Throughout history, there are many different examples of one human being shaping the course of history, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is no exception. Despite the stigma of mental illness, let us look at how we can use this book as an example of how going against norms can have a significant impact on society.
Reader #1-In the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest McMurphy is an example of someone who goes against the norms. Going against the norms can be scary at some times but can help in a number of ways. When McMurphy showed up at the ward he didn't take anything from nobody. He was just him and he wasn't gonna change. Everyone else just took what the ward gave them but McMurphy challenged the ward, for example on page 126 murphy tells Nurse Ratched “can we please move our game to the other room, it's too loud in here”. McMurphy went against the norms by not being like everyone else and didn't try anything to change it, McMurphy challenged them and changed the ward. He is a huge character in the book because he tries his best to save the people in the ward from Nurse Ratched. Reader #2-McMurphy went against the norms of the wards society, and proved to all the patients that there was a better way. He made the other patients feel alive and gave them something to live for. Nurse Racthed’s “norms” was that all the patients did what she said, when she said it, and exactly how she wanted it. She was in control of everything in the ward. However, when McMurphy came he made it his job, through a bet, to fix the ward’s “norms” for his friends. He went out fighting to give his friends the best: “we couldn’t stop him because we were the ones making him do it. It wasn’t the nurse that was forcing him, it was our need that was making him push himself slowly up from sitting, hi big hands driving down on the leather chair arms…”(Kesey 318). This quote shows that McMurphy was doing everything for the other patients, no matter the consequences. He knew what he was doing and what could happen to him. I believe he knew it was time for the fight to be over. He knew going against the “norms” would cost him something out of his life and in this case it was infact his life that he lost. He refused to surrender or lose. He was fighting to win this fight, so that he can encourage the others to fight against the normal society. Although, he did lose his life he gave his friends something they truly needed. He gave them hope and faith in themselves. He showed them that sometimes going against the norms is worth it. He encouraged them to be themselves, and that there was nothing they couldn’t do to get what they wanted out of life. That is why going against the norms of society is worth it. It can impact others to go against it themselves and get something out of it that they truly need/wanted. Reader #3-In a very short answer, being a martyr. There is no greater symbol for a cause than someone who dies for it. McMurphy died for a cause, that cause being the other patient’s trying to stick up for themselves. This was not his goal at first, he just wanted to do his time and be done with it. But the longer that he stayed there, the more he changed into being the point man for the Acutes. "No. No, I'm afraid I wasn't. Not a thing this morning but the cap that's on my head and—” This is a snippet from a conversation between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. He has on a towel because he has no clothes. He defies Ratched in front of the dorm, and Chief witnesses this. When you began to see someone fighting for a cause, that’s when the wheels turn. An example of this is the French or American Revolution. The ‘little people’ taking down the ones in charge. Reader #4-Social norms in the novel are mentioned quite a bit throughout it. Some examples are like how everyone is classified in social groups, and the people in them act accordingly. Mcmurphy went against social norms when he would speak out of turn, start voting, and acting out when everyone was quiet. Chief went against social norms by participating in a vote, and defying the role of being deaf. The result in this outbursts were loss or distraction of power, and a nurse who didn't know exactly how to handle the kids acting this way. “‘There is a marked disregard for discipline and authority," the doctor says.” (Kesey 34). I believe an individual can make an impact on society by going against social norms because it brings a difference and change. People can react positively or negatively depending on how they view this change. Chief benefited from this change, although nurse ratched didn't quite gain her top control. Reader #5-The social norms in the ward are to really not break any of the rules. You're suppose to just accept the fact that people are calling you insane, but really you probably aren’t. Many of them could leave, but are too scared. Mcmurphy goes against social norms. Right from his arrival, he was different than the others. He is very brave and not afraid to speak out. As the book went on, going against the norms became more comman. For example, “when McMurphy and the patients stage a protest against Nurse Ratched for not letting them watch the World Series” (Kesey Part2) Going against the norms caused conflicts in the ward. Nurse Ratched wanted things done a certain way, and obviously patients were making that very difficult. Reader #6-One person can have an impact on society. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the main character, McMurphy has a huge impact on the people in the mental ward. He changes the thinking of many of the patients and makes them realize that they have rights. He gives them hope that none of the nurses can understand. He may not be mentally ill like the others, but he understands the way that these people live and the way they're treated. McMurphy inspired Chief to go and see the world outside of the ward: “Mostly, I’d just like to bring some of it clear in my mind again. I been away a long time (Kesey 325). Chief is impacted because of McMurphy coming into his life. This is a clear example of one person changing a society. Reader #7-An individual can make a huge impact by going against norms. When McMurphy got to the ward he didn’t blend in with the other patients, he acted like himself which wasn’t the normal. “McMurphy comes down the line of Chronics, shakes hands.”