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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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a story that draws into light how a lot of different perspectives come together to shape different things. Let’s see how McMurphy and the other characters we have encountered show how where you come from has a huge influence on your life.
Reader #1- In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest There are many decisions to be made in the ward, Such as the music in the day room. There are always multiple perspectives to take into mind when making these decisions. For example, McMurphy makes most of his decisions with only the people he likes in mind. But if you were to compare him with Nurse Ratched, you would see that she solves problems with everybody in mind. McMurphy brings up how they should turn off the music or at least lower it in the day room. Nurse Ratched replies with a “No”(Kesey 111) saying that it was the only thing the chronics could enjoy all day. McMurphy care more about himself and the acutes and agrees that he had never thought about how the chronics would feel if there was no music. Proving that the nurse has everybody's interests in mind. Almost everyone today can agree that they make decisions without others in mind. Are you any different than McMurphy? Empathy and compassion are important qualities for a person to have, however certain situations call for a stricter approach. How does each approach for treatment work in the mental ward? Let’s see what our readers think.
Reader #1-‘A gentle hand does more than a harming one’ -Unknown. This is true in all things. ‘A gentle hand’ refers to peaceful times, or an individual who has brought peace. A harmful hand seeks to destroy and wreak havoc across what it touches. Nurse Ratched’s fear inducing rampage is harming the patients more than healing them. Very early on in the book, we get an idea of how Nurse Ratched is when she thinks no one is looking; “So she really lets herself go, and her painted smile twists, stretches to an open snarl, and she blows up, bigger and bigger….” (Kesey 5)If the Nurse was not supervised at all by anyone, she would beat and subdue the patients with violence. However, if she tried once to be nice to them, the patients would respond better. Wary at first, yes, but she has to retain the niceness, and continue to speak softly and nicely. Everyone is more responsive when they believe they are treated better. Reader #2-In ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ McMurphy and Chief are showed some kindness from one of the nurses when she went ahead and “undid our cuffs and gave McMurphy a cigarette and gave me a stick of gum.” (page 278) Now when you show compassion to people, it shows that you care and are trying to do more for them and others, but may have you being taken advantage of by others. As for a more stricter approach it does keep things in order nice and tightly but it makes people start to seem like nothing but puppets. So far it seems that compassion have been more beneficial for the patients, for they seem to be more alive and be more of themselves than they ever have been in a long time. And in my personal opinion, i would prefer compassion because it can make you express more of yourself to others. So overall, I think the compassionate approach to treatment is more beneficial and most effective than Nurse Ratched’s Stricter approach. One thing that has been made pretty clear is that power is an important thing to have in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In Part III, the patients are able to take a trip into the outside world and gain a different perspective on what makes a person powerful. Let’s see what our characters learn during this fishing trip.
Reader #1-On the way to the fishing trip, the patients come to realization that their illnesses aren't necessarily a bad thing. Mcmurphy talks all of them up by giving them fake felonies and making them look tough. this empowered all of them, and gave them confidence. Mcmurphy says that “ The doc wouldn’t lie like that about just any patients, but we aint ordinary nuts; we’re every bloody one of us hot off the criminal-insane ward, on our way to San Quentin where they got better facilities to handle us.” (Kesey 236). Clearly those men aren't what Mcmurphy says they are, but it doesn't matter. Mcmurphy knowingly granted power to the other patients. Being on the outside of the ward the patients experienced thrill when they stole the boat for the trip. They all enjoyed laughs together and got along. Which is something that never happens on the ward under the Big Nurse’s watch. This was truly a turning moment in the story for the patients. Reader #2-Before they went on a fishing trip McMurphy had a lot of power over the patients. Not with telling them what to do, but what the patients did reflected off of how McMurphy viewed things. During the fishing trip, all of them had “equal” power I guess. There wasn’t really power in my opinion though because they were all laughing with each other and no one was upset about anything. I think being in the outside world causes the patients less stress and makes them feel more free. Atmosphere really has a big impact on the whole power thing. Reader #3-Before the fishing trip, McMurphy holds a lot of power. I believe this because McMurphy declares that George will be captain on the boat and when he found out Chief Bromden was the only acute going, he tried to convince more acutes to come. However, the acutes were stern with their decisions when McMurphy said ¨C´mon, loafers, I need one more mate to round out the crew, I need one more goddam volunteer..