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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America is a place that is shaped by a lot of different types of people. Being unique is something that is celebrated in our country, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a story that tries to show that being “different” doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Let’s take a closer look at how McMurphy’s represents how America is shaped by individuals and their experiences.
Reader #1-America today has been shaped by individual freedom and conflicts. With all of America's conflicts in the past, we made solutions that have molded our country. Just like McMurphy has done in the ward. He is full of laughter and joy that has became apart of the ward. He’s like any great leader in the world that people look up to. The patients and nurses have all been impacted in the ward by McMurphy's presence. The book went to tell, “She tried to get ward back into shape, but it was difficult with McMurphy’s presence still tromping up and down the halls and laughing out loud in the meetings and singing in the latrines”(Kesey 320). He is always full of happiness and that is something that has changed in the ward. Just like how any leader can step up, and make a change. Reader #2-In the book Kesey is trying to show how one person can make an impact if they try. Anyone who came in the ward before gave in to nurse ratched and the ward. They all thought it was to big, too powerful until one loud mouth redhaired man show up. All the men have been affected by McMurphy. It doesn't matter if they like him or not he has changed them for the better, he has taught them to stand up. The biggest change would have to be in bromden based on how he started off so lost in the fog. Rockefeller has affected America turning it into a place of prosperity and industry. Showing you can start from nothing with no money and become something. America has changed in many ways sometimes for the worse. This book helps drives the fact that you can make a difference you don't have to watch anymore just like Bromden. Reader #3-Individual freedom has helped shape America over time, just like how McMurphy has helped shape the other patients. Ever since he came to the ward, all of the patients have seen or done things in a different way. I think that Mcmurphy has had the most impact on Bromden. This is because Bromden has always pretended to be stupid and deaf to avoid attention, McMurphy gives him attention. Once MCmurphy found out that chief can hear, he offers to help him. He has helped the patients realize that they shouldn’t choose to be in the ward just because they are afraid of the outside world. In the novel, he helps the patients stand up to nurse Ratched by insisting on watching the world series baseball game. He has changed the patients for the better, helping them become more independent and outspoken. One person who has impacted American society is Martin Luther King. He helped African Americans stand up for what they believe in and their rights. McMurphy does this similarly with the patients. He helps the patients see their self value, just as Martin Luther King did. We can help apply this idea to humankind by making sure everyone you know and care about feels like they serve a purpose in the world, and that their voice can be heard. Reader #4-In ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ McMurphy has gained and huge influence on the ward and the patients as well, resulting to have an impact on them and the staff as well. But the one person who McMurphy had the most impact on would be Chief Bromden because he has influenced Chief to once again speak and interact with the patients and staff. This impact was how McMurphy included Chief into doing stuff and other activities throughout the book. So as for the rest of the men on the ward, some seem to have been changed for the better, while others were for worse. Because at the end of the book most of the acutes were beginning to feel better than before, such that they began to leave the ward as said in the text, “Sefelt and Fredrickson signed out together against medical advice, and 2 days later another 3 acutes left and 6 more were transferred to another ward… Harding signed out and was picked up by his wife, and George transferred to a different ward” (pages 319 & 321). As for the others who changed for the worse, Cheswick and Billy Bibbit, who became very depressed and killed themselves. Now some examples of people making an impact on America would be M.L.K. with his “I had a Dream” speech, and Abraham Lincoln with how he brought about the abolishment of slavery. Comparing McMurphy to them, McMurphy has done a good service in getting the acute patients the chance to feel alive and be like men again. So McMurphy’s experience can be applied to humankind by simply being who you are and not let anyone change who you are or let them stop you from doing the things you love to do. And that is how America has been shaped by individual freedom and conflicts. Reader #5-McMurphy in my opinion has had the biggest impact on Nurse Ratched. Throughout the book, Nurse Ratched always did whatever she could to get the better of McMurphy. From