Most affluent Americans like to feel philanthropic. Many of us privileged people appreciate this feeling because we feel that we are truly making the world a better place by giving to the “less fortunate.” Yet, many “successful” Americans secretly despise “less fortunate” people, considering them “lazy” or “selfish.” After all, why should we share? We worked hard for whatever status we achieved. Why should we care about other people's children? Or why don't we worry about these sad situations? Where do our notions of charity come from? One source might be a simple board game, a board game interestingly used by the great novelist Ken Kesey in the Hippie Bible he wrote in 1962 to teach readers about the way he perceived the American way of life. Kesey inserts the game of Monopoly as a central symbol in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest because it signifies society and the corrupt desire for absolute power. Kesey strategically includes Monopoly in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, not to be overlooked by readers, but to exemplify society's greed. To start Monopoly players must select a “banker”. Because the banker is responsible for paying the players every time they pass "Go" and also for collecting the money when the players buy a property, house or hotel; the banker is highly respected. Each player chooses a piece to represent him on the board. So they receive $1,500 for supposedly starting the game correctly, but in reality the banker has a slight advantage over the others because they start the game. When it is a player's chosen turn, they roll the dice, which is simply chance. Throughout the game, you purchase property titles and houses or hotels to place on "your estate" to gain control. If… middle of paper… the game can get brutally brutal. Ken Kesey knew he would get his main idea of ​​how twisted society truly is using the Monopoly symbol. Statistically, by gaining control and power, people experience hope, freedom, and more pleasure in their lives than without. Without the feeling of control, people are at greater risk of disorders and develop more stress in their lives. Unfortunately, there is only one "winner" with many "losers" in Monopoly and even in society. Works Cited Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: Signet, 1962. Print.Landau, Sidney I., ed. The New International Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Naples: Trident International, 2002. Print.Larson, Reed. "IS FEELING "IN CONTROL" LINKED TO HAPPINESS IN DAILY LIFE?" Ammons Scientific. AmSci. Network. November 16. 2011. .