¨(Kesey 227) When they were on the boat however, not one single person held power. All the boys were laughing together and connecting. From being on the boat and in the outside world, the boys felt less stressed and attacked then they usually do. When they are in the ward they always feel watched by Nurse Ratched, but on the fishing trip they felt free. Power and perspective are related because they both are connected with ones attitude and how one addresses something. For example, one can use power to influence someone to agree with their perspective on something. This is shown through McMurphy in the story. Reader #4-McMurphy got the approval to take the patient's out to the real world, he could only take them out if there was enough chaperones. so Dr. Spivey agreed to come with. when they stop for gas the workers ask them if they're from the asylum and the Dr tells them they're construction workers. McMurphy tells them that there indeed criminally insane. they finally go fishing and they take the boat because the captain denied them without a waiver. so they all jump on and fish. they return back and the cops were waiting but the captain didn't press charges because of what the Dr told him. they return back to the asylum and they pass McMurphys old house and he has flashbacks. this showed that people can act the same even if they're insane. Reader #5-The fishing trip was more for the patients rather than McMurphy, even though he did all the planning. MOst of the power comes from McMurphy on the trip. The patients only go outside of their comfort zone when McMurphy influences it. They want him to be their leader. Power is shown when the patients start laughing, this is because they are showing signs of independence and freedom. Bromden describes that you must laugh so that “the humor will blot out the pain.” Although McMurphy has the power, he is helping the patients realize that they have some as well. Being in the outside world helps show the patients that being independent and happy is possible. Power can be given to anyone, it just depends on how you look at things. The perspectives you take help determine who has power. Reader #6-in the story the glass in nurse's office keeps breaking what could the be symbolizing? it could symbolize many things such as bad luck or a warning to her. i don't think mcmurphy is breaking it just to break it. the reason he breaks it is because he realizes that the other men rely on him, and they are caged in. before mcmurphy walked out of the nurses station: “he would thank her again walk out of nurses’ station and blow the whistle loud enough to break windows for miles around” (kesey 206) Reader #7-Power and imbalance of power is general. “Everybody is a genius; but if you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Einstein). The patients of the ward have already been alienated in the real world and feel like they are incapable of functioning on their own. They depend on Nurse Ratched to take care of them and protect them and she does so because it feeds her hunger for control. When McMurphy takes them on the fishing trip, he gives them a different perspective of the outside world. It seems less frightening and more inviting. McMurphy represents how power can affect (an) individual(s). His taking control of the group was with the intent of betterment while Nurse Ratched plans to internally mess with the patients. Through discussion with Harding, McMurphy realises that the manipulation of the ward is more of an institutional issue than just with Nurse Ratched: “McMurphy doesn't know it, but he's onto what I realized a long time back, that it's not just the Big Nurse by herself, but it's the whole Combine, the nation-wide Combine that's the really big force, and the nurse is just a high-ranking official for them.” (Kesey 2.7.33) Chief sees that McMurphy is coming to terms with the fact that Big Nurse’s power extends far beyond her, she’s just part of society. You would think that if someone was placed in a mental ward, one of the main goals of the doctors and nurses would be treatment right? Well we all know that the ward in the novel might not be the greatest place to get that treatment. Despite this, we do see a lot of changes in McMurphy from the beginning of the story. Is it the ward causing this or something else? Let’s take a look at what is happening.