one of the first group sessions, McMurphy and the Nurse have been playing a game against each other, trying to take one another down. However, even though McMurphy and the Nurse were plotting against each other, McMurphy had a positive impact on the rest of the patients. For example, McMurphy stayed in the ward until Billy committed suicide, because he wanted to help him get over his fear of women. Also, Chief Bromden was affected positively by McMurphy. Chief Bromden was stuck in the fog until McMurphy told him “You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself....Being lost ain’t so bad”(117-118). Chief stepped out of his comfort zone once McMurphy came into the ward. McMurphy is like the people who have had an impact on America because both him and them persuade people how to act and think. McMurphy’s experience can be applied to humankind because everyday people are trying to be better than one another, just like him and The Nurse, and people are always following in ones footsteps just like the patients were doing to McMurphy. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Randle McMurphy had a great impact in the ward. Reader #6-America has been shaped by individual freedom and conflicts by how people share their opinions. For example, Mr. McMurphy has the most impact on the ward. It may not have been the best in some parts, but he really affected Chief Bromden. At first he was this guy who was afraid to be in his own skin, with tons of insecurities. Bromden definitely is changed the moment he walks down from the chronic floor and thinks “I told [the men on the ward when I returned] all I could, and nobody seemed to think a thing about me all of a sudden talking with people—a guy who’d been considered deaf and dumb as far back as they’d known him, talking, listening, just like anybody.”(Kesey) When Mcmurphy came on the ward everything changed for him. Not right away, but towards the end of the book. Bromden realizes that he’s strong and powerful physically, and emotionally. He knows that Mcmurphy had a huge role in his transformation, he was happy that the other men were accepting of his outcome, and that he finally shattered through some of his insecurities. People who share their opinions have the most impact because when they speak, they’re passionate about what they talk about. People like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, etc. all have something in common with Mcmurphy, Passion. It may not be the same type of passion, but each one of them has a strong opinion towards something they stand for. If Mcmurphy were here today, he’d be categorized almost as he is in the book, just maybe dialed down a bit. I wouldn’t consider him to be insane, I would say he’s a very forward individual and he speaks his mind. Lots of people aren’t accepting to that kind of person, because they’re afraid of someone out of the ordinary, but it’s people like that, that get the attention they’re seeking, and their opinion heard. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Fog is an important symbol in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Not only that, but The Fog also has an important meaning to the Chief. Let’s explore why this Fog is so incredibly meaningful.
Reader #1-One of the major symbols in the novel is the “fog machine”. “I’m not cold anymore. I think i’ve about made it. I’m off to where the cold can’t reach me. I can stay here for good. I’m not scared anymore. They can’t reach me, just the words reach me, and those are fading.”(Kesey 138). This quote is a description of Chief Bromden, of what it feels like to be in the grasp of the fog. Bromden appears to be the only one in the ward who sees the fog. The first time he experienced the fog he said he felt lost inside it, and screamed out to be found. This continually landed him in for shock treatment, until he learned to surround himself in the fog. In the fog, time no longer exists, and reality is clouded over. The fog is the state of being that Nurse Ratched forces on the patients to subdue them, keep them in a mind numbing state, and make them more agreeable. The patients also seem to accept the fog as a means of escape, McMurphy seems immune to the fog, and has the ability to drag people out of it. In my opinion “the fog” is relatively a good thing for the patients because sometimes they may need to lose control of reality in order to get better in an odd way. Reader #2-Whenever Chief has mentioned the fog, there was no explanation as to the origins of it. But finally, Chief explains a little bit more about the fog as said from the text, “We had a whole platoon used to operate fog machines around airfields overseas. Whenever intelligence figured there might be a bombing attack, or if the generals had something secret they wanted to pull, they fogged the field.” (Page 130) So whenever Chief sees the fog come up into the ward, it’s usually when he wants to remain hidden and safe from the others. Chief feels that the fog is a safe area from the reality of life in the ward. Now when chief explains how some of the other patients, more towards chronics, seem to be in the fog with him, they are not really experiencing it as Chief is. So from this, it seems that the fog