One of the main topics throughout the novel deals with how different perspectives affect your opinions and ideas. Now that we are mostly through the novel, who are really the “ill” patients in the ward?
Reader #1- My definition of illness can be broken down into physical illness and mental illnesses. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, i don't think many patients are actually physically sick, but not a lot of them are mentally sick either. It almost seems that McMurphy is not mentally ill, but nurse ratched is. She keeps her power by manipulating them. She has a hard time getting McMurphy to be submissive, so she looks for her other staff to help her and turn against McMurphy. “The Nurse’s eyes swelled out white as he got close. This was supposed to be her final victory over him, supposed to establish her rule once and for all”(Kesey, 201). I think she’s addicted to her own power and McMurphy threatens that. Reader #2-The ill ones in the ward aren’t the patients. well in a standard point of view that is true, but in a deeper point of view, it’s the nurse and doctors, because unlike the patients, they can’t do anything about how they act, but the staff chooses how they act and how they treat those patients. Most of the time they treat them like they’re less than a human being. My views of mental illness changed because at the beginning of the book, mental wards were always just a place where the insane went. But, I’ve learned that some people are there because they’re afraid of themselves. they have insecurities just like any other person. Illness affects your quality of life because in someone's eyes, you’ll always be different, or not good enough. that kind of stereotyping is how people feel uncomfortable living in their own skin. I personally think the Nurse needs the most help, because a normal person doesn’t think that treating another human being like that is the right way to handle situations. The rest of the staff seems just as uncomfortable with her as the patients do, and it’s clear that the ward shouldn’t be under control of someone who doesn’t know how to help those patients. Reader #3-I think everyone is starting to realize that McMurphy actually might be “crazy” o r”ill”. Recently, he got put through his first treatment of shock therapy and I feel like that doesn’t really happen unless you’re actually sick. In my opinion, it’s awful and no one should ever have to go through that. Does it actually even work? Being ill can mean a few things. It can mean the typical being sick with the flu or having cancer. Another ill, is being mentally ill (like the patients). Being ill is extremely unfortunate because you don’t have any control over your mind. You’ve been traumatized by something in the past or your brain has a chemical problem. My view on mental illnesses hasn’t changed from reading this book. Having a mental illness obviously changes your life completely. Every day being affected by something you can’t really fix on your own makes life unenjoyable. It’s hard to tell who needs the most help in the ward because everyone has their own bursts and all have problems on different levels. Reader #4-Illness is a time of sickness affecting the body or mind. Before reading the book I thought mental illness was something that caused people to not be normal and not be able to do things correctly. However, while reading this book, I have come to find that mental illnesses can just cause people to be in a different state of mind or cause them to be in some kind of “funk”. Not all mental illnesses causes people to not be normal, and I have come to that conclusion from reading this book. Illnesses can cause the quality of life to not reach its full potential, and that is important because if life can not reach its full potential, people with illnesses should live everyday like it’s their last. Surprisingly, I don’t believe one of the patient needs the most help. I believe the one who needs the most help is Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched does not how to treat people and only cares about power. She tries to make the ward bad for the patients and that is not right. If she did a better job of doing her job the patients in the ward could be doing better. Reader #5- My definition of an illness is someone who is suffering from a disorder or anything in the body and can’t take care of themselves. I believe that McMurphy has changed a lot throughout the story he has become more powerful and more controlling, even with nurse ratched, the ways McMurphy had been acting makes me think that he is becoming even crazy the longer he’s in there. McMurphy got into a fight and the big nurse talked to him a day later and it says that ‘’ The big nurse talks to McMurphy, soft and patient, about the irresponsible thing he did, the childish thing, throwing a tantrum like a little boy- aren’t you ashamed?’’