Reader #1-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest McMurphy changes the asylum forever. McMurphy has the opportunity to conform the the rules and save himself,but he chooses to fight for the men in the ward. After Cheswicks death McMurphy takes a turn when he realizes nurse ratched’s control is a life or death matter. McMurphy wants to change the ward and take away power from nurse ratched, but little does he know the danger hes in. McMurphy then totally loses it when Billy commits suicide and McMurphy tries to strangle nurse ratched to death. He goes to the hospital and when he comes out his spirits and parts of his brain are gone. McMurphy finally realized the danger in the ward and tried to change it. Reader #2-McMurphy’s behavior is starting to change as the book continues. However, the readers can really start to see the change as part II progresses. He used to talk out during the meetings, annoy the Big Nurse, and try to get the other patients to rebel against the authority figures. In this section though, McMurphy starts to come down and stops trying to get the best of Nurse Ratched. “He looked at McMurphy’s corner. Everyone did. McMurphy was there, studying the deck of cards that slid in and out of sight in his hands. He didn’t even look up”(Kesey 172). This shows that McMurphy didn’t care about the discussion, or try to get his way over the Nurse’s decisions. It’s not the treatment he is receiving that is bringing this change to McMurphy. The only thing that is making McMurphy change is the ward itself. He is starting to get “cagey” as Chief would describe it. He feels trapped in a corner like there is no hope of ever getting out of the ward. Reader #3-In part II of the book, McMurphy starts to act differently than he did before. Whenever he was assigned a chore he would do it very sloppy and not clean other areas of an object that he’s supposed to clean. But then, “The next day he surprised everybody on the ward by getting up early and polishing that latrine till it sparkled, and then went to work on the hall floors when the black boys asked him to.”(Page 172) Now the only thing that could’ve influenced McMurphy’s change is when he found out that the big nurse had the say in who and when someone gets released from the ward. This change seems to be voluntary due to him cooperating more respectively towards the big nurse and the staff. Now there’s not much benefit for McMurphy to be in the ward, except to get away from the farm he worked on as he said in part I, but one benefit might be to make new friends and see what’s life like for others possibly. So overall, McMurphy had changed the way he acted because of how he acted towards the big nurse, without knowing what she could do to make him stay at the ward for as long as she sees fit. Reader #4-McMurphy is starting to change, and it’s a lot different from the kind of attitude he normally has. He seems scared and frightened by the Big nurse. he seems upset when him and Harding speak about the Big Nurse and the shock shop. he says “ Then i just happened to find out about the way the nurses have the big say as to who gets discharged and who doesn’t.” (Kesey 193). He’s realizing that messing with the big nurse may not be the best idea if he eventually wants to get out of the ward. Mcmurphy is in the ward because he wanted to get away from the work he had to do before as punishment. He had goals of going to the ward and being able to experience something different, eat better food, and to have a good time messing around because he knew he wasn’t “mental” This change in him brought out a new side to him that he probably didn’t even think he had. fear. The words that Harding had to say were definitely influential in McMurphy’s attitude change. Reader #5-In part II, McMurphy is starting to change his character. “I know she's suspicious. I thought she might be too upset by the way McMurphy defied her to pay any attention to me, but she don’t look shook at all” (Kesey 152). McMurphy was not acting himself; he’s always happy, outgoing, and tries to make everyone feel the same as him. He’s perceived as a disturbance to the ward now. I think this attitude might be his response to the treatments he’s been having. I think they’re unnecessary for him to be receiving treatments. Some people in the ward thinks he needs to be placed in the disturbed ward, but some think he’s just ordinary with a bold personality. He might be acting different due to all the negativity he gets from the others. Reader #6-McMurphy is starting to change his actions and how acts toward the nurse. After he has a conversation with the lifeguard at the pool. He soon realizes what he has gotten himself into. The fact that nurse is still in charge, means he has to listen to her or never leave! the ward may help McMurphy appreciate life a lot more now that he knows how it feels to be controlled. I would say that although his attitude is changing because of the nurse, it is not forced. McMurphy decides to change voluntary, although if he keeps fighting her, the results would dramatically affect the outcome of his life. As much as I think he likes all the free benefits of the ward he can't stand the policy. McMurphys is not giving up or in hes learning. Reader #7-In part two of the Book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a tragic event happens to Cheswick. When Cheswick Dies from keeping his fingers in the pool drain and drowns it was no one's fault. We know for a fact That Cheswick Drowned because in the text it states, “with the grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, He was Drowned.” I do not believe that Cheswicks possible suicide was anyone's fault. I believe that the drowning of him was all because the conversation of the rationing of cigarettes. It isn’t McMurphy and Ratchets fault. Also i think this incident can be fuel by the mental problem he had. 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. For a lot of people, there is a time in our lives when we don’t quite let others know who we really are. Sometimes, we just don’t really want people to know who we really are. Using One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, let’s explore a little bit why a person might pretend to be not quite as able as they actually are.