seems like a good thing, but it seems like it’s just making Chief loose more of himself and be nothing more but a mindless walking janitor. But the one thing that seems to be trying to pull Chief and the other patients out of the fog would be McMurphy. For when he goes and opposes the big nurse and asks the patients for a vote to watch a seasonal sports match on T.V., all the chronics and vegetables and such were the only ones who would not come out of the fog to help McMurphy, all except Chief who raised his hand in for the vote. Reader #3-The “fog” represents the safety blanket that everyone is under. Mcmurphy is trying to get the patients out of the fog that’s holding them back. Bromden is the one who observes him doing it all. he says “That's what Mcmurphy can’t understand, us wanting to be safe. He keeps trying to drag us out of the fog, out in the open where we’d be easy to get.” (kesey 128) FOr many of the patients, the fog is where they feel safe and protected. They don’t want anyone to disturb that fog because they know that removal from it could put them in danger. Chief is also scared about being taken out of the fog because he doesn’t want to blow his cover. ALthough he did have a breaking point when he raised his hand when Mcmurphy told him to. The fog can be both good and bad. It’s good because it’s useful when someone needs to hide away from something. But, it’s bad because it holds someone back from doing what they actually feel. The fog is the mask of their insecurities. And many of them have never stepped out of that fog because they’re scared of the consequences that might follow. Reader #4-The fog that Chief sees is a medically induced state that is a fog of the mind rather than an actual fog.The fog keeps the patients from acting out and makes them satisfied with their lives. As Chief says, “the men hide behind the fog because it is comfortable.” This means that the patients won’t rebel because of this mentally induced state. The fog represents the control and fear that Nurse Ratched has over the ward. Chief hallucinates the fog and he is the only one who sees it, but everyone experiences the effect of it. Chief used to be afraid of the fog because they used it in the war to reduce visibility and he use to scream when he saw, hoping to be found. Reader #5-what is the fog? the fog is all in chief's head. but he thinks the big nurse controls the fog, he says that everyone hides in the fog because it’s comforting chief says “you had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself” (kesey 131). to me this is showing what chief thinks about the fig and why it’s comforting. The drugs that the nurse gives the patients is what the fog is, and they think the feeling you get from taking them is comforting. Reader #6-The fog represents an escape from the real world. Chief Bromden sees it when he takes his medication and begins to hallucinate. Bromden likes the fog because he feels like it takes him away from everything so he doesn’t have to deal with anything, but he believes the staff works the fog machine through the vents of the ward. Chief Bromden states “ I know how they work it, the fog machine” (Kesey 130) Chief Bromden however, is not the only one who experiences the fog. Each patient sees it but Chief Bromden is the only one who refers to it in the story. In my opinion, the fog is a bad thing because it’s just a way for the patients to escape what is actually happening in the real world. Due to them escaping to the fog, the patients will never be able to get better because they will be living in the fog which is a safe place for them. Reader #7-The fog represents a get away, Chief Bromden sees it when it comes into the ward. He thinks that Nurse Ratched and other workers have them everywhere in the facility. Chief “uses” to escape from the atmosphere and everything going on around him. He is not the only patient who experiences it,but he is the only one that knows it’s going on. The other patients brains’ aren’t comprehensive enough to acknowledge it. To Chief Bromden, the fog seems like a good thing. He thinks he can use it to escape from reality. Although, from Nurse Ratched’s perspective, it’s just another way she can control the other patients without them knowing. If all the patients realized that, it would definitely be a bad thing in their minds. Reader #8-The fog represents an escape from reality. Chief sees the fog when he wants to go to a safe place and ignore reality. Other patients experience the fog, but they don’t call it the fog like chief does. McMurphy is “getting all the patients out” of the fog. He wants them less vulnerable. In chapter 13, the fog is talked about when it says, “ Nobody complains about the fog. I know why, now: as bad as it is, you can slip back in it and feel safe. That’s what McMurphy can’t understand, us wanting to be safe. He keeps trying to drag us out of the fog, out in the open where we’d be easy to get at.” (Kesey chapter 13) Reader #9-“The fog” Chief Bromden claimed was made by Nurse Ratched. The fog represents how the Nurse makes the ward and her attitude unclear. One can infer that the fog was not literally there in the ward. We can predict that it’s a symbol of rebellion against Nurse Ratched. The