Comparison between Amy from Beloved and RP from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestThe gentlemen of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" were in search of mental freedom. Fear held them prisoners of their own minds. Perhaps the main goal of the film was to illustrate the fact that we are masters of our freedom. However, it is difficult to change our thinking pattern. Sometimes, in fact, we need someone to show us how to do it. Ken Kesey's character, Randall P. McMurphy, has always been accustomed to being a wild and free spirit. His attitude was completely contagious. Often, when you meet someone with that amount of self, you start to think that you too can do anything. RP has healed more men in the department than any medicine or doctor could have dreamed of. Specifically, he healed Billy, gave Cheswick much-needed self-confidence, and freed the boss completely. Furthermore, he had convinced the rest of the department that “they were no crazier than the average guy walking down the street!” Nurse Ratched, however, had the complete opposite effect. His therapeutic methods were based on guilt, repression and inflexible rules. He killed Billy. In short, it kept patients in chains. In the novel “Beloved” by Toni Morrison the character Amy shares some of the same liberating characteristics as RP McMurphy. Both use their confidence to enable individuals to reach their full potential. Without Amy's deliberate and confident guidance, Sethe may never have reached Sweet Home. Before doing so, however, Sethe had to conquer her past, which included being a school teacher. A bit similar to Ratched, teacher... middle of paper... shocked the first time he jokingly teases the entire department with the humorous side of his personality. The two were extremely magnetic people. For every Nurse Ratched there will always be someone like RP who breaks her granite rules and "for every teacher there would be an Amy". (188) These characters seemed to balance each other well in their roles. Violent individuals like teachers will always represent evil in this world. Even manipulative, control-focused people like Ratched will prove to be obstacles. However, McMurphy eased the strain that Ratched inflicted on the department. Furthermore, Amy made Sethe forget about the master's "lessons" and set her on the path to freedom. Both RP and Amy were gifted liberators who could make someone believe in themselves before they even knew what hit them.