Reader #1-In the Book “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest” by Ken Kesey McMurphy finds out that Bromden isn't actually who he says he is. One night Chief thinks that McMurphy had fallen asleep, his breathing got slower and slower, till he thinks he's been out for awhile. Then Chief hears McMurphy start laughing and he whispers “Why you sure did give a jump when i told you the coon was coming, chief i thought you was deef”. McMurphy is starting to imply that Bromden is lying about him being deaf. Chief may be acting like he's deaf to get information out of people because they’ll think they can talk about certain things in front of him because he can't hear them. The downside to acting deaf is because you can't speak at all or well enough for people to interpret what your saying. It's quite weird that Chief would be faking something like this, as i would think it would be a hassle for him. Reader #2-In reality people tend to act like they’re not capable of doing something to get out of it or to get special treatment from others. Chief Bramden has been pretending to be someone who he isn’t is. He’s pretending to be deaf so people would give him special treatment. Overall I think chief Bramden is pretending to be deaf so people won’t talk to him and also to spy on others. McMurphy soon catches Bramden on the act and I wonder if McMurphy will let out Bramden’s secret later in the book. Overall pretending to be someone you’re not is a waste of time. Reader #3-Chief has a conversation with McMurphy and he indicates that Bromden is faking his inabilities to speak and hear. People might pretend they are less able than they are to avoid being apart of something. In the text 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). Chief might pretend to be deaf and have an inability to speak as a way to distance himself from “the combine”. Bromden’s theory of the world is that it is this machine called the combine and people get involved to put people like him in those asylum institutions. Bromden doesn’t want any part of this machine. He just wants to keep to himself away from the rest of the world. Pretending to be less than someone already is could be their way to prevent stress and anything worse happening to them. Reader #5-In “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” Chief gave a hint towards McMurphy that he’s faking his deafness and inability to speak when Chief quickly hurried to bed when McMurphy said one of the black boys were coming over to their beds. This is proven when McMurphy says, “Why, you sure did give a jump when I told you that coon was coming, Chief. I thought someone told me you was deef.” (Page 84) Now for the benefits of pretending to be deaf is that you could not be targeted as easily for certain reasons. But the drawback on this is that people would probably think that you’re crazy, and you won’t be able to talk to other people. So Chief’s maybe thinking that life on the ward seems to be like a prison where you can get abused easily. So why would anyone pretend they’re less able than they are? It’s probably out of fear of getting attention drawn to you, weather it would be good or bad. Reader #6- In the book Chief Bromden reveals to Mcmurphy that he can speak and listen by actually talking to him. He tells him that he hasn't spoken in years and Mcmurphy believes him. he tells him how his whole life he was ignored and not really payed attention to. he just acted to being death and not able to speak so he can just listen. Chief bromden doesn't really like the way the ward hadels thing with the patients, he thinks the zapping and other so called treatments are horrible. the good thing about people thinking he's death is no one bothers him as much and he's just himself and doesn't have to bother with people's problems. i sometimes pretend i don't know how to do something at work so i won't have to do it and it works or just anthing in general like something at home. Reader #7-A person might pretend they are less able than they are in order to gain power. At the end of chapter 6, Chief Bromden and Mcmurphy are getting into bed and Mcmurphy tells Bromden that someone may be coming. Later in the night Mcmurphy started to laugh and said “Why, you sure did give a jump when I told you that coon was coming, Chief. I thought you was