“Hierarchy means that there are the dominant and there are the dominated. » Social hierarchies can be identified in varied environments, and a man's place in this predetermined structure is chosen based on his occupation in the neighborhood. This concept of a microcosm with a hierarchy of power is found throughout the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, where Nurse Ratched stands above it all. Through its implications on animal imagery, Kesey highlights the importance of questioning the ideals of those of a higher power in order to break free from a strict system and escape the conformities they impose. The men are portrayed as weak animals, who are prey to Nurse Ratched and the orderlies, or in this case, predators. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Kesey portrays men as prey to the room to imply their weakness and lack of manliness. The patients possess virtually no power while, on the other hand, Nurse Ratched has considerable power over events and people. Patients are aware of their position in this microcosm and have even come to accept that they are in fact like rabbits. Harding even states that "...the rabbits accept their role in the ritual and recognize the wolf as the strong one" (Kesey 64), referring to him and the other men as the rabbits. Harding also explains how a rabbit becomes "sneaky, frightened, and elusive" (Kesey 64) and "hides when the wolf is around" (Kesey 64). This imagery shows how men are forced to suppress their voices and themselves to avoid the wrath of the wolf, or Nurse Ratched. As humans begin to gain independence, they evolve from rabbits to birds. Kesey involves the birds to symbolize freedom and their new confidence to escape the room. The men experience this freedom during the fishing trip, when the leader imagines himself "out of the boat, blown out of the water and skating in the wind with those black birds, far above..." ( Kesey 250) himself. The fishing trip is a way for men to escape and separate themselves from their conformed natures, and it gives them a chance to let go and regain some confidence and manhood. Nurse Ratched does not approve of this confidence and works to put them down once again. When McMurphy and Chief are sent to EST, McMurphy confidently offers to go first. He assures the leader that they can't harm him. Before, while they were waiting their turn, the chief illustrates the "puffy sparrows hanging on a thread like brown pearls" (Kesey 282), and after McMurphy receives the EST, the chief remarks "out the window, the sparrows fall while smoking thread” (Kesey 283). The burning and falling birds show that Nurse Ratched is demolishing their newfound freedom and independence. Later, McMurphy undergoes a lobotomy and Nurse Ratched "could use him as an example of what could happen if you overthrew the system" (Kesey 322). Not only does this highlight Nurse Ratched's power and ability to abuse the system, but the application of the word "buck" reinforces the idea of ​​men becoming independent and strong. Typically, animals that oppose something are strong, difficult to control, and independent. The men recognize McMurphy as an idol and are eventually able to become somewhat independent and assured of their own abilities, and they are able to break away from his system. Kesey,.