Chief says that the rest of the patient's hide behind the fog because it makes them uncomfortable. “I kept looking at anything that appeared out of the fog as long and hard as I could, to keep track of it, just like I used to do when they fogged the airfields in Europe” (Kesey 131). This shows how characters in the ward try their best to stay out of “the fog.” The question is, will they ever get out? Reader #10-Throughout the novel, the Fog has played a huge role in symbolizing a few different things. In real life, fog is something that clouds our vision of seeing the outside world. In the book, then fog represents an escape from reality. Chief usually sees the fog either due to his medication, out of fear, or when he is trying to escape what is truly happening around him. It is Chief's safeplace. He can hide here and ignore reality. Besides for Bromden, other patients are kind of lured into the fog by nurse Ratched's harsh ways and treatments. McMurphy helps by “dragging” patients out of that fog, back into reality. For Bromden, the fog is a good thing, (although sometimes frightening). He is able to escape everything and let go. The fog is what is covering up the real world from all of the patients. The truth is being hidden from the patients, using the fog. Reader #11-The fog is a common occurrence in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. This fog represents a time of comfort, satisfaction with life, and solitude. Chief often sees this fog when he is alone or content. Chief doesn't quite know how to feel about the fog. He doesn't hate it and doesn't like it, he just tolerates it. Although Chief thinks everyone can see this fog, for example when the fog rolled in on the first day that McMurphy arrived he thought he was just ignoring the fog. This fog is most likely a recurring hallucination from his schizophrenia. This fog is not necessarily a bad occurrence for Chief. It allows him to relax and have time to himself(which is hard to get on the ward). Chief even goes as far as wanting to stay in the fog(his comfort zone) when he says” He keeps trying to drag us out of the fog, out of the open where we’d be easy to get at”(Kesey 128) Reader #10-In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest the fog is very significant. Bromden says “even the spies on the base couldn’t see what went on- they fogged the field” (Kesey 130). I think they use the fog when something big is going to happen and they don’t want the patients to know what they’re doing. The hospital staff uses it to hide their secrets in the ward from the patients. Bromden tries to stay away from it as much as possible so he doesn’t get too deep in it and get lost. Based on that I think the fog is a bad thing because the patients can’t see and they deserve to know what’s happening around them. The fog is going to be a symbol of importance throughout the book. Reader #11-the significance of ‘The fog” in terms of Chief Bromden is that it keeps him or other patients living there lives like they want to. Chief Bromden is believed that “the Fog” is made by nurse Ratched. Chief says that men hide behind the fog because it’s “comfortable” but they are just scared to live there life. Chief sees the fog around every patient. It keeps all the patients satisfied and it doesn't let the know if certain things are real or not real. The Fog can be viewed as good and bad. But I see this as a benefit to the patients because they don't experience anything that could be harmful to them. Reader #12- Imagine a safe space where you’re comfortable, worry free, and taken care of. For the patients of the ward, this is essentially what the “fog” provides them with. Since we know Chief is schizophrenic, we can assume this fog isn’t literal but a metaphor. Chief describes it as something the staff controls and exists in the vents but it’s one of the few methods of control he’s comfortable with. What it probably is, literally at least, is a medicinal dosage Nurse Ratched uses to keep patients from turning against her and disguising some of the brutal behaviors that go on in the ward. “When the fog clears to where I can see, I’m sitting in the day room. They didn’t take me to the Shock Shop this time. I remember they took me out of the shaving room and locked me in Seclusion. I don’t remember if I got breakfast or not.” (1.2.1 Kesey) Here Chief shows a state of disorientation and uncertainty due to the “fog”. This fog is something that constantly surrounds them and if they think nothing is wrong, they won’t feel the need to fix anything. They’ve been content with it because it provides security even though Chief finds it a bit frightening sometimes. This isn’t exactly the best thing for the patients though they may feel like it. It represents the big nurse’s ability to humiliate and alter the minds of the patients. McMurphy’s plan to corrupt Nurse Ratched will essentially take the patients out of the fog. 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. One of the big themes throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is control. There are a few people who have a lot of control over what happens and a lot of people who don’t. What does it mean to control others and why do we do it? Let’s find out!
