Since the first recording and theory behind mental illness in the 1800s, the illness has been subject to negative judgment well into the twentieth century. This conventional wisdom means that many patients are forced to face the tribulations of the disease but are also subject to social exclusion and prejudice. Overall, mentally ill people are affected by traditional stigma and are pressured to conform and sacrifice any individuality, a familiar idea is represented both in the text "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", written by Ken Kesey set in the 1960s , both in the 2008 film. , "Silver Linings Playbook", directed by David O. Russell. In both texts, “madness” is portrayed as harmful to society, with this perspective encouraging marginalization and mistreatment of the mentally ill as they are forced to conform to society's expectations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” written by Ken Kesey and set in modern-day Oregon in 1962, he explores significant themes of individuality and rebellion against conformity. Through these themes, Kesey presents the 1960s counterculture that protested individual freedom against a repressive society and the widespread perception that if you didn't conform to "normality," you simply didn't belong. The hospital itself is a metaphor to further represent the more oppressive society of the 1950s by creating a marginalized society of "sane" and "crazy". During this period, there were questions and challenges to authority in all its forms, particularly around state mental health facilities. Psychology today argues that they were poorly funded and organised, with limited adequate knowledge of the treatments used. The challenge to authority is represented in the novel through the patient McMurphy, who refuses to conform by challenging the profound limits of institutional practices and therefore, Nurse Ratched, a symbol of authority and conformity of the time. He needs to fix patients, drawing further validation between Nurse Ratched and a machine as he has to fix the broken parts of society that are men, echoing marginalization and the idea of ​​conformity under pressure through bad treatments. Similarly for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo” Nest,” “Silver Linings Playbook” set in 2008, features characters living a modern vision of fighting against the established perception that if you don't conform to "normal," you simply don't belonged. The film depicts "madness" through the two lead characters Pat, who suffers from extreme bipolar disorder and was sent to a psychotic hospital for 8 months for a violent outburst after discovering his wife's affair, and Tiffany who is. severely depressed due to the death of her husband. The paths of the two characters cross and in a world where madness is cured by love, the two characters simply help to heal by matching their "madness". As they struggle to lead a normal life, Russell describes how they do not fit into society and how the negative stigma and perception around their mental illness cannot be removed. For basic experiences like dinners, family conversations, and romantic relationships, both characters struggle because others treat them differently because of their mental illness. Due to the negative stigma surrounding their illness, the characters are driven mad by society's pressure to conform, and as a result, their recovery is put to the test. Therelationships between the characters in both texts can describe how crucial one's support system is in regards to recovering one's mental well-being. being. In "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" Chief Bromden undergoes a difficult recovery and suffers even more from his mental illness due to 1960s culture and a poor support system. His character suffers from paranoia, a past diminution and therefore prefers to act in silence and hide from reality in a drug-inflicted fog. The mist he watches symbolizes how the patients have been dehumanized as the chief hallucinates that the ward is run by machinery that controls the men physically and psychologically. Initially, the Chief suffers alone in his thoughts manipulated by Nurse Ratched into believing he is invisible and mute, unable to see himself any other way when he thus states, reinforcing how his withdrawal into himself is the result of the nurses who they belittle him and as an ultimatum, Bromden has difficulty recovering from his "madness" due to a poor support system. Additionally, your support system is critical in helping you overcome mental illness. Parallels can be seen in modern society as over 450 million people suffer from mental illnesses, yet two-thirds of people never seek help from a healthcare professional, an indicator that with the right support more people would make their voices heard. In contrast, David O. Russell uses the relationships within Silver Linings to emphasize the positive impacts on a family and the dynamics when needing to care for someone who is mentally ill, adding a hopeful angle on how love can help heal your mental state. Pat is a character who suffers from extreme bipolar disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric inpatient facility after nearly beating someone to death in a violent outburst. However, after 8 months Pat is released while his mother Dolores watches over him. As the family adapts to their new circumstances, the family is pushed to the breaking point which is seen in the scene where Pat accidentally elbows his mother and ends up in a physical fight with his father and wakes up the neighbors. In this scene, Pat has an extremely violent outburst while trying to find the wedding album that his parents hid to help him get over his cheating wife. Through the rapid panning of several shots of Pat and his father arguing and the close-ups of the expressions of fury on Pat's face as he fights his father, it becomes clear that he is unable to see the irrationality in his actions. Even though the family has its difficulties, her parents continue to support her. Their relationship depicts how love for a child is unwarranted and Pat has an amazing support system. This idea that mentally ill people can recover as part of society with support is relevant as the stigma around mental illness is slowly building and exploits the marginalization of people who are “crazy.” Similarly to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the characters Pat and Tiffany do not receive what they believe to be helpful treatment for their illness and find sanity from non-prescribed activities. Throughout the film we see Pat refuse to take his meds because they have a negative effect on him, "they make me foggy, they make me bloated", similar to Tiffany who stopped taking hers because "she wasn't as sharp" . Through Pat's doctor who says during a therapy session, "I'm going to increase your medication" and that "you might feel a little sluggish, but it should help curb the.