(280) The more McMurphy is in the ward, the more crazier he will get, because he’s surrounded by a bunch of other crazy people. Reader #6-The patients are not the only ones who are ill on the ward. Illness, in my eyes, is someone who is or acts different without trying to. Over time when reading the book my eyes have opened and became aware that the staff could also be ill. The staff, especially the black boys, appear to have developed abusive and violent tendencies. The patients have started to fear the Nurse and Black Boys because of this. After learning about the Stanford Prison Experiment(an experiment where normal people volunteered to become inmates and guards for a few weeks in a test environment) I learned that after only 5 days of normal students had also developed abusive and violent tendencies towards the inmates. It is highly possible that some of the staff are more dangerous than some patients, and may even need to be admitted to the ward themselves. Reader #7-In part 5 of Cuckoo’s Nest there's an interesting point that maybe the staff in the mental ward isn’t quite as “healthy” as they seem. An illness can be anything wrong with you mentally and physically. Illnesses can harm your quality of life because they keep you from doing things you used to normally do. In the novel, McMurphy fakes insanity to be put into the ward to have an easier time of things. McMurphy says to himself, “When i get out of here the first woman that takes on ol’ Red McMurphy the ten thousand-watt psychopath, she’s gonna light up like a pinball machine and pay off in silver dollars! No, i ain’t scared of their little battery-charger.” McMurphy for one, isn’t even supposed to be in the ward. Throughout the entire novel McMurphy acts fearless he acts as if he can do anything, and anything he wants. In my opinion McMurphy is the most ill in the novel because of the actions he makes and the things he has said and done. He thinks he’s invincible and because he is faking his insanity it has began to make him actually mentally insane. Reader #8-A Illness is a disease that causes someone to not properly think right or properly function correctly. my own view on mental illness hasn’t really changed, everything i thought i knew was right. i believe that mental illness is a serious disease and that some people do belong in the hospital for the best. the most people who need help are the walkers or the chronics. they need the most help because they can't really do anything but sit or stand. everyone on the hospital have their own disability and they all act differently. even though McMurphy might not me sane or if he is he still smarter than all the other patients by far. Reader #9-Illness can be defined in many different ways. The definition of illness in the case of the book, the definition is, A disease that affects the body or mental state of someone. Illness is sh0wn throughout part four. One place where illness is shown when they are trying to get the “crabs” off of him. On page (273 Kesey) George says “No-none of that stoof.” As a grown man you don’t usually talk like a little kid unless you are messing around. As a grown man i imagine you want to take care of yourself. But George didn’t understand that The crabs were not good for him until someone informed him. The view of mental illness to me due to this quote changed how i look at it because i don’t see that in my everyday life.
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One thing that has been made pretty clear is that power is an important thing to have in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In Part III, the patients are able to take a trip into the outside world and gain a different perspective on what makes a person powerful. Let’s see what our characters learn during this fishing trip.
Reader #1-On the way to the fishing trip, the patients come to realization that their illnesses aren't necessarily a bad thing. Mcmurphy talks all of them up by giving them fake felonies and making them look tough. this empowered all of them, and gave them confidence. Mcmurphy says that “ The doc wouldn’t lie like that about just any patients, but we aint ordinary nuts; we’re every bloody one of us hot off the criminal-insane ward, on our way to San Quentin where they got better facilities to handle us.” (Kesey 236). Clearly those men aren't what Mcmurphy says they are, but it doesn't matter. Mcmurphy knowingly granted power to the other patients. Being on the outside of the ward the patients experienced thrill when they stole the boat for the trip. They all enjoyed laughs together and got along. Which is something that never happens on the ward under the Big Nurse’s watch. This was truly a turning moment in the story for the patients. Reader #2-Before they went on a fishing trip McMurphy had a lot of power over the patients. Not with telling them what to do, but what the patients did reflected off of how McMurphy viewed things. During the fishing trip, all of them had “equal” power I guess. There wasn’t really power in my opinion though because they were all laughing with each other and no one was upset about anything. I think being in the outside world causes the patients less stress and makes them feel more free. Atmosphere really has a big impact on the whole power thing. Reader #3-Before the fishing trip, McMurphy holds a lot of power. I believe this because McMurphy declares that George will be captain on the boat and when he found out Chief Bromden was the only acute going, he tried to convince more acutes to come. However, the acutes were stern with their decisions when McMurphy said ¨C´mon, loafers, I need one more mate to round out the crew, I need one more goddam volunteer..