deef.” (Kesey 84) Mcmurphy is finally catching onto Bromden’s act, and he’s figuring out that Bromden may be smarter than her seems. Chief Bromden has been on the ward for years, and he’s adjusted to an everyday schedule. He goes through the motions and hopes that no one will ever realize he fake act he has to put on. The benefits of Bromden keeping his secret would be that he gets to listen in on every conversation and have information that others don’t. But a drawback would be that if anyone found out, he could be severely punished for it, which could lead him straight for the shock shop. For example, some people pretend they’re not good at things so that when they need to use the skill at a crucial point in their life, no one would be expecting it and they would have the advantage. Reader #8-Chief Bromden fakes his deafness, intelligence and his inability to talk. He does this because he just wants to slip through the cracks. He doesn’t want to participate in group discussions, so by pretending he's not able to partake in these activities, he's almost forgotten about. Not completely forgotten about however, McMurphy seems to have notice Chief, and he’s not letting him get away easy. McMurphy says this to Chief, “Why, you sure did give a jump when I told you that coon was coming, Chief. I thought somebody told me you was deef” (Kesey 84). McMurphy says this because he wants Chief to know that he's paying attention to him, that he notices him. This is unlike anyone else, because no one seemed to ever care whether Chief was faking it or not. Reader #9-Chief and McMurphy have a conversation where McMurphy indicates that he thinks Chief is faking his inability to to hear and speak. Someone may pretend they are less able than they actually are, to fit in. Chief has been in the institute so long that he may not want to change his ways. Chief has become accustomed to the day to day life on the ward and does not want to be treated differently if he showed he was able to speak and hear. A of the positive of Chief making people think he is unable to speak and hear are that he is mostly left alone(which he enjoys). There is a drawback to Chief faking this. He may be getting medicine and treatment meant for people who can’t actually hear or speak. This could possibly be making his schizophrenia flare up even more. This can easily be compared to pretending to be good at something that you actually aren't. Reader #10- A person can pretend to be less able than they really are for many different reasons. Chief Bromden has been pretending to be someone who he really isn’t throughout the whole book. He could be pretending to be deaf because he doesn’t want to talk to anyone and just likes to be alone and keep to himself. McMurphy soon catches on to chief pretending when Mcmurphy says “Why, you sure did give a jump when I told you that coon was coming, Chief. I thought somebody told me you was deef” (Kesey 84). I wonder how Chief is going to react to what McMurphy said to him and if McMurphy is going to tell anyone. In conclusion pretending to be someone you're not can eventually cause an impact on you and others. Reader #11-people are always gonna act like someone they arent, or say they are in a situation they really arent in, either to fit in, have more friends, or to get treated differently. chief Bromden has been pretending to be someone he isnt. He wants to be treated specially so he makes people believe he is in a situation where he is disabled in some aspects. Chief bromden is pretending to be to be deaf so people wont talk to him and also to make others feel like they dont have to worry about talking on subjects in front of him. Mcmurphy finds out bromden is just acting. deciding what he will do with that evidential information will be tough for Mcmurphy decide. in the end being yourself and playing fair is well worth it. Groups can be defined as a number of people or objects that are located together or share something in common. Aware of it or not, everyone is classified in some sort of group. For example, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, all of the patients are groups together as ones with a mental illness. Based on the group you are in, it can cause you to act in certain ways. What causes this and why does this happen? Let’s see how we can use the novel as an example.