(Kesey 23). McMurphy went straight to talking to the other patients whether they were Chronics or Acutes and introduced himself. When McMurphy did this all the patients were surprised and was wondering what he was doing because they usually just stick to their sides and not talk to the other group. By McMurphy going against the norm he demonstrated power to the other patients. The patients started to surround themselves by McMurphy which eventually got him to be the leader and the head of the ward. By going against norms it can either be good or bad but it demonstrates power and leadership. Reader #8-McMurphy has changed the lives of the people in the ward, he has shown them that they can stick up for themselves and do things against the ward that could help them throughout their time from being in there. The social norms in the novel were when the patients would go against the rules like for example when McMurphy and Turkle brought those girls into the ward after hours ‘’ Sandy was turning around in a big wide-eyed circle. ‘’whoee, candy girl, what are we in now? is this real? are we in an asylum?’’ The other patients also have examples of social norms like when turkle and the other patients snuck to the drug room and drank. The people in the ward have different examples of social norms. Reader #9-McMurphy is a man destined to change the ward forever from his influences. McMurphy is very smart and likeable at the ward, he gives the patients the thought and motivation that they have a word in the ward and that they can get their power back that Ratched stole from them. Even though McMurphy had the choice to save himself he put the others first and chooses to fight for them. Eventually he does put himself first for a little while but after Cheswick commits suicide is when it triggered McMurphy that Nurse Ratched has the biggest influence on everyone. He then steps up his rebellion with the others that wish to participate. His punishment was electroshock therapy but it only strengthens him. After the electroshock he becomes a powerful symbol in the ward and people start looking at him like a leader. Everyone soons learn that their mental illness isn’t as bad as everyone says it is. “Never before did I realize that mental illness could have the aspect of power, power. Think of it: perhaps the more insane a man is, the more powerful he could become. Hitler an example. Fair makes the old brain reel, doesn’t it? Food for thought there.” Even though Hitler is not a good example of power, he still had it and was once a very powerful influential man to millions. Finally McMurphy broke when Billy Bibbit commits suicide, he feels like his action of him trying to lose his virginity to Candy Starr was one of several reasons why he committed suicide. He started to strangle Nurse Ratched and was sent to a diffrent hospital. When he came back he was a diffrent man, part of his brain are gone. Reader #10-In the world people make an impact on society by going against the social norms. An individual might do this to be known better by other people, or even to make themselves look like someone they’re not but what other people want them to be. McMurphy in Cuckoo’s Nest goes against the social norms many times throughout the novel. He stands up to Nurse Ratched when no one else does,and he doesn’t follow the rules in the ward. In the novel dale Harding, another patient in the ward, says “I don’t think, it was the feeling that the great, deadly, pointing forefinger of society was pointing at me and the great voice of millions chanting, ‘Shame. Shame. Shame.’ It’s society’s way of dealing with someone different.”. When people go against social norms it makes an impact on society because it can change people completely, who they are and how they feel about certain things. Although, sometimes going against the norms can make an impact for the better, and help other people. In Cuckoo’s Nest when McMurphy go against these norms he’s doing it to help everyone in the ward and make things better. Reader #11-There are many social norms in the ward that no one dares to go against because they will most likely get sent to electroshock therapy. Before Mcmurphy arrived at the ward the patients were generally very calm and subdued. Nurse Ratched had complete control of the ward, not even the doctor in the ward could stop her because she would get him fired. When Mcmurphy entered the ward he immediately challenged the norm by not going through the normal entrance procedures willingly. Mcmurphy consistently defies Nurse Ratched in the novel, which is why he left such a big impact on the ward. People who go against the norm can leave big impacts on the world around them. One example would be Rosa Parks refusing to leave her seat on the bus, the norm in the day was for the African Americans on the bus to give their seats to the white people. Her defiance lead to the Montgomery bus boycott and was an important event for the civil rights movement. In conclusion, although going against the social norm may be difficult at first it can lead to great things. Reader #12-When an individual goes against the norms, it can make a huge impact on people and places. In the novel, we have become familiar with the characters and their personalities. McMurphy was one of theses characters, what we learned about him is he is very different than the others in the ward. He doesn't act or think like the others. Everyone in the ward is the for a reason, but it is very hard to understand why McMurphy is there. From the start he seemed “normal”, but as time went on, we began to understand why he is truly there, and it’s to fight for the other men in the ward. He shows them it’s okay to be different and be rebellious. When he was talking to someone in the ward, he tells this person to do something, the other guy asks “against ward policy?” and McMurphy says “Tha’s right.”, just like that he tries to help the others in the ward and it works, he shows them to be different and to have an opinion. By doing this he has changed the place by changing the people as well. Reader #11-Anyone can make an impact on society, being different and standing up for what you believe in may not change the society drastically but it will affect someone and that’s what is important. Before Mcmurphy the social norms were the acutes stayed with the acutes and the chronics kind of just there and don't do much. As soon as Mcmurphy got to the ward he broke social norms by talking to everyone and interacting with all of the people in some way. Another social norm is nobody laughed in the ward, it was a forgotten sound and Mcmurphy went against it by laughing and almost scaring the patients because they weren't used to it. Another social norm s the control, Nurse Ratched had very strict rules and ways hqt they MUST live by. Mcmurphy rebels immediately and once again broke the social norm starting a