McMurphy as Christ
In Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, many similarities can be observed between the chief protagonist in the novel, Randle Patrick McMurphy, and the world renowned Jesus Christ. Although neither McMurphy's physical appearance nor his actions are consistent with those of Jesus Christ, the two do share similar motives for their actions, in for they seek to help others, regardless of the consequences.
Selfless, sacrificial and humble, Jesus Christ is a symbol of the ideal human being. In addition to making the blind see and raising the dead, Jesus dedicated his life to serving others. His humbleness among his inferiors is what allowed him to gain respect, and his insistence of living a poor and simple life is what connected him to his fellow man. Jesus Christ was constantly giving away his time, money, and food to those less fortunate than he. He was known for being a calm and not problematic by any means. Jesus Christ was a pacifist and supported the Catholic doctrine 'When hit, turn the other cheek' which is an nonviolent way of living. Despite his calm disposition, the strong-willed Jesus Christ stood up for his beliefs and refused to bow down to the Roman officials who claimed he was a fraud. Most importantly, Jesus Christ was a savior. He sacrificed himself for the good of mankind and eventually made the ultimate sacrifice-his life. He died on the cross and his death renewed the souls of all mankind and diminished their sins.
Randle Patrick McMurphy, however, is quite the opposite in character. He is loud, boisterous and is always looking to start a fight. Behind all of his seemingly good actions are selfish motives in which he always makes a profit. He is 'a gambling fool' and enjoys taking money from his fellow ward members (Kesey 17). Having been imprisoned for drunkenness, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and statutory rape, McMurphy initially being in the institution...