Reader #1-The group therapy sessions aren't helping anyone cope with their problems. The acutes stay quiet for the most part and nobody opens up because there are so many people around. Everyone is uncomfortable with the environment and they are afraid of the big nurse. The group focuses on the log book, which is where the patient's pretty much rat out the others, they write down what they say or do. They are pretty much doing all of the dirty work for the nurses. The meetings are the same every time, the nurse asks what the patients have done and never admitted to, nobody answers at first because they're scared, she stares at the acutes and puts them in a “trance” and then they spill. “That triggered something, some acoustic device in the walls, rugged to turn on just at the sound of those words coming from her mouth. The acutes stiffened. Their mouths opened in unison” (Kesey 50). One thing they do is only point out the flaws or stuff that they did wrong, so it’s not a therapy session it’s a forced confession. These sessions are not helpful to the patient's’ mental health at all, it makes them feel worse about themselves. It helps the nurse because they are admitting to things they have done, but they don't come out of these meetings anymore mentally stable or happy then they were before. in some cases they come out worse. The patients are too afraid to stand up for themselves, the big nurse isn’t welcoming or accepting so they just let her walk all over them. She intimidates them so they can’t get better. Reader #2-The group sessions have a sort of passive aggressive cycle, with very little being accomplished. I feel as though it is not helping Chief or McMurphy. People behave rather strangely at times, and this is one of them. As the group continues to erode and deteriorate each other, Chief is beginning to notice more, and in a way, evolve, improving himself and his attitude. Others in the group are helped a little bit, albeit in a non acceptable way. We may not see that right away, but I predict as the story goes on, We will continue to see improvements in both Chief and McMurphy, or at the very least, we will see them beginning to change Reader #3-Various things cause certain people to act out and behave differently. Given on the situation, one might feel threatened or attacked, causing them to lash out or cause a scene. In ¨One Flew Over the Cuckoo´s Nest¨, they gather everyone and have a therapy session. During this session, some people attending were affected and made fun of. Knowing facts about mental illness, teasing and making fun of is a way of coping with your problems. The group was formed so that everyone had a chance to share and talk about their problems. When you attend these groups, you begin to notice a pattern based on the individuals talking. Some like to talk the whole time, some say a few things, and others say nothing. McMurphy was an individual who enjoys talking while Chief was an example of one who doesn't say much. Many times during these sessions someone is made fun of and are made helpless because they cannot defend themselves. These meetings are not always the most helpful. Reader #4-During the group sessions the Big Nurse tries to get the patients to talk by asking them questions continuously until someone answers. During this group session, Pete was a topic of discussion because he wouldn’t stop causing commotion. The text says “Pete never tried anything like that again, and he never will. Now when he starts acting up during a meeting and they try to hush him, he always hushes.” (Kesey 55) Due to Pete acting out the whole group put their effort into getting Pete to be quiet. After a while, the Big Nurse got frustrated and made the black boys take Pete out of the meeting and back to the day room. During the sessions, The Big Nurse has the role of asking the questions, the black boys are their to help out the big nurse, and the patients are their to answer the questions the Big Nurse asks so she can record their progress. However, most of the patients stay quiet during these sessions until one speaks up then they all chime in. These sessions are not helpful because whenever the nurse asks a questions the patients are scared to answer because they feel like they will be judged. Also the nurse asks questions that the patients already know about themselves, so admitting them to her isn’t going to do much to help them. The patients are afraid to stand up for themselves because they fear being moved to a different part of the ward. They believe if they act out against the nurse they will be put into the Disturbed ward, and they might have to endure shock therapy or even an operation. Sessions in the ward, do not help any patients in the ward because they are afraid to be themselves due to the fear of being judge or moved to a worse part of the ward. Reader #5-One day in the ward, the Big Nurse got all the patients together for their group therapy session and it was the first one in the book so far. Big Nurse says to the patients “Now. Who will start? Let out those old secrets.”They all just sat there in silence and didn’t say a word. Since no one decided to speak up, the nurse decided to bring up “past history” from that one book that everyone writes in about each other. That made everyone uneasy and sparked something in their brains to make them want to speak up all of the sudden. They all started yelling out confessions, saying things like “I tried to take my little sister to bed.” and “I killed my cat when I was six…”. It was very