downfall of control from the nurse. Each time they break a social norm Nurse gets angry and tries to stay calm but it doesn't always work like that. However, Mcmurphy breaking these norms changed the way the ward works forever. People started getting released and the nurse was losing power. The power got to Mcmurphy’s head when he choked the nursed and got himself sent to get a lobotomy:“Doctors and supervisors and nurses prying those heavy red fingers out of the white flesh of her throat as if they were her neck bones, jerking him backward off her with a loud heave of breath, only then did he show any sign that he might be anything other than sane” (Kesey 319). Reader #12-In the late 1950’s understanding of mental illness was minimal and anything considered taboo needed to be “fixed” as much as possible as soon as possible. Sadly the ward’s idea of help for the patients isn’t exactly healthy (mentally) or helpful. Though sadistic and toxic, interference with an institution like this must be done carefully and subtly. McMurphy’s approach was bold and rather disruptive to the order of things in the ward and they know exactly how to deal with disruptive patients. Patients are basically slaves to Nurse Ratched’s orders and are expected to behave accordingly. McMurphy constantly went against the rules because he didn’t know how much he had to lose. The other men of the ward followed his lead for the most part but were conscious of the power against them. Unfortunately institutional power almost always trumps marginalized groups (in real life and in the novel) even if the smaller group is for the more just cause. Chief had realised this long before McMurphy’s arrival but Nurse Ratched’s power goes far beyond herself. McMurphy sadly became a visual in a hideous bigger picture; a casualty of a cycle that would only change with the change of social norms. Reader #13-mcmurphy is very strong and intelligent. since joining the ward he has shown the patients that they deserve a saying in their everyday life. he has proven to them they also have power in the ward in that they deserve the rights that everyone else has. he gave the patients the power than nurse ratched took from them. after chewstick commits suicide mcmurphy realizes that nurse ratched has more power in her hands than any human should have. after experiencing time with mcmurphy the patients begin realizing that they are not as ill as they were believed to be, as quoted in the book “ Never before did i realize that the mental illness could have the aspect of the power, power. think of it: perhaps the more insane a man is, the more powerful he could become. hitler an example. Fair makes the old brain reel, doesnt it?” mcmurphy changed the lives of many of the patients, he has changes the whole miniature society of the ward. Reader #14-An individual can impact a society going against the social norms of the time. That individual of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest that went against the norms was McMurphy. In the the ward the social norms are considered weird or crazy. When McMurphy goes against the norms it is for the better of the other patients in the ward.
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McMurphy has been a larger-than-life presence in the ward since his arrival, and that presence has only grown to the patients in the ward. Let’s take a closer look at how meaningful he has become to the other patients he interacts with.
Reader #1-I think McMurphy is starting to become as symbol of a leader and someone who is getting the wrong punishment. The crown of thorns is referring to jesus. I think Mcmurphy can be compared to jesus because of how jesus was killed on the cross even though he didn’t deserve it, the same is happening when McMurphy gets this treatment. He doesn’t deserve it. I think McMurphy is viewed as a leader in the ward. The effects of his arrival is that all the patients have changed and come to realizations. McMurphy has been a benefit to the ward. Reader #2-One might think that McMurphy is a christ figure in the ward. He is full of laughter and happiness that a lot of the ward looks up to. He is also against the odds in the ward; he stands up for what he believes in. I think McMurphy has been a benefit to the patients in the ward, but not to the nurses. McMurphy always will question the nurse like, “Not very long, you’re afraid?” (Kesey 278). McMurphy is always sticking up for the rest of the ward by asking questions. I think patients really appreciate him, like a christ figure. Everyone knew when he entered the ward, life was looking up. Reader #3-McMurphy is becoming a symbol for change and hope in the ward. McMurphy comes into the ward and is different than the others. He changes the game by demanding more from Nurse Ratched. He gives them hope because he’s the first to really change things. For some of the patients they will be in the ward for their whole life. I think that they all need a little hope when you have a future that will consist of the same thing almost everyday. McMurphy shaking things up is seen as a hope because he just might change things in the ward forever. Chief Bromden sees McMurphy as a: “giant come out of the sky to save us from the Combine” (Kesey). Chief realizes that McMurphy is his hope, and he needs him. Reader #3-McMurphy is a symbol of hope to the patients, they have been like a group of sheep following the nurse who is their shepherd. When the nurse subjects MCmurphy to electroshock therapy he willingly goes because he know if he resists it will show the nurse weakness. McMurphy is started to be viewed as a traitor for taking money from the other patients. The nurse shows them a bulletin showing a steady decline in their money but McMurphy's stays the same. McMurphy and bromden are sent to disturbed the learn a little about the nurse,Aa Japanese nurse who works there she says that army nurses are“a little sick themselves’ referring to how the nurse likes to run the ward like an army hospital. While McMurphy is deciding what card to play next the nurse tries to figure out how to control him. She has been uncomfortable ever since he arrived, and is not use to the mischief. Reader #4- mcmurphy goes is now engaging in electroshock therapy, and in the book as he is getting prepared for his therapy he asks “Anointest my head with conductant. do i get a crown of thorns “) (page 270) mcmurphy sees himself almost like jesus because the ward sees him as kind of rebellious against them. mcmurphy is a leader to the patients of the ward, just as jesus was to his disciples. So just jesus received a crown of thorns, mcmurphy believes