Every American has grown up with these words, has lived by these words, and, as a result, has accepted them as fact: “We hold these truths to be evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". This phrase has also found its place in the US Constitution, and there are variations of this all over the world: “liberté, egalité, fraternité” (liberty, equality, fraternity) in France, “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit” ( unity, justice and freedom) in Germany and many others. Not having to limit speech, control every move, or suppress individuality are gifts, often taken for granted in today's society. People go about their day without thinking twice about choosing when to smoke a cigarette or being able to play cards with friends without fighting for it. But in Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, personal freedom, a sense of self, and individuality are denied to patients in an Oregon mental asylum. The asylum itself is symbolic of society and how it pushes people to act in a certain way, and describes how deviating even slightly from the “normal” label is grounds for imprisonment. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, characters like Chief Bromden and Dale Harding are great examples of how society manipulates differences into weaknesses, and only with Randle McMurphy's help are they able to reassert themselves and challenge conformity of the company. Chief Bromden is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and although he initially appears physically formidable to readers, he is a docile and unusually submissive man. It's an incredibly high N... in the middle of the card... he didn't want to be an example, a trophy for Nurse Ratched and smothers him (Kesey 270). Even then, he serves as the driving force that pushes Chief to leave the Combine and its oppression forever. Society can be an antagonist or an ally, depending on the individual and the circumstances. This is shown indefinitely in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Differences such as Chief Bromden's race and Dale Harding's sexual orientation were turned into weaknesses, and only with Randle McMurphy's courage and perseverance were they overcome. However, this came at a price. McMurphy died from this cause. Billy Bibbit and Cheswick were casualties along the way. So, readers must ask themselves the question posed by Chief's father: “What can you pay for the way a man lives? What can you pay for what a man is?" Works Cited Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.