Questions of Truth - A Look at Ken Kesey

Ken Kesey has clearly had a very interesting life. Being at the front of revolutionary experiments with CIA and new drugs, he has seen the world through many sets of eyes. While he was in the hospitals being a part of the experiments he was able to meet with the patients and relate to them and their situations. This made him write the Coco’s Nest and gave him the insight into the wards. While he was on LSD he would continually have trips about a Native American who would be mopping the floor. This later became Chief Bordman in the Coco’s Nest.

Now in the book Chief gives insight into what he sees and what he feels. Being a first person narration we are able to see imbalances throughout and also some of the hallucinations he presents. As Chief says in the end of the first chapter, ‘But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen.’ This makes me wonder about the credibility of the events that Chief says are happening, because if he is that messed up, and the author is that messed up, then what is real. Is this a style thing or is it meant to raise questions on truth? Or is that statement meant more toward things that are directly happening in the ward? For example: it may be the truth that the Black Boys do terrible thing to the new patents but it will never be admitted to have happened. Therefore it’s a conspiracy in which the wards are presented to the public as truly helping these people. Clearly Ken didn’t see it that way, because he writes this book explaining how the people inside the ward get away with such acts and the front they use to do so.

I think that Ken Kesey is a bit of an interesting guy at least. He seems sort of irresponsible. If we examine the fact that he went to university and had a good education and he had a happy family; why would he go and blow it all away. First he dives into these drugs, which were still in experimental stages. I understand that we did not realize the full extent and dangers of drugs, but from his morals about drugs being the only way to truly express yourself I don’t think his morals would’ve changed if he did know. Also to then become a hippy and have a love child and blow up his family with his high school sweet heart, it just seems irresponsible.

Next Ken becomes part of the whole counter culture. The non-conformists! Instead of doing what society and the churches and elders wanted them to do they would partake in lots of drug abuse, sex, and trying to not conform in any way possible (long hair, etc). Ken toured around in a double deck bus, the second deck was an addition. They would tour around and express their views and give out drugs. They were the start of a revolution; they were rallying up support from young people because this was fun. It was the start of a revolution.