he will too. mcmurphy has dones good in the ward to the people in it, giving them more freedom and fun. during his electroshock therapy he feels like he getting punished for doing nothing wrong, as was jesus. Reader #5-Mcmurphy is becoming a symbol of God, everyone looks up to him, he has no fears and he refers to the “crown of thorns”. The crown of thorns is an allusion to the bible. Jesus was crucified and wore a thorn of crowns. There are many biblical allusions in Cuckoos Nest. Mcmurphy is viewed as the most powerful man in the ward, that he knows all. Anything he says goes, eventually, for example he got them all to go on a fishing trip. Some effects he has had on the ward are positive and negative. He has gotten the patients out, made them laugh again, and even broken down nurse Ratched a couple times. Chief said “ He knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance” (Kesey 250). Without Mcmurphy laughter would still be foreign. He has been a benefit to the ward, he has helped the patients realize that their illnesses don't define them. Reader #6-“A dead Christ I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me.” (Andrew Murray, Jesus Himself). McMurphy initially is very confused about electroshock therapy and doesn’t understand why it’s permitted by the public. Harding explains that people just want flawed things to be fixed as fast as possible regardless of method. Since McMurphy’s arrival at the ward he’s become a glimmer of hope for the patients; the second coming of Christ, if you will. This is the reason he draws a comparison between the electrodes and a “crown of thorns”. He’s creating a visual of Christ being crucified on the cross which was a grave sacrifice. McMurphy’s antics have gone too far for comfort of the staff of the ward. The electroshock therapy is supposed to put him in his place so he can no longer cause trouble, thus putting an end to the rebellion against Nurse Ratched/The Combine. The patients realise how much McMurphy is risking by acting out but, in a way, see him as invincible considering how much he’s gotten away with. Completely sane, they feel they owe McMurphy their obedience. Brain-dead, they feel they owe McMurphy his legacy. Reader #7-“Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?” (p. 270). McMurphy isn’t really sick. During his time he has done good things, he made a basketball team and helped other people. This allusion is towards Jesus Christ because he feels like he’s being punished when nothing is really wrong with him. He used his strength to get of electroshock therapy to give him a more powering image. McMurphy is a leader in the ward just like Jesus was to his disciples. This is why Mcmurphy is creating the picture he is similar to jesus christ, but towards the ward. Reader #9-Mcmurphy and Bromden are being taken to electroshock therapy, when Mcmurphy gets on the table he says “Do I get a crown of thorn?”(Kesey 270). This quote is an allusion to Jesus, Mcmurphy is similar to Jesus in many ways. Mcmurphy sacrifices himself for the better of everyone in the ward, and he also sacrifices himself willingly. Mcmurphy is viewed as the savior of the ward, and the only one to end Nurse Ratched’s control. I think that Mcmurphy has been a benefit to the ward because he has shown everybody that you don’t always have to conform. He has also shown the people of the ward that you can stand up for yourself. 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. The ever-raging war between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy takes a new turn when the Big Nurse starts to show the patients their finances since McMurphy arrived. Let’s take a look at the effectiveness of this tactic. Are the patients getting their money’s worth?
Reader #1-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest I feel the patients in the ward are not getting their money's worth nor are getting the treatment they deserve. The patients in the ward are better off because of McMurphy, he see’s the bad in nurse ratched and tries to save the patient's. Nurse ratched is the only one they should be afraid of at this point because of how manipulative she can be. However, how poorly they are treated by her they are not getting their money's worth. McMurphy compares her techniques with “brainwashing, used by communist during the Korean conflict”(212). The patients feel that McMurphy is going to be in deep trouble with Nurse ratched because of how dangerous she is, he won't survive fighting her. Nurse ratched is trying to take advantage of all the patients. We all hope McMurphy has the power to stop her. Reader #2-The patients are starting to question if McMurphy is helping them or taking advantages of them. Nurse Racthed thought of a new plan to win back the patients from McMurphy’s grip. Turing them all against him, and she believes that if she can do that she can gain control again. However, I believe that McMurphy is the best thing that ever happened to the ward. Although, he is indeed gaining more money on bets and gambles. He makes them stand up against the combine and helps them get what could actually help them. All of a sudden, they are starting to doubt McMurphy’s true reason for doing what he does: “We’ve all certainly got our money’s worth every time he fleeced us, haven’t we? He’s a shrewd character with an eye out of a quick dollar”(Kesey 266). Everyone is getting nervous thinking about McMurphy’s true reason for why he sticks up for them. Is it just for the money? Or does he really care for them? The patients begin to watch him more closely and think twice before they give him any more money. They are watching and waiting to see if their friend is really their friend or just a con artist. McMurphy changed the way the ward works, none of them can disagree with that. Without him Nurse Ratched would still be running the show and have everything her way. I believe they certainly got their money’s worth when McMurphy came to the ward. Reader #3-In my opinion, I think that the patients are being taken advantage of in a type of way. McMurphy is sneaky and knows how to gain control at every aspect. The patients are just excited for the attention from someone like McMurphy, an independent guy. I do not think that they are getting their money’s worth, however, I don't think any of them care. Nurse Ratched is just trying to turn everyone against McMurphy. And it still isn’t working. She will tell the patient's anything and do anything to make him look like the bad guy. The patients are better off with Mcmurphy in the ward because they are finally being able to find some self worth. McMurphy has not been