One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Power Peoples' ability to use power to control and manipulate situations and people is a skill not many people have. Unfortunately this skill can lead to conflict as it did in Ken Kesely's novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest when McMurphy and Nurse Ratched meet each other. McMurphy has been after Nurse Ratched's power right from the beginning. After the first group meeting he pointed out that the meeting was like a "pecking party". The Nurse starts it with pointing out something wrong with someone and then the men join in with their criticism