¨(Kesey 227) When they were on the boat however, not one single person held power. All the boys were laughing together and connecting. From being on the boat and in the outside world, the boys felt less stressed and attacked then they usually do. When they are in the ward they always feel watched by Nurse Ratched, but on the fishing trip they felt free. Power and perspective are related because they both are connected with ones attitude and how one addresses something. For example, one can use power to influence someone to agree with their perspective on something. This is shown through McMurphy in the story. Reader #4-McMurphy got the approval to take the patient's out to the real world, he could only take them out if there was enough chaperones. so Dr. Spivey agreed to come with. when they stop for gas the workers ask them if they're from the asylum and the Dr tells them they're construction workers. McMurphy tells them that there indeed criminally insane. they finally go fishing and they take the boat because the captain denied them without a waiver. so they all jump on and fish. they return back and the cops were waiting but the captain didn't press charges because of what the Dr told him. they return back to the asylum and they pass McMurphys old house and he has flashbacks. this showed that people can act the same even if they're insane. Reader #5-The fishing trip was more for the patients rather than McMurphy, even though he did all the planning. MOst of the power comes from McMurphy on the trip. The patients only go outside of their comfort zone when McMurphy influences it. They want him to be their leader. Power is shown when the patients start laughing, this is because they are showing signs of independence and freedom. Bromden describes that you must laugh so that “the humor will blot out the pain.” Although McMurphy has the power, he is helping the patients realize that they have some as well. Being in the outside world helps show the patients that being independent and happy is possible. Power can be given to anyone, it just depends on how you look at things. The perspectives you take help determine who has power. Reader #6-in the story the glass in nurse's office keeps breaking what could the be symbolizing? it could symbolize many things such as bad luck or a warning to her. i don't think mcmurphy is breaking it just to break it. the reason he breaks it is because he realizes that the other men rely on him, and they are caged in. before mcmurphy walked out of the nurses station: “he would thank her again walk out of nurses’ station and blow the whistle loud enough to break windows for miles around” (kesey 206) Reader #7-Power and imbalance of power is general. “Everybody is a genius; but if you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Einstein). The patients of the ward have already been alienated in the real world and feel like they are incapable of functioning on their own. They depend on Nurse Ratched to take care of them and protect them and she does so because it feeds her hunger for control. When McMurphy takes them on the fishing trip, he gives them a different perspective of the outside world. It seems less frightening and more inviting. McMurphy represents how power can affect (an) individual(s). His taking control of the group was with the intent of betterment while Nurse Ratched plans to internally mess with the patients. Through discussion with Harding, McMurphy realises that the manipulation of the ward is more of an institutional issue than just with Nurse Ratched: “McMurphy doesn't know it, but he's onto what I realized a long time back, that it's not just the Big Nurse by herself, but it's the whole Combine, the nation-wide Combine that's the really big force, and the nurse is just a high-ranking official for them.” (Kesey 2.7.33) Chief sees that McMurphy is coming to terms with the fact that Big Nurse’s power extends far beyond her, she’s just part of society. You would think that if someone was placed in a mental ward, one of the main goals of the doctors and nurses would be treatment right? Well we all know that the ward in the novel might not be the greatest place to get that treatment. Despite this, we do see a lot of changes in McMurphy from the beginning of the story. Is it the ward causing this or something else? Let’s take a look at what is happening.