detrimental at all. His intentions are good, he just wants to help the patients find themselves. I think that the patients are scared of this, it makes them nervous. But at the same time they like the thrill Mcmurphy has brought to them. They are getting their money's worth in this case by learning more about themselves and all of the power they truly possess. Reader #4-McMurphy is taken advantage of the other patients in the ward. Ever since the beginning of the book he has been taking advantage of them, by telling them things like the outside world is so much worst than in the ward. I feel the patients would be better off without McMurphy, they would have their own opinions and thoughts about things. The patients also don’t know better now without listening to him. They don’t know how to handle their own situations without McMurphy's input and ideas which isn’t healthy for themselves. Reader #5-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest I believe the patients are being taken advantage of. SInce McMurphy has arrived at the ward he’s had all the power and attention from the other patients and they admire him. I feel like the patients have no idea how much McMurphy is controlling them.”The Acutes took to joking with McMurphy about how it looked like he was taking them down the line, and he was never one to deny it”( kesey 262).The patients are all trying to protect McMurphy. They were telling him to leave so Nurse Ratched will not harass him and all the patients are doing anything they can so McMurphy gets what he wants. The patients are putting McMurphy first before themselves. Symbols are a concrete object that stand for an abstract idea. There are a lot of things that could be considered a symbol in the novel, and one of those things is the repeated breaking of the glass in Nurse Ratched’s office. Let’s explore the significance and meaning behind this.
Reader #1-McMurphy busted a window recently. Not sure why, but his reasons became self evident. He ruined his chance for escape, or release. But, in a way, he helped Chief. It was a symbolic victory, a gesture in which he showed how you can defy society as an individual. He became a martyr, showing the men that they could be doing something more. He wants them to find themselves, regain who they once were. Reader #2-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief bromden has a flashback and we learn chiefs past. Chief remembers what happened between his parents and how “ mother kept getting bigger while father shrunk into alcoholism and despair”. Chief joined world war II and in the army he learns about the electronics that he will later develop schizophrenically. His hallucinations come from the combine; a large mechanized matrix that control over mankind. Chief thinks he can hear the mechanized gears of the combine beneath the floors of the hospital where he has been living as a deaf mute since the war. Although chiefs confidence was returned by McMurphy, this is so meaningful because he has a first thought from his past, and he usually can't think of it. Reader #3-In this novel, the nurses station glass keeps breaking. As of what is going on in the book right now, i think this symbolizes a gesture of defiance, and wanting equality. Because the nurse is locked up in a room and everyone has to share the ward so it’s considered unfair. So mcmurphy defies that boundary. I think this act of rebellion is going to spread through the ward. This may lead to future fights or acts of defiance. One theme could be rebellion or individuality because mcmurphy wants to overpower the inequality of the ward. This is affecting the other patients because they witness this act and take consideration and think differently about the ward. Reader #4-After McMurphy shatters the glass at the nurse’s station he went back to the rebellious ways while Nurse Ratched tries to figure out another way to get ahead and have their attention again in the ward. McMurphy also brings a basketball team together and had Dr.Spivey sign it off as “therapeutic” value. Ratched wasn’t to fond of the idea and protested against it but overall McMurphy won. “tidiness like a pocket watch with a glass back, a place where the schedule is unbreakable and all the patients who aren’t Outside, obedient under her beam, are wheelchair Chronics with catheter tubes” In my opinion I believe the glass is represent the breaking of the old into the new. McMurphy was upset that Ratched declined his request that Candy Starr couldn’t come and see him. He broke the glass after the news; symbolizing that his old actions are in the past and he’s a new person now. Him and other people in the ward continues to break the glass. Also the glass in considered “unbreakable” as in the rules are unbreakable. McMurphy and other patients in the ward want to show that they’re breakable and continues to break the glass. Reader #5-The breaking glass might symbolize the people in the ward and how broken they are and how they lives were falling apart just like how the glass is breaking. McMurphy was the one who was breaking the class because on page 207 it says that ‘’ The nurse taped his hand in the station while scanlon and harding dug the cardboard out of the garage and taped it back in the frame, using adhesive from the same roll the nurse was bandaging McMurphy’s wrist and fingers with.McMurphy sat on a stool, grimacing something awful while he got his cuts tended, winking at scanlon and harding over the nurse’s head.’’ McMurphy felt sad about being in the ward and saw the glass and forgot it was there. Reader #6-During part 3 of the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, the glass in the Nurse’s station keeps getting broken over and over again. The broken glass might symbolize Nurse’s power and the way Mcmurphy keeps breaking her, But she somehow keeps winning all her power back. After the glass broke, the aides put a piece of cardboard where the glass broke, and Nurse continues to sit behind it as if it were transparent. She looks like “a picture turned to the wall”. The second time McMurphy punched through the glass it was a continuation of his physical rebellion, showing his strength against Nurse Ratched. Nurse finds other ways to take down McMurphy, but no matter what he does to Nurse he still continues to lose against her. The broken glass also might symbolize McMurphy’s weaknesses. Reader #7-Mcmurphy goes back to rebellious way after breaking the glass. at the same time nurse ratched is trying to get ahead of the ward. McMurphy creates a basketball team for the ward which Dr.Spivey sign off as therapeutic value. nurse ratched did not like the