Reading and Movie Review - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages... On one hand, punishment was viewed as a ritual and meted on the prisoner’s body. Execution re-affirmed the authority bestowed upon the kings and authorities and in most cases, the public become a witness. The story then shifts to changing the prison service to make it more efficient. (Foucault) On the other hand, the film “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” examines the themes of individuality and rebellion. The story is about McMurphy who gets himself in trouble breaching the law. Perhaps aware of the inhuman conditions of the regular prisons, McMurphy plays insanity so that he may be sent to the insanity ward, which works out well for him. Contrary to his expectation, McMurphy has to endure and stand witness to the progressive abuse and oppression by Nurse Ratched, who achieves power and dominance through the mistakes of other convicts. McMurphy regroups with other convicts to plan a rebellion against the Nurse. (Kesey) Answer 1: In particular, reference to the film “One Flew over Cuckoo’s nest” Foucault arguments in this case describes the kind of training and that was meted upon the prisoners. He describes the carefully planned acts of punishment that the prisoners received as having been organized and executed in the careful model so that the prisoner would be “… both docile and capable.” In more or less the same magnitude, the mental prison also advances fulfills this training. For instance, when Rawler cuts off his tentacles in the disturbed patient ward, Bromden remarks, “all the guy had to do was to wait” suggesting that the prison would still have castrated him. Equally, as the film ends, Nurse Ratched suggests installing more “drastic measure” on McMurphy, which she calls “an operation” which implies lobotomy an issue that McMurphy refers to as castration. Going back to Foucault assertions, these operations are meant to eliminate someone’s individuality, freedom and ability to express sexual desires. Kesey and Foucault infer the same thing here as the operations being symbolically equivalent. (Kesey) Answer 2: In technical meaning, “docile bodies” is a quiet and easy to control person and unlikely to lead to any trouble. It is suggested throughout the novel that expression of sexuality and repression of the same leads to insanity and docility. The castrating ability of Nurse Ratched leaves prisoners as “comical little creatures unable to achieve masculinity even in the rabbit world”. Women are described as threatening and terrifying individuals. Bromden and McMurphy both tend to narrate the suffering and mental incapacitation of the patients at the hands of Nurse Ratched and the prison supervisor. There is therefore a perceived opinion to agree with Harding who asserts, “We are victims of matriarchy here” (Kesey) which makes the males “docile bodies”. (Foucault) Equally, Bromden recalls how Maxwell Taber was rendered docile through series electrical shock waves when he tried to inquire information concerning his health records. Answer 3: In this regard, Foucault suggests that the core function of disciplinary training is dependent on three main factors: hierarchical observations, regular judgment and close examination. Close assessment is crucial as it ensures ...Download file to see next pagesRead More