Reader #1-People can feel threatened and find the need to control others to feel calm and in control. Control means that all power and choices lie in your hands. You have the power to make big decisions. People in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, tend to like being in control. Many people feel better taking lead and some people use this to their advantage. In the ward people try to pick arguments and make compromises to over power and seem in power at this ward. I experience control when I’m at work, or teaching anyone anything, or helping my sister in math. They rely on you and you must be there and in control. McMurphy tries to control the kids in the ward; the nurse as well. He likes arguing with her to seem more powerful and dominate. People who enjoy being dominate and who are extroverts tend to be in charge. Reader #2-Control is simply the power a person has over another individual or an object, and once someone has control, they are able to decide how a situation will play out. In Mcmurphy’s case, he controls people without them even realizing it. he uses a tactic that draws the attention away from himself onto another individual. for example, when Mcmurphy comes into contact with the nurse after him and the black boy were talking, the attention that was originally supposed to be on Mcmurphy quickly turned onto a staff member Mr. Washington. the big nurse yelled at him and said “Washington, why wasn’t this man issued a change of greens this morning? Couldn’t you see he had nothing on but a towel?”(Kesey 98) Mcmurphy had control in this situation because instead of him getting yelled at for not getting his own clothes, the blame was put onto someone else, leaving him in the clear. An example of a situation someone uses control would be in a group project, people usually fight for what the topic should be or how the project is going to be done. Whoever wins that argument has most of the power over the group, which isn’t fair but it’s just the way things work out sometimes. The types of people that try and control others are people who don’t feel like anything goes their way unless it’s their way. Mcmurphy refuses to let anybody on the ward control him. He always feels the need to be in control because he thinks he’s always right. Reader #3- A lot of people need to feel that their in control in every single situation. This is a lot like the character McMurphy, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He constantly is looking to be the man in charge. He pushes the Nurse to get on her nerves. He knows by annoying her, he in a sense is gaining control over her. Chief thinks of McMurphy, “One by one the patients are sneaking looks at her to see how she’s taking the way McMurphy is dominating the meeting…” (Kesey 113). Everyone is the group sessions knows that McMurphy is getting under the skin of the Nurse. This is exactly what McMurphy wants. Reader #5-Throughout the book so far, McMurphy has attempted to show that he has control in the ward, not only over the other boys, but Big Nurse as well. Control means that you have the upperhand in any situation. If you have control, you have authority and regulation over others. In the novel, nurse Ratched tries to control everyone by cruel punishments and pointless rules. Also, McMurphy tries to show control by acting as if he can do and say whatever he wants. He isn’t afraid of Big nurse, although the boys warn him. One situation that McMurphy tried to control was when they were all watching the baseball game tv and nurse Ratched turned it off, and then they all continued to pretend to watch the game on the blank screen. The type of people who are controlling, or want to be controlling, are the ones who have to always have their voice heard in every situation. Reader #6-Control is gained when someone is able to influence another person's behaviour. In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, the staff of the ward, mostly Nurse Ratched , has control over their patients. Just like how a prison has control over its inmates. Everything in the ward was under control until McMurphy arrives. McMurphy has the characteristics of someone who can easily take control of anything. He is assertive, a natural leader, and power driven. McMurphy makes a bet with other patients in the ward that he would be able to take control over the ward within the week. One of McMurphy’s first steps is to first gain control over the day room. During a group meeting it is McMurphy and the doctor that he had just met with suggested an “idea which might make things more pleasant for both age groups”(Kesey 110). Their idea was to add a new room connected to the day room that did not have the loud music. This plan was made by McMurphy with the help of someone in control, the doctor. McMurphy seem to be using the doctor's power to get what he wants, control over the day room. This is a small stepping stone on the path to control over the ward for McMurphy. Reader #7- Control means to have power over something or someone. Control is an important thing to have in life. In the book Cuckoo's Nest control is a big thing . Nurse Ratched has all the power in the story, anything she says has to be done. The two people who are fighting for control in the ward are nurse Ratched and McMurphy. McMurphy is gaining control over the patients in the ward because he is trying to rebel against the nurse in the ward. We as people try to gain control over things and other people because we like things to be done our way and I like in a way it makes us feel more secure. Reader #8-Mcmurphy and nurse Ratched are going to continue to have conflicts because they are both obsessed with power. To control means to be in power, to be the boss, to make all of the decisions and have everyone just go along with it. There are a few people in the novel that try to control the others and they are Nurse Ratched and Mcmurphy. Nurse Ratched has controlled every aspect of the ward since before Chief was even there. He even thinks she controls time by making it slower so they go crazier. Everyone fears her because they have seen what she can do to them “ She can't have you whipped. Shev can't burn you with hot irons. She can't tie you to the rack. They got laws about that sort of thing nowadays”(Kesey 68). She is so powerful and obsessed with order that she breaks the law, that is a little crazy. I experience control in many ways. For example, at home my parents control my siblings and I because they are our parents and they have authority over us. I control my own body which is what makes my decisions. Mcmurphy tries to control in a lot of situations, for example when he first arrived at the ward. He immediately asked who was in charge and took over within 10 minutes. People with trust issues typically try to control others because they want to be sure they know exactly what the other person is doing so they can feel secure. Everyone control’s their own body, whats sad is that nurse Ratched won't let them do that. |
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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