Reader #1-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest McMurphy changes the asylum forever. McMurphy has the opportunity to conform the the rules and save himself,but he chooses to fight for the men in the ward. After Cheswicks death McMurphy takes a turn when he realizes nurse ratched’s control is a life or death matter. McMurphy wants to change the ward and take away power from nurse ratched, but little does he know the danger hes in. McMurphy then totally loses it when Billy commits suicide and McMurphy tries to strangle nurse ratched to death. He goes to the hospital and when he comes out his spirits and parts of his brain are gone. McMurphy finally realized the danger in the ward and tried to change it. Reader #2-McMurphy’s behavior is starting to change as the book continues. However, the readers can really start to see the change as part II progresses. He used to talk out during the meetings, annoy the Big Nurse, and try to get the other patients to rebel against the authority figures. In this section though, McMurphy starts to come down and stops trying to get the best of Nurse Ratched. “He looked at McMurphy’s corner. Everyone did. McMurphy was there, studying the deck of cards that slid in and out of sight in his hands. He didn’t even look up”(Kesey 172). This shows that McMurphy didn’t care about the discussion, or try to get his way over the Nurse’s decisions. It’s not the treatment he is receiving that is bringing this change to McMurphy. The only thing that is making McMurphy change is the ward itself. He is starting to get “cagey” as Chief would describe it. He feels trapped in a corner like there is no hope of ever getting out of the ward. Reader #3-In part II of the book, McMurphy starts to act differently than he did before. Whenever he was assigned a chore he would do it very sloppy and not clean other areas of an object that he’s supposed to clean. But then, “The next day he surprised everybody on the ward by getting up early and polishing that latrine till it sparkled, and then went to work on the hall floors when the black boys asked him to.”(Page 172) Now the only thing that could’ve influenced McMurphy’s change is when he found out that the big nurse had the say in who and when someone gets released from the ward. This change seems to be voluntary due to him cooperating more respectively towards the big nurse and the staff. Now there’s not much benefit for McMurphy to be in the ward, except to get away from the farm he worked on as he said in part I, but one benefit might be to make new friends and see what’s life like for others possibly. So overall, McMurphy had changed the way he acted because of how he acted towards the big nurse, without knowing what she could do to make him stay at the ward for as long as she sees fit. Reader #4-McMurphy is starting to change, and it’s a lot different from the kind of attitude he normally has. He seems scared and frightened by the Big nurse. he seems upset when him and Harding speak about the Big Nurse and the shock shop. he says “ Then i just happened to find out about the way the nurses have the big say as to who gets discharged and who doesn’t.” (Kesey 193). He’s realizing that messing with the big nurse may not be the best idea if he eventually wants to get out of the ward. Mcmurphy is in the ward because he wanted to get away from the work he had to do before as punishment. He had goals of going to the ward and being able to experience something different, eat better food, and to have a good time messing around because he knew he wasn’t “mental” This change in him brought out a new side to him that he probably didn’t even think he had. fear. The words that Harding had to say were definitely influential in McMurphy’s attitude change. Reader #5-In part II, McMurphy is starting to change his character. “I know she's suspicious. I thought she might be too upset by the way McMurphy defied her to pay any attention to me, but she don’t look shook at all” (Kesey 152). McMurphy was not acting himself; he’s always happy, outgoing, and tries to make everyone feel the same as him. He’s perceived as a disturbance to the ward now. I think this attitude might be his response to the treatments he’s been having. I think they’re unnecessary for him to be receiving treatments. Some people in the ward thinks he needs to be placed in the disturbed ward, but some think he’s just ordinary with a bold personality. He might be acting different due to all the negativity he gets from the others. Reader #6-McMurphy is starting to change his actions and how acts toward the nurse. After he has a conversation with the lifeguard at the pool. He soon realizes what he has gotten himself into. The fact that nurse is still in charge, means he has to listen to her or never leave! the ward may help McMurphy appreciate life a lot more now that he knows how it feels to be controlled. I would say that although his attitude is changing because of the nurse, it is not forced. McMurphy decides to change voluntary, although if he keeps fighting her, the results would dramatically affect the outcome of his life. As much as I think he likes all the free benefits of the ward he can't stand the policy. McMurphys is not giving up or in hes learning. Reader #7-In part two of the Book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a tragic event happens to Cheswick. When Cheswick Dies from keeping his fingers in the pool drain and drowns it was no one's fault. We know for a fact That Cheswick Drowned because in the text it states, “with the grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, He was Drowned.” I do not believe that Cheswicks possible suicide was anyone's fault. I believe that the drowning of him was all because the conversation of the rationing of cigarettes. It isn’t McMurphy and Ratchets fault. Also i think this incident can be fuel by the mental problem he had. The world can be a very tough place to live in. We all are fighting our own battles and life doesn’t make things easy for us. Because of that, sometimes we turn to things that make our struggles a little easier for us to deal with. Let’s take a look at how some of the characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest have been dealing with their struggles.