idea, and went agaisnt him, but there was not much she could do, so he won. “tidiness like a pocket watch with a glass back, a place where the schedule is unbreakable and all the patients who aren’t Outside, obedient under her beam, are wheelchair Chronics with catheter tubes” I believe the glass represents the breaking of the old into the new. McMurphy was upset that Ratched declined his request that Candy Starr couldn’t come and see him. He broke the glass after the news symbolizing that his old actions are in the past and he’s a new person now. Reader #8-The glass represents Ratched’s power and Mcmurphy breaking it represents him destroying her power of the ward. He doesn't know what else to do, he has gotten through to her a couple times but it is not going how he wants. It is affecting the other patients because now they are starting to become rebellious. Not as much as Mcmurphy but they are taking after him. It is bringing up old actions and ways that he used to be before the ward. He realised that the other patients are depending on him and it got to his head. Mcmurphy thrives on punishment it gives him the rush that he is living for: “When you broke a rule you knew it. You wanted to be dealt with, needed it, but the punishment did not come” (Kesey 200). Mcmurphy brings life into the ward, but it might not be a good thing. Reader #9- There are many occasions when glass has been broken in One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. What is so significant about this happening so many times is the fact that glass is very fragile, and also reflective. The way i see this is, people can also be very much fragile and reflective. Both glass and people can be so damaging, and In the ward, the people seem to be so lost in life because of different reasons, which can lead them to be so fragile. 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. While Chief and McMurphy have had somewhat of a relationship up until this point, in Part III of the novel this relationship reaches a turning point. Let’s look at the changes in their relationship and think about the effects of becoming closer on each of them.
Reader #1-While McMurphy is talking to one of the black boys he learns that Chief is getting gum, but no one knows how. The black boy explains that Chief sticks the gum to the bed posts, and then removes it to chew it again. This ignites a relationship between McMurphy and Chief: “Juicy fruit is the best I can do for you at the moment, Chief…. before I realized what I was doing, I told him Thank you”(Kesey 217). Although this event doesn’t seem like much to start a friendship, nor does it look like they could help each other. However, this friendship is exactly what they both need to fix the society of the ward. In this scene, McMurphy sharing his gum could be symbolizing the start of something new in the ward. Also, Chief talks to McMurphy for the first time proving that he is not what everyone thinks he is. Everyone in the ward believes Chief is stupid, dumb, deaf, and has no idea what is really going on. That is not the case; however, Chief knows exactly what happens in the ward, and what is going to happen to McMurphy. Chief tries to warn McMurphy about what is going to happen to him if he is not carefully about his actions. Especially when McMurphy punched Nurse Ratched’s window more than once. McMurphy and Chief’s friendship could be exactly what the patients in the ward need. Two people who could do real damage to the “perfect” society and to Nurse Ratched. It is going to be very interesting to see what the two of them are going to do to shake up the ward. Reader #2-During a section in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ Chief Bromden and McMurphy begin to have a change in their relationship with each other. Before this though, McMurphy was beginning to ease down a little on causing a ruckus in the ward, and Chief was still just a pretend deaf indian janitor. So they never really had any kind of contact up until this point. In the time when McMurphy was finished talking to a black boy about Chief’s secret gum stash, he went up to Chief at night and said, “Here” and gave him a piece of gum and replied “Thank you,”(page 217). For the first time in the book, we actually see Chief Bromden speak and talk with McMurphy. So it would seem that the sharing of the gum was a way of McMurphy telling Chief that he can trust him. And this is significant because we get to see Chief and McMurphy, the narrator of the novel and the main protagonist, actually interact with each other and say what their views are about the world. And this, they both get a new relationship where McMurphy gets back into being himself again, and Chief getting more self-esteem and courageous to do things against the wards norms. Reader #3-Chief was rudely awoken by an orderly scraping the gum off the bottom of his bed. Chief asked the orderly what he was doing and he responds with admitting that he had been watching chief for a number of years, and had never seen him visit the canteen. The orderly naturally wondered where Chief got his gum from seeing as he never visited the canteen. Once he leaves Mcmurphy whispers to Chief and starts to sing a song about the gum. At first Chief was angry at Mcmurphy but he soon realized it was funny and he started to laugh. Mcmurphy jumped up and gave Chief a fresh piece of gum. The gum represents the beginning of Chief’s first friendship in the ward, and Mcmurphy and Chief start to talk and even though Mcmurphy tells Chief he is as big as a mountain, Chief says he is too small and weak to escape. Reader #4- In part III McMurphy gives Chief Bromden a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. This symbolizes their friendship. McMurphy shares a story with Bromden about a time where he was also silent. McMurphy wonders if Bromden is saving all the information about everyone and one day he will use it against them. This is a turning point in their relationship because they’re sharing things together. Bromden tries to do something he’s never done before: “I tried to laugh with him, but it was a squawking sound, like a pullet trying to crow” (218 Kesey). McMurphy makes Bromden laugh, and that shows the he likes his company. Their relationship has definitely formed into something deeper after this. Chief Bromden has made it clear that he has a pretty serious mental illness which makes him view the world in a very unique way. One thing that he has avoided up until now though is how his life outside of the mental ward has influenced him. Let’s take a closer look at the significance of this flashback occurring now in the novel.
