Humor and Madness - Essay Example

Ken Kesey’s best-known work is a succinct illustration of just how powerful laughter and humor can be. Following the exploits of con man-turned-savior  Randall McMurphy, it highlights how even a seemingly roguish miscreant can inspire people to reclaim their lives once more through humor. As Bromden the narrator goes, “I forget sometimes what laughter can do”.

In taking things with a grain of salt though, can we truly argue that this is an exceptional case?  Personally, the events that unfolded and the circumstances that followed are extremely exceptional, if at all possible in real life.  Seriously, what are the odds of someone who faked insanity to escape his punishment suddenly taking on messianic attributes en route to “liberating” a group of mentally ill patients? In a fictional setting of course its viable. This happenstance borders on the fantastic, and it is highly remote that people could just walk into asylums on the pretext of chicanery and “heal” the insane with the power of laughter.

The novel shows us the great divide between humor and madness as a form of symbolism in connoting sanity vis-à-vis insanity. In the dour, oppressive wards of the asylum people are so rooted in madness that they have completely forgotten how it is to legitimately feel happiness and appreciate humor. And then comes McMurphy, whose witty, cheery approach enlivens up a ward that hadn’t heard true laughter in years. The novel highlights the fact that those embroiled in madness no longer have the capability to experience real joy. Thus, humor serves as a virtual shield for the protagonist, lest he fall into the same trap that the patients have found themselves in. He utilizes humor so that it would serve as insulation from the madness around him, but in the process, he inspires the rest of the occupants of the ward. The relationship between humor and madness goes hand in hand as the story unfolds, with humor standing as a unique symbol for free-thinking, fully functional human beings and the absence thereof showing a descent into the recesses of madness.  Once Mcmurphy has gradually empowered the patients with his own brand of rebellious humor, the reader would get a distinct notion that the patients had actually improved and that they were slowly entering the realm of reason again. This was clearly manifested in the scene where Harding, Scanlon, Sefelt, and Doctor Spivey all could truly laugh at the end of their bending-the-rules fishing expedition.

It is quite obvious that a reasonable understanding of the work cannot be internalized if one is oblivious to the nuances of humor and madness. While it is quite remote to have personally been through categorical madness, a rudimentary understanding of the concept would be of great importance in relating to the patient’s plight. Likewise, one has to have a relatively good grasp of humor to truly appreciate the value of McMurphy’s actions. If you are not exactly the funny type, the book may come off as corny and drab. Without an intrinsic understanding of humor, you will fail to come across the essential points of what Kesey’s work is attempting to come across.

The book in its simplest element is a feel-good story about the rebel-without-a-cause inadvertently liberating the patients of Cuckoo’s Nest from the oppressiveness that they are subjected to. In exercising the humor that McMurphy imparted to them, they were empowered to reclaim their lost humanity. If you do not know what humor is all about or haven’t had a good laugh yourself in years – then maybe this isn’t the book for you, as you will just be lost in the narrative. Actually, why not try and read through it; you may be inspired yourself.