In Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the struggle for life comes alive through vivid imagery. The tough body represents a defiance against death, desperately fighting back against the forces that threaten to take its life. The narrator's physical intervention signifies a moment of intense confrontation, where survival hangs in the balance as they wrestle with both the body and the overwhelming power at play.

This struggle lasts an eternity, illustrating the emotionally charged atmosphere within the narrative. The act of lying on top of the body, while forcibly mashing a pillow into its face, emphasizes both the desperation and the gravity of the situation. It reveals the lengths to which individuals will go to cling to life and the stark reality of conflict in a world that can be both oppressive and liberating.