chaotic and odd because it seemed like they were all trying to out-do each other with what they have done. One patient, Pete, was sick of hearing everyone yell out all these things to please the nurse and he belted out saying, “I’m tired!” He kept saying it over and over again. The Big Nurse got aggravated and called the black boys to take him away since he was causing unnecessary commotion. I don’t think there’s roles in the group therapy sessions because it depends on their emotions that day. Obviously, there will always be one patient to talk first but, I don’t think it will always be the same. The sessions seem pointless to me because the patients don’t get to talk about their feelings and Big Nurse doesn’t give them advice on how to cope or encourage them to do good. The whole time they were confessing she repeatedly said yes and it was creepy. She made it seem like she was satisfied with it. All of the patients are honestly helpless because if they do decide to stick up for themselves, Big Nurse will just call in the black boys and they will do something to torture the patients and then nothing is solved. They’re all terrified and stay quiet because they don’t want to have to interact with the black boys. Reader #6-Chief bromden’s experience in the therapy sessions is weird. The group sessions are basically them talking about what they have done or tried to do in their life for them to get into the mental institution. The group focuses on them trying to deal with them being in there and overcoming the things that they had done. The patient’s don’t stand up for themselves because their scared too. They think that standing up for themselves is going to cause something bad. When the patients are talking about what they did to get in there as said in the quote ‘’ I tried to take my little sister to bed’’ there all talking about what they have done and overcoming what they did so can atleast get some grief about it. Reader #7-the group therapy sessions seem to be kind of awkward. i don’t think anyone really talks. they seem afraid. in the past, pete tried to tell them something about himself for once, but he just got punished for it. so now him and the others are probably just afraid to open up. nurse ratched is always the one to start criticizing or “picking on” someone. In the text, it says “Mr. McMurphy… my friend… i’m not a chicken, Im a rabbit. The doctor is a rabbit. .... All of us here are rabbits of varying ages and degrees… we need a good strong wolf like the nurse to teach us our place.” (Kesey 64) Nurse racthed is the wolf and the patients are rabbits. those are the roles people take during these sessions. Reader #8-People act in certain ways when they are in groups for a variety of different reasons. Like in the therapy group they all were silent for a very long time. In the text it states “ And, she’d put all the acutes in a trance by sitting there in the silence for twenty minutes after the question, quiet as an electric alarm about to go off.” The group is probably acting this way because it is hard to talk about your feeling in front of people you’re are not familiar with. Especially when you have a mental illness like the people in the group. When the group finally cracked they all started talking about doing insane and illegal things. for example “I tried taking my sister to bed.”. That is something that you don’t normally tell people. But this probably helps them because the can get the bad things they did off their chest without getting in trouble. Reader #9-I think that the group sessions are very awkward. None of the patients enjoy participating, and no one is willing to even make eye contact with Nurse Ratched except for McMurphy. He is the only one who who will talk and share his opinion. Patients are taken back by this. The group focuses on the big nurse and McMurphy because they are interested that he is actually standing up to Big Nurse. Everyone is always silent, but Pete always complains about being tired. No one ever stands up for themselves because they don’t want to get in trouble and be sent for a lobotomy. Although, McMurphy is determined to get under Ratched’s skin without being sent to the disturbed ward. Reader #10-In the book so far, we learn a lot about how the patients can be and act, especially during their group therapy sessions. These sessions usually consist of silence but at the most recent therapy session, they started to complain and ask tons of questions such as "Why does the dorms have to be locked on the weekends?". For some odd reason the staff seems to just let them do so instead of stopping and controlling the patient's. This is a very significant part of the book because it is showing how the staff tries to keep them contin so they have no say in anything. That is why McMurphy finds this very strange considering the staff and nurse Ratched normally would have dealt with this situation by now. There are a lot of different types of conflicts that people encounter in their daily lives. It may be just a small argument with a friend, but it could also be something a lot bigger than that. While there may be many reasons for these conflicts, one of the biggest causes of them is power and who has more of it. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, there is a very clear division between who has power and who does not have power. Through this novel, we can start to explore how people gain power, where they get it from, and why it is so important to have power. Let’s see how the readers answered this question!
