One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest & A Brave New World Comparative
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Based on the two novels, A Brave New World and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey and Huxley use the symbolism as a literary technique to bring out the concept of individualism and conformity to the audience. In the novel by Kesey, the title “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” represents a symbolic meaning of cuckoos birds. The term “cuckoo’s nest” is a symbol used to associate audience with the mental hospital where most of the patients are alienated from the society. West and East are two different directions used by the author to symbolize similarities of communism – mental hospital, iron curtain and restriction freedom, terror and isolation. He uses McMurphy to represent individualism in the whole sections of the novel. The two directions cab used to symbolized Chief Bromden and McMurphy where Chief Bromden escaped by living the hospital while on contrary, Mc Murphy who presents the bird, escapes by a different means that is, death. Kesey also uses religious symbolism to describe the McMurphy’s struggles when he was trying to help other patients. For instance, one of the chronic patients, Allis who is depicted as “a person standing and crucified to the wall”. The positioning of Allis mimics the table’s shape used as electro-shock for therapy purposes. The patients are strapped to the table and their arms are outspread. The action symbolizes Christ on the cross. Kesey indoctrinates the nature of Nurse Ratched’s ward and shows the strong determination of McMurphy in enlightening humanity to other patients (Booker, 2014). He decides to use all of his power by sacrificing himself to oppose and to finish the conformity brought about by Nurse Ratched. Additionally, Kesey uses the action of sacrifices to show to his audience the ultimate sacrifices, which are involved in the book of Mathew, based on rebellion against oppression and conformity in pursuing salvation.
On the other hand, Huxley uses symbolism technique in the novel Brave New World to illustrate conformity. He creates a futuristic world where conformity and submission govern society. He also uses drug soma to symbolize the ways individuals can manipulate instant gratification to manage the populace of the World State. The World State’s individuals are accustomed such that they only follow specific way of life. A lifestyle of a person is determined during the period of birth and this is meant to create a civilization that is stable. Drug soma also is used to symbolize the power of technology and science, which influence one’s social life. In terms of a sacrament, the author uses soma to represent how religion is used to control a society. In the novel, Mustapha mentions soma as a “Narcotic, euphoric and pleasantly hallucinate”. It symbolizes the tool used by the government to easily control its population in the society. The government also uses the drug to sedate, calm and distract individuals from individualism. In chapter 15 of the novel, Huxley uses John as a character to portray the concept of conformity; he shows John picking up on conformity by chucking out the staff in regards to freedom. His effort, however, fails to bear any fruits due to soma that has enslaved people. The famous claim of Mustapha also shows symbolism of soma as Christians with no tears when he says “they get the bit of ‘without tears’”. According to the Author, Christianity functions in such a way that it controls individuals through pacification. It provides comfort to individuals at an individuality expense (Kesey et l.. 2010). The electric fence which border reservation of Savage symbolizes the separation of two worlds in where one has citizens who are subservient to their own desire and impulse, and the other one with ritualistic and self-mutilation citizens. The author also uses animal imagery to review the action of people in relation to conformity. The dead animals that surround the electric fence symbolized how soma has enslaved people that they tend to forget freedom as John communicates. The pilot also symbolizes people as “creatures that never learn”.

In their novels, the two authors use illusions techniques to relate the audience to the concept of individualism and conformity. Kesey for instance in his novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest explores life in a mental institution through Chief’s mind. He identifies one of his main characters as having illusions. The novel starts by introducing Chief Bromden as suffering from illusions. Chief hallucination revolves around machines that run activities in the hospital. The author uses Chief’s illusion to bring a picture of conformity to the audience. He believes Nurse Ratched to be a monster who orders around, and whom everyone follows. The author tries to explain how Nurse Ratched is based on conformity and wishes all the patients in the ward to follow her rules. In addition, Kesey uses biblical allusions to show individualism to the audience by portraying McMurphy as a Christ-like figure in the bible. When introducing McMurphy to the scene, the majority of patients sees him as an influential spirit and as a leader. The “crown of thorns” is an allusion that the author uses to emphasize the magnitude of influence McMurphy has on the ward’s patients (Huxley, 1998). Huxley, on the other hand, uses several historical allusions with some of his characters to bring out the concept of individualism and conformity. Allusions are significant to the novel since historical figures used have names that correspond to the character been used. He based his novel on the time technology was largely growing and when women began to earn their freedom. He also takes the new attitudes of sexuality to an extreme level in his novel. Another allusion that the author takes to its extreme is soma, which leads to the general purpose of A Brave New World. He uses soma to cloud the present realities by replacing them with happy hallucinations; as a tool to promote stability in the society. Allusion technique applies in the novel Brave New World to show conformity where humans are produced by passing embryos across a conveyor belt. He shows the machine to define the specific task of a specimen, and this illustrates the theme of conformity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, used by Kesey and Huxley apply several literary techniques in their novels. The techniques are used in both novels such that audiences are positioned to value individuality concept and to condemned conformity in societies. In the novel Brave New World, the author brings out the concept of conformity in the future society. In the novel, he depicts a dystopia where only powerful states take control over the actions and behaviors of its citizens in order to earn stability of power. The government retains conformity to its people by making them happy and superficially achieving their needs making them blind to realize their freedom. Huxley uses new technology as a means to condemn this type of conformity by introducing individuality concept in the future of Brave New World. On contrary, Kesey in his novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, illustrates conformity through nurse Ratched. Ratched is a nurse who use dictatorship to control activities in the ward and manipulating patients according to her own will. McMurphy however arrives and attempts to go against conformity and this result into a conflict between him and Nurse Ratched. McMurphy acts as a savior to other patients by educating them on individuality.

References
Huxley, A. (1998). Brave New World. 1932. London: Vintage.
Goldman, B., Hauben, L., & Kesey, K. (2010). One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. Warner Home Video.