Reader #1-Bromden remembers something about his childhood. Before he remembers, he is about to sign the list for the fishing trip but he is afraid it will blow his cover that he is faking that he is deaf. This is clear in the text when: “Bromden wants to sign the list, but he is afraid to blow his deaf-and-dumb cover, realizing that he has to “keep acting deaf if [he] wanted to hear at all.” (Kesey part 3) This relates to the childhood memory he thought of. He remembered that when he was a child he spoke to people that came to his home, but they acted like he had not said a word. I think he thought of this memory because it relates to the fact that he is acting deaf. He is acting deaf because he doesn’t feel he will be heard if he speaks, and he hears more when he is deaf because people think he can’t hear anyways. Reader #2-The flashback to Bromden’s childhood was a significant moment for his character. This moment is important because it represents something that he remembers. He hasn’t had a memory of his childhood in a long time. It was about his Dad; he was selling land to three people. When Bromden spoke to them, they seemed like they didn’t hear him. Bromden thought back when, “About 10 years old” and he was “in front of the shack”(Kesey 210). This is meaningful to him because it was a memory with his dad and childhood that never occurs to him. Nothing has reminded him it until that moment. Reader #3-Chief Bromden has a flashback to his childhood. This flashback is when he is little a group of people come and are trying to take over his indian land. This is like the ward how McMurphy is trying to get rid of the nurse. His flashback explains his last name and the difficult childhood he had and how it might make him the way he is today. “As my sociology professor used to emphasize, there is generally one person in every situation you must never underestimate the power of” This is a good quote to relate to the ward and nurse ratched vs McMurphy. This flashback is meaningful to bromden, because it is the first time he has ever witnessed the brutality of people and what they can do. Reader #4-In Part III Chief has a significant experience, he is able to remember something from his past. This started with Chief remembering that he was not the one that started acting deaf, in fact he just felt he was never heard. This triggered a flashback to his childhood and the day the government came to his tribe’s camp to appraise the property so they could buy it and build a dam on the waterfall they were on. This flashback could have been triggered by the huge changes in the ward, or him asking himself why he chose to start acting deaf and mute. Either way this was an important and meaningful moment for Chief because he was “amazed that I’d remembered that. It was the first time in what seemed to me centuries that I’d been able to remember much about my childhood.”(Kesey 215). Reader #5-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Bromden had a flashback and remembered something. Bromden remembers that people came over to talk to his dad about buying the land.”But someone should inform them of the government's plans” (Kesey 212).This is significant because this is the first time he remembered something from his childhood. This is meaningful to Bromden because he is slowly starting to remember things from his past and about his family. Before he had his flashback he was going to sign something but he couldn’t so he can hide his deafness. Slowly Bromden is starting to regain some memories he has from his past. 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. Whether it is deserved or not, when something bad happens people feel the need to look for someone to blame. After the tragedy involving Cheswick, there is a lot of uncertainty of who is at fault. While we may never know why this tragedy happened, let’s think about what might have influenced the event.
