TIME Magazine's "Books: The Strength of One" draws similarities between Kesey's McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Hank Stamper from Sometimes a Great Notion. Both characters possess strength not often seen in one person and characteristics that could categorize them as antiheros. They are rough and tough and seek to stand up against what the feel is wrong and will use force to do so. This article presents the theme of Sometimes a Great Notion to be "the weakness of the strong and the persistent tensility of the weak". The townspeople within the novel can't stand to see Stamper win in the final "battle", but they are confused when he begins to lose. Kesey understands that intolerable as a good man may be to men, his defeat is even more so. This is the major paradox presented within the novel and explains the prominence of strength captured in both books. This article presents strong ideas that are tied in with the plot very well, however the author did not include quotes, which would have provided more support for the conclusions. The connections to the author included in the article suggest that the author has thorough knowledge into Kesey's background and his motives for writing each novel. It was almost as if the author was in Kesey's mind while writing this piece. The author drew parallels between Kesey's works and Greek mythology that posed interesting thoughts for the reader. Overall, Ken Kesey's ideas are transferred well in this article and are analyzed with a fresh outlook.

In Elaine Ware's criticism of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ware focuses analytical attention to Bromden's character and the idea that he might be experiencing identity crisis. After all, Bromden is torn between the desire to maintain his Indian heritage and the pressure to develop behavior acceptable to the dominant white culture. The insane asylum therefore could be a symbol of this identity crisis and the overwhelming pressure to fit into a specific culture. Kesey sets Bromden's childhood in the 1920s and 30s, a time when the U.S. government was struggling to decide whether Indians should maintain tribal customs or should adopt white culture. As the narrator from the novel, Bromden never reveals his first name which should have been precious to him, as it is in his native culture. His identity crisis is further complicated because he is the son of a white woman. Ware uses sufficient evidence not only from the novel, but outside sources as well. There is historical data connected to many of Ware's claims in addition to textual evidence. This critical analysis provides thorough character analysis that state Bromden's personality traits and the reasons for his actions, such as silence as a technique for survival. Ware's suggestion that Kesey is criticizing white establishment in the American society might very well be true. After all, Kesey was famous for delving into the 1960s hippie culture. This novel presents the downside to the "mixing pot" of the U.S. society because cultures end up swallowed and gone forever.

In Laszlo K. Géfin's criticism of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Géfin explores the satirical elements which lie beneath the characters in Kesey's novel. Géfin focuses his ideas on the Big Nurse, who captures the archetypal monstrous, castrating woman. Some saw the novel as an "Oedipal family romance", named for the mythological king Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, which captures several dark elements. The Big Nurse represents the bad mother, McMurphy is the good father, and the mental patients are the children. Others suggest that Kesey's ideas are a reflection of the male fear turned aggression of the Eisenhower era. Either way, family dynamics can be found within One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This article makes it evident that the Big Nurse's character has been and will continue to be interpreted differently from person to person. The clearest idea that Géfin communicated was that the character of the Big Nurse should not be interpreted literally. It is vital to understand that these characters were created from a man's viewpoint because Kesey's ideas were translated through the Big Nurse. This is why feminist critics often try to downplay the menacing aspects of her character. This article was written quite awhile ago, so many of the media references are a bit outdated, although still applicable. Géfin most likely possesses similar views as Kesey as he was defending the nature of Kesey's characters. According to Géfin, Kesey's Big Nurse is another classic archetypal woman in literature, which will continue to influence further works.