Reader #1-I believe people volunteer for several reasons. Ons is to help others: it is human nature to be kind to each other. That’s why we call humans who go against our nature monsters. Another reason is to get away from home life. Sitting around all day doing nothing and wasting your life feels pointless, probably cause it is. And we like to feel accomplished. We are prestigious creatures, wanting to get ahead in life and leave behind a legacy we will be remembered for. And finally, a third reason is to get brownie points and look good to others. We all want to impress someone, or at least have. Reader #2-Patients in the ward choose to stay in the ward rather than the outside world. Most of the acutes are in the hospital voluntarily and can leave whenever they choose. In the book, Billy Bibbit shows why he stays in the ward when he could actually leave. In the text, it says “McMurphy, completely perplexed, asks Billy Bibbit why he chooses to stay when he could be outside driving a convertible and romancing pretty girls. Billy Bibbit begins to cry and shouts that he and the others are not as big, strong, and brave as McMurphy.” I think that is the reason why patients choose to stay in the ward. They think the outside world is a scary place and that they need to be big and strong to handle it. They feel much safer in the ward and they are probably too afraid to admit that they uncomfortable with going outside to the real world and being on their own. Reader #3-A lot of people in the ward are there by choice rather than force. People might want to be there because they’re afraid of living in the outside world. McMurphy is awestrucken by the fact that people choose to be in the ward. That’s because he values being on his own, and having his own freedoms. When you're in the real world you have a lot of responsibilities and choices to make. One of the patients who is there voluntarily says this to McMurphy, “Well I’m not big and tough” (Kesey 195). By living in the ward, the people are giving all those hard decisions up, and handing them to the nurses and doctors in the ward. Not having to make choices is comforting to the patients who are living in the ward. Being in the ward might not be as bad as them living in the real world. Many of them need the help that is given to them, so by leaving the ward, they are also leaving help. When you're struggling from a disorder, help is one thing you definitely need. Reader #4-many patients at the ward love their environment because the outside world is a cold place, with cold people, and cold vibes. in the ward these patients feel safe, and sound. they are fed and not beat. instead abused on the streets they are enjoying their stay, in what they believe is the best thing ever. free food, free showers, and many friends to make. being homeless is tough, not being able to sleep, eat or have a social life. any one would rather have the treatment that those patients get than be out on the streets. Reader #5-A person would want to be in the ward because it provides food, shelter, and keeps them from having to do work. Mcmurphy for example, didn't want to work on the farm so he went to the ward instead. He claims to be completely fine, but he really does have issues. Some drawbacks of being in the ward are having no freedom, being completely controlled, being forced to take medicine and even living with time slower than normal. Some benefits of being in the ward are that you don't have to work, you have food provided, you have people that are going through what you are, you have free medical care and you don't have to worry about paying bills or money. Also you can make your own decisions and having freedom. You can go out and enjoy fresh air, live go have fun with your friends instead of being inside all day. Little things remind Chief of those enjoyable times outside he said “The sound reminded me of how I used to feel standing in the cold fall Friday night out on a football field, waiting for the ball to be kicked and the game to get going” (Kesey 198). Some drawbacks of being in the real world are having to work, money problems, buying food and clothes, and just living like a normal human not having everything done for you. Reader #6-I think that the patients would rather spend time in the ward because that is the only place they are able to get attention. For example, Billy Bibbit is a shy patient in the ward with a bad stutter. He is there voluntarily because he is afraid of the outside world. Another patient is Harding. He is hiding in the ward, voluntarily, because he doesn’t know