Reader #1-I think what happened to cheswick was a possible suicide, although things lead to believe it could have been an accident. He was the first to support mcmurphy's rebellion. He died after mcmurphy did not support cheswick when he took a stand against nurse ratched. This could prove it might have been a suicide. Because of mcmurphy not supporting him, he felt unlistened to and unimportant. I think if mcmurphy would've listened to him and helped him out, cheswick would still be here. Mcmurphy realized how powerful he actually is and might use this to his advantage later on. Reader #2-cheswick is one of the first acutes to side with mcmurphy against nurse ratched’s power. an acute is a patient that seems to be “curable”. cheswick committing suicide showed mcmurphy that he has a lot of power and control over the men. from that being said i believe that mcmurphy is most at fault for cheswick killing himself. charles says “But just as soon as we got to the pool he said he did wish something mighta been done, though, and dove into the water.” (kesy 187). like i said before mcmurphy is the main suspect in my list. his influence would have caused cheswick to commit suicide. Reader #3-Early in the book, we figure out that Cheswick is an acute. McMurphy and him became good friends, and played cards together. When McMurphy decided he was going to go against Nurse Ratched, Cheswick was right there to support him. Cheswick wanted to cause chaos in the ward one day about cigarettes with Nurse Ratched. Although, McMurphy wasn’t up for it. In the book it says Cheswick wasn’t mad at McMurphy for not supporting him, but then Cheswick jumped in the pool getting his fingers stuck in the drain and what it seems to be, drowned himself after saying he wishes “something mighta been done...” In my opinion it was definitely suicide. McMurphy never realized how much influence he had on these patients, especially Cheswick. The fact that Cheswick was his sidekick in a way, and McMurphy didn’t support him on that one little thing, really got to Cheswick I imagine. Reader #4-In this section of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, something terrible happens to Cheswick. When He dove into the pool, after getting out of disturbed, his fingers got stuck in the grate and he drowned. Nobody has ruled this as a suicide, but it is possible and should not be ruled out. Some motives for his suicide could be the feeling of betrayal or being sent to disturbed over cigarettes. Ever since McMurphy arrived Cheswick has been by his side supporting him. When McMurphy didn’t defend Cheswick while he was going off on the nurse about the cigarettes. This could have led to Cheswick to feel betrayed because McMurphy didn’t help him when he has always helped McMurphy. This,”Even Cheswick could understand [...] and didn’t hold anything against McMurphy for not going ahead and making a big fuss over the cigarettes.”(Kesey 174). But could the time Cheswick spent in disturbed have changed his mind? I guess we will never know. Reader #5-Chewicks death was a tragic event in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Before his death there was a big fuss about cigarettes. Cheswick was complaining about it but no one was supporting him, which he told McMurphy he was fine with. “Even Cheswick could understand it and didn’t hold anything against McMurphy” (174 Kesey). Even though Cheswick seemed like he didn’t care if anyone was supporting him I think he just wanted somebody to agree with him. Since no one agreed with him I think that triggered his death because he felt alone and had no body supporting him. Therefore, because of this event I think the other patients will have different outlooks on things that happens at the ward. Reader #6-In Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” an incident happened when all the patients had to go to the pool for a day. Cheswick swam down to the bottom of the pool and held on to the grate so no one could pull him up. He unfortunately drowned and died. The mystery of his death questions whether it was an accident of a suicide. Cheswick was one of the more verbal patients and was willing to stand up to Nurse Ratched. Before Cheswick’s death, McMurphy began to give in on the rebellion with big nurse. Cheswick was angry at McMurphy for giving in. In the novel Cheswick says, “I ain’t no little kid to have cigarettes kept from me like cookies! We want something done about it. ain’t that right, Mack?”(Kesey 172). All McMurphy gave back was silence; He didn’t back up Cheswick. In my own opinion, I genuinely think McMurphy is at most fault because he betrayed Cheswick, at least that might have been the way Cheswick looked at the situation. Reader #7-Cheswick is one of the acute patients that was the only to support McMurphy when he had that conflict with Nurse Ratched, he was influenced by McMurphy that he protest against the ward policies and was hoping that McMurphy would help him. it doesn't work out and he gets the shock treatment. later in the book Cheswick was swimming in the pool when he had a accident and got stuck in the net. it was later found out it could have been a suicide. this tragic action caused McMurphy to finally think that he had a huge impact in the patient's life. Reader #8-In the beginning of the book, we find out that Cheswick is an Acute. This means they believe Cheswick is a curable patient. Also Cheswick was the first patient to stand by McMurphy when he was plotting to take down Nurse Ratched. One day Cheswick decided to take a swim, however he got his fingers stuck in grate covering the drain at the bottom of the pool. Ken Kesey wrote “and by the time they got a screwdriver and undid the grate and brought Cheswick up, with the grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, he was drowned.” (175) When I read this part of the book, I thought this accident was actually Cheswick committing suicide. I think this because Cheswick was upset that McMurphy didn’t support him when he took his own stand against Nurse Ratched. This led to Cheswick’s accident because he looked up to McMurphy for being independent, but when Cheswick was independent McMurphy looked down on him so Cheswick felt bad about himself. Reader #9-Nurse Ratched sent cheswick down to the disturbed for a while. Cheswick went to the pool and told McMurphy that he understands why McMurphy no longer rebels against Nurse Ratched. Later Cheswick caught his fingers on the pool’s drain and drowned, his death is considered a suicide. I think it was McMurphy’s fault even though he didn’t intend to do it because he didn’t support cheswick’s argument against Nurse Ratched and that’s what triggered him. Cheswick was angry because he supported McMurphy when he rebelled against nurse Ratched and the one time he needed him he didn’t support him. Cheswick’s death gave McMurphy influence and opened his eyes to other things. Reader #10-Cheswick is one of the acutes in the ward and the first patient to support Mcmurphy in his rebellion against Nurse Ratched. In a group meeting Cheswick started to complain about the wanting the cigarettes and no one backs him up, not even Mcmurphy who was quickly backed up by Cheswick in the past. Later, at the pool Cheswick says, “But just as soon as we got to the pool he said he did wish something mighta been done, though, and dove into the water”, he then got his finger stuck in the pool grate and drowned himself. I think Cheswick killed himself because when no one stood up for him he realized that there was no hope for change in the ward because the only one who had the ability to change something in ward had given up because he wanted to get out. When Mcmurphy first rebelled he didn't realize that Nurse Ratched controlled when he could get dismissed from the ward. When Cheswick killed himself in the pool it made Mcmurphy realize how much influence he had on the people in the ward. |
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