person

. While the dramatic storyline in Ratched isn’t true, the character of Nurse Mildred is based on a real person. Kesey drew inspiration for his 1962 novel from working in a psychiatric wing at a large hospital.

What is the story behind Nurse Ratched?

After graduating from college, Kesey worked as a night orderly on the psychiatric ward of the Menlo Park Veterans’ Hospital in California. The character of Mildred Ratched, the cruel and tyrannical nurse who oversees the fictional ward, was

inspired by the real head nurse on the ward where Kesey worked

.

Why is Nurse Ratched considered so evil?

If McMurphy serves as a Christ figure, Nurse Ratched is

the Antichrist

. She represents authority, conformity, bureaucracy, repression, evil, and death. Hoping to turn the men against McMurphy, she blames him for taking away the patients’ privileges and cigarettes. …

What mental illness does Nurse Ratched have?

The series takes some liberties with

dissociative identity disorder

. Ratched puts a heavy focus on mental illnesses, with much of the spotlight on Charlotte’s dissociative identity disorder (DID).

Who is the real Nurse Ratched?


Mildred Ratched
Portrayed by Joan Tetzel (play) Louise Fletcher (film) Sarah Paulson (Ratched) In-universe information Full name Mildred Ratched (film, TV series) Alias Big Nurse

Why does Ratched turn green?

In Ratched season 1, episode 3, “Angel Of Mercy”, Mildred is in the midst of having sex with a man, but as a green light flashes, she

fantasizes about kissing Gwendolyn Briggs

(Cynthia Nixon). In this moment, it is meant to symbolize her lust.

Is Nurse Ratched a sociopath?

Nurse Ratched was

a classic sociopath

. I think that’s the most frightening part. She was in a position of authority and control but did not look out for anyone’s best interest but her own. McMurphy was a free man at one point (according to the other doctors on staff) but Ratched vetoed their plan to release him.

Who is Nurse Ratched to Edmund?

The two share a tender moment, though they don’t explicitly say how they know each other. It’s eventually revealed, however, that Edmund is

the adoptive brother of Nurse Ratched

.

Is Nurse Ratched scary?

In conclusion it is a

horrifying watch

which requires a pillow in hand to hide from such things as doctors drilling into eyeballs. Pass the sick bucket would you, Nurse Ratched.

Is Nurse Ratched a bad nurse?

Ratched is a gruesome origins story featuring a diabolical performance from Sarah Paulson. But, says critic Luke Buckmaster, the entire premise of the show is wrong—because Nurse Ratched was never a villain.

Who Killed Nurse Ratched?

She is killed by

a patient named Bob

, a man she has had lobotomized and tried out some cruel experiments on. He crushes her skull as she tries to lobotomize Doc. Later on, all the patients flee the hospital, leaving Nurse Ratched’s corpse behind, along with Doc and 10K.

How does Nurse Ratched abuse her power?

Introduction. This is an example of Nurse Ratched abusing her power because

she manipulates the conversation into making it seem like McMurphy is trying to be selfish

. … She manipulates the patients too much for McMurphy’s liking, and McMurphy begins to recruit his fellow patients to challenge Nurse Ratched’s authority.

Did Edmund and Mildred sleep together?

In reality,

they forced Edmund and Mildred to perform sexual acts on one another

in front of an audience. One night, Edmund snapped and attacked the couple while they were sleeping. He gouged their eyes out before killing them. When Mildred arrived at the scene, Edmund told her to run away, which she did.

What is McMurphy diagnosed with?

Each film takes up specific gendered mental illnesses – Susanna is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, seven times more likely in women than men, and McMurphy with

Anti-Social Personality Disorder

, three times more likely in men than women.

What is Nurse Ratched’s one weakness?

When McMurphy attacks her and tears her shirt open in front of the men, he reveals her weakness—

she’s a woman after all

. Big breasts don’t lie.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.