This paper discusses the
novel, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" written by Ken Kesey. The central character of Nurse Ratched
is portrayed as the melodramatic device in the novel. The
paper describes the nurse as the
villain in the novel, and claims that she is less a real character than a symbol. It is explained that Kesey himself said that a story needs a villain who is truly evil and not just bad, and he has provided such a villain in this novel. The paper concludes with a brief review of the film made of this book, and the differences between the book and the film.