Navigating (In)Authenticity: A Comparative Study of Heideggerian Modes of Existence in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the Reluctant Fundamentalist

Abstract

Heidegger’s corpus on philosophy focuses on key concepts such as individual choice, the role of “they” (the sociocultural forces) in shaping that choice, the significance of human responsibility in dealing with the circumstances he has been placed in, and the resulting (in)authenticity as a mode of existence. By connecting his philosophical reflections to the everyday mode of existence of an ordinary individual, Heidegger adopts an approach that transcends spatial and temporal constraints and assumes universal relevance across cultures, thereby advocating reconsideration of the role of social expectations and personal resolutions in shaping one’s course of life. Literary works that incorporate these ideas through characters caught in webs of choices and compulsions offer meaningful insights. Given the universal scope of philosophical perspectives, the researcher re-examined themes of alienation and (in)authenticity in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) and Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) through the Heideggerian lenses, evaluating the importance of global human perspectives that are often overlooked when studying literature within specific historical and geographical contexts. Furthermore, the study compares the selected works by deploying Heidegger’s concept of Dasein to identify potential analytical gaps connected to particular contexts that a Eurocentric approach might miss. Thus, the study holds great significance for readers, as it underscores the importance of listening to inner voices when making life choices. It also elaborates on the difference between human needs and wants, and on how their failure to be addressed sensibly contributes to feelings of guilt, alienation, and dissatisfaction.```````````