how to deal with his homosexualality. Some drawbacks to being in the ward is that the patients are too busy dealing with all of the unreasonable rules that they can’t actually work on solving their own problems. ALthough, it is beneficial because the patients are able to escape the danger and judgment of the outside ward. I do not think some of the patients are there for the right reasons though. Running from your problems will solve nothing. Reader #7-I feel some people want to spend their time at the ward because even in the environment and conditions of the ward, they are ‘protected’ from the real outside world. While in this environment, I believe they have realized this is the safest place for them. Being in the ward compared to the outside world is so much better for many reasons. These reasons are: they don’t have to face reality, they don’t have to take care of themselves, and even come to the conclusion of being a “normal” human being. They want to stay because in the ward the word “normal” is being different and odd, unlike the outside world. For the ones who want to stay, it’s simply because it’s easier for themselves. Reader #8-In the late 1950s/early 1960s many things were considered taboo. Understanding of mental illnesses/disorders or anyone that didn’t fit the mold of a typical model citizen was minimal. If the patients are treated so poorly inside the asylum, which is supposed to help them, it would be even worse in the outside world. They would be completely ostracized in society, probably seen as the equivalent of an animal, and treated accordingly. These patients have already tried their luck living among others who operate differently than them and that’s why they’re in the asylum to begin with, it’s where they feel comfortable. "Sure!" It's Billy, turned from the screen, his face boiling tears. "Sure!" he screams again. "If we had the g-guts! I could go outside to-today, if I had the guts. My m-m-mother is a good friend of M-Miss Ratched, and I could get an AMA signed this afternoon, if I had the guts!" (Kesey 2.7.65) Here McMurphy realises that he, probably the most sane, is one of the few actually committed to the hospital while the other patients, young as some of them are, are there by choice because it’s all they know and they’re scared of being anywhere else. They don’t realise how manipulative and harmful the environment really is to them because they envision the outside as much worse. They let McMurphy try to rebel against Nurse Ratched knowing how much he had to lose. Everything that we encounter is not always as it seems. It could be a person that is nice to your face and then talks behind your back, a flower that looks pretty and colorful but is actually poisonous, or a fluffy, cute animal that is actually deadly. This is also true in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. While the ward is portrayed in one way to the world, there are a lot of things happening beneath the surface. Let’s see what some of those things are.
Reader #1-There are a lot of main events in part 1 of this book, the first one is the arrival of Mcmurphy. He changed the way the ward works, switched the way things are controlled and he brought laughter into the ward. Another one is Mcmurphy’s first meeting when Pete Bancini got angry in the meeting and threw on of the black boys against the wall. Also one more big event is when Mcmurphy makes a bet with the acutes that he can get inside Nurse Ratched’s head without being sent away he said “I can get the best of that woman---before the week’s up---without her getting the best of me(Kesey 73). Some important characters are Chief Bromden, Mcmurphy, Nurse Ratched, Harding, Bibbit, the Doctor. What is odd about the setting is how controlled it is, Big Nurse has every single aspect of it in the power of her hands. She needs everything to be flowing smoothly but it almost seems like she doesn't want anyone to get out. That she enjoys controlling them so much that she makes it almost impossible for them to improve. We know that the ward is like a train that goes the exact same route every day, never changing, until Mcmurphy comes. Everything is not as is seems, Chief sees the ward as a big lie. They lure patients in thinking it’s a democracy, but it is far from it. |
AuthorWelcome to Miss Hardie's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog! Here we will be posting our thoughts and discussing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. Please join in on the discussion! ArchivesCategories
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