Enhanced Crystallized Perception = Literary Masterpiece?

Throughout American Literature, there are hundreds of authors who have left their imprint on society by writing socially significant novels. Their intriguing styles and methods of conveying themes are undisputed, but the question of what inspires them is still debated and analyzed. A novel can be powerful, provocative, and profound, and can leave a lasting impression. This impression creates a curiosity throughout the public. This curiosity is about the mind who crafted such an intricate story. Readers wonder what could have possibly influenced these authors, or what could have happened in their lives to inspire such a lasting milestone on the face of literature. Ken Kesey is an author whose themes and characters are mirrored through his personal, early life. Kesey’s most significant projects, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion contain diverse characters, and the events are incommensurable, but his constant theme of rebellion and nonconformity is invariably present. Kesey’s early experiences with psychoactive drugs and his involvement with the “Merry Pranksters” inspired him to write novels whose themes and characters exemplify individualism, rebellion, and the negative effects that a stringent society has on human beings.

Ken Kesey took part in many different careers throughout his life, including a farmer, artist, and a night attendant at a psychiatric ward. During his childhood he earned a great respect for nature, and a fascination with illusion and magic, which he practiced throughout his high school years. As he developed his trademark style which was influenced by transcendentalist ideas, his love for cinema, and the satire of Mark Twain, he engaged in activities that would be essential in inspiring him to write his novels. Kesey’s college years were where he had his first experiences with drugs. He enrolled in a creative writing course in Stanford University in the late fifties and early sixties, right around the birth of...