FORM AND STRUCTURE

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is divided into four parts.
Though they differ in length, each part consists of scenes that
depict rising tension between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched,
culminating in a climatic battle: in Part I, with the fight over
the baseball World Series; in Part II, with the smashing of the
window of the nurse's station; in Part III, with the fishing trip;
in Part IV, with the final fight after Billy's death. Notice that
the stakes are continually raised, until the battle in Part IV is
fought for the highest stakes of all-life or death.

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