Reader #1-The power and control is what is most important in Nurse Ratched’s view. In the combine, Ratched holds most of the power inside the institution, and no one can take it away from her. Even though, she has to okay her actions with the person who is incharge of the whole institution from the outside. Inside, the patients see her as a bully, the enemy, and someone to be afraid of. Nurse Ratched enjoys using fear to control the patients. “She doesn’t need to accuse. She has a genius for insinuation. Did you ever hear her, in the course of our discussion today, ever once hear her accuse me of anything?”(Kesey 64). This text example shows that although Nurse Ratched doesn’t actually accuse anyone of doing anything, somehow she has a way of making the patient feel as if they did something terribly wrong. In the real world women like Nurse Ratched do not get as much authority as she does, and if they somehow get to a big job. They are watched over and treated differently because of their gender. In the world of business if a person is not on top of the pyramid. They do not have any power over anyone. Cuckoo’s Nest has a different story however. Even though Nurse Ratched isn’t actually in charge in the eyes of the outside world. In the institution that is a very different story. She is in charge and has the power to do anything if she really wants to. Reader #2-The patient's view Nurse Ratched as the symbol of power in the ward. Nurse Ratched is more powerful than even the doctor because she can get him fired with just one phone call by saying “that the doctor seems to be making a great number of requisitions for Demerol” because if the supervisor heard that then she would suspect that he was using it himself. The patient's are afraid of her because she has the power to do whatever she wants to do. Chief Bromden hallucinates and thinks that Nurse Ratched is a gigantic monster that was gonna punish the aides but she changes back to human before the patients can see. Chief views her like that because she is an intimidating figure that over uses her power. The emasculation is what Nurse Ratched does to the male patients by make them feel like less of a man because they are being controlled by a woman. That is how the patient's view Nurse Ratched. Reader #3-where do people get their power from? power can come from a lot of things in the real world. In the book nurse ratched “calm as anything, puts the log book back in the basket and takes out another folder and open it and starts reading. McMurry….a series of arrests for drunkenness, assault and battery..” (kesey 45). This is how the big nurse uses her power. At anytime she can pull out someone's file and start reading it to shut them up, or make them understand that she is the boss and can do what she wants. There isn't really a power difference between the power in the book and in real life. Just as in the book people do that in real life too, They abuse their power to show the authority they have. Reader #4-Emasculation, more generally speaking, is to make a man feel less masculine and to deprive him of his strength. McMurphy immediately feels the effect of this upon entering the institution and after attending a meeting. He’s stunned by Nurse Ratched’s ability to manipulate and brainwash all the patients. They fear Nurse Ratched greatly and are aware of her extensive powers in the ward so they do all they can to avoid one of her punishments. She’s carefully thought out and executed who she hires to help her, methods of discipline, etc. Ratched is simply a control freak. The patients know that if they resist any of her regulations they could end up in the Disturbed Ward, the Shock Shop, or have a lobotomy done and that’s enough to keep them in their place . Harding says the only way to control a woman like her is through sex. A misogynistic view point but McMurphy takes it into consideration and continues to devise a plan of resistance against her. This scenario in the book is much different than in the real world where men typically are in positions of power, especially in the time period the book takes place, but then again that’s just how Nurse Ratched likes it. Reader #5- People gain power in society from how much they know. McMurphy has tried to take control of the Big Nurse by talking about his uncle. “Ma’am, McMurphy says, have I told you about my uncle Hallahan and the woman who used to screw up his name?” (Kesey 48). This shows that McMurphy is trying to take control mentally over the nurse. The patient's view Nurse Ratched as someone who’s in charge, but can be taken advantage of. McMurphy says, “Our dear Miss Ratched? Our sweet, smiling, tender angel of mercy, Mother Ratched, a ball-cutter?” (Kesey 60). She is perceived as a pretty, motherly like woman to the patients. Most patients call her a “Veritable angel”(Kesey 61). To gain the power in society, they try to take control and advantage of the ones that are in charge. Reader #6-People gain power in society by using anger and intimidation. Nurse Ratched is a perfect example of this. In the ward, everyone knows that she gets furious when something isn’t going her way. “The Big Nurse tends to get real put out if something keeps her outfit from running like a smooth, accurate, precision-made machine. The slightest thing messy or out of kilter or in the way ties her into a little white knot of tight-smiled fury.” (Kesey 28) Nurse Ratched’s main motivation is order. She wants things in order and she wants things her way. To achieve her desire for order and power, Nurse Ratched practically has a meltdown when even the slightest thing is out of place. Reader #7-In this group discussion a lot is going on between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched they are both key players, fighting for dominance. McMurphy feels emasculation in the way all the patients are not allowed to show any real emotion. For example when Mcmurphy arrives and Chief Bromden says it's the first real laugh he has heard in years. McMurphy doesn't really notice this until the meeting, where all he gets are a couple of grins. Nurse Ratched has an advantage in the way that she controls the place. The patient's view her like a big machine because of her on schedule consistency. She also has a very short fuse when people Interupt her smooth flow. Mc Murphy though is about to challenge her. “that's a good rule for a smart gambler; look the game over awhile before you draw yourself a hand. |
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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