One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a controversial novel that has left parents and school authorities debating its influence on students since its publication in 1962. The novel depicts the inner workings of a mental institution , as patients are emasculated and abused by the terrifying Nurse Ratched, who will do anything to control them. But along comes McMurphy, a criminal who has chosen to go to an asylum rather than undergo physical labor; he disrupts the order of the hospital with his big personality and strong opinions, undermining Nurse Ratched's authority and encouraging patients to live their own lives, until he too is silenced forever by authority. With his novel, Ken Kesey paints society as an oppressive machine dedicated only to controlling people, and conveys the very important message that you can imprison and subjugate a person, but you can never take away their will to fight for freedom. So why would a book with such a significant message cause controversy? Why some school districts would go so far as to completely ban this book from their schools c...