McMurphy has been a larger-than-life presence in the ward since his arrival, and that presence has only grown to the patients in the ward. Let’s take a closer look at how meaningful he has become to the other patients he interacts with.
Reader #1-I think McMurphy is starting to become as symbol of a leader and someone who is getting the wrong punishment. The crown of thorns is referring to jesus. I think Mcmurphy can be compared to jesus because of how jesus was killed on the cross even though he didn’t deserve it, the same is happening when McMurphy gets this treatment. He doesn’t deserve it. I think McMurphy is viewed as a leader in the ward. The effects of his arrival is that all the patients have changed and come to realizations. McMurphy has been a benefit to the ward. Reader #2-One might think that McMurphy is a christ figure in the ward. He is full of laughter and happiness that a lot of the ward looks up to. He is also against the odds in the ward; he stands up for what he believes in. I think McMurphy has been a benefit to the patients in the ward, but not to the nurses. McMurphy always will question the nurse like, “Not very long, you’re afraid?” (Kesey 278). McMurphy is always sticking up for the rest of the ward by asking questions. I think patients really appreciate him, like a christ figure. Everyone knew when he entered the ward, life was looking up. Reader #3-McMurphy is becoming a symbol for change and hope in the ward. McMurphy comes into the ward and is different than the others. He changes the game by demanding more from Nurse Ratched. He gives them hope because he’s the first to really change things. For some of the patients they will be in the ward for their whole life. I think that they all need a little hope when you have a future that will consist of the same thing almost everyday. McMurphy shaking things up is seen as a hope because he just might change things in the ward forever. Chief Bromden sees McMurphy as a: “giant come out of the sky to save us from the Combine” (Kesey). Chief realizes that McMurphy is his hope, and he needs him. Reader #3-McMurphy is a symbol of hope to the patients, they have been like a group of sheep following the nurse who is their shepherd. When the nurse subjects MCmurphy to electroshock therapy he willingly goes because he know if he resists it will show the nurse weakness. McMurphy is started to be viewed as a traitor for taking money from the other patients. The nurse shows them a bulletin showing a steady decline in their money but McMurphy's stays the same. McMurphy and bromden are sent to disturbed the learn a little about the nurse,Aa Japanese nurse who works there she says that army nurses are“a little sick themselves’ referring to how the nurse likes to run the ward like an army hospital. While McMurphy is deciding what card to play next the nurse tries to figure out how to control him. She has been uncomfortable ever since he arrived, and is not use to the mischief. Reader #4- mcmurphy goes is now engaging in electroshock therapy, and in the book as he is getting prepared for his therapy he asks “Anointest my head with conductant. do i get a crown of thorns “) (page 270) mcmurphy sees himself almost like jesus because the ward sees him as kind of rebellious against them. mcmurphy is a leader to the patients of the ward, just as jesus was to his disciples. So just jesus received a crown of thorns, mcmurphy believes he will too. mcmurphy has dones good in the ward to the people in it, giving them more freedom and fun. during his electroshock therapy he feels like he getting punished for doing nothing wrong, as was jesus. Reader #5-Mcmurphy is becoming a symbol of God, everyone looks up to him, he has no fears and he refers to the “crown of thorns”. The crown of thorns is an allusion to the bible. Jesus was crucified and wore a thorn of crowns. There are many biblical allusions in Cuckoos Nest. Mcmurphy is viewed as the most powerful man in the ward, that he knows all. Anything he says goes, eventually, for example he got them all to go on a fishing trip. Some effects he has had on the ward are positive and negative. He has gotten the patients out, made them laugh again, and even broken down nurse Ratched a couple times. Chief said “ He knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance” (Kesey 250). Without Mcmurphy laughter would still be foreign. He has been a benefit to the ward, he has helped the patients realize that their illnesses don't define them. Reader #6-“A dead Christ I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me.” (Andrew Murray, Jesus Himself). McMurphy initially is very confused about electroshock therapy and doesn’t understand why it’s permitted by the public. Harding explains that people just want flawed things to be fixed as fast as possible regardless of method. Since McMurphy’s arrival at the ward he’s become a glimmer of hope for the patients; the second coming of Christ, if you will. This is the reason he draws a comparison between the electrodes and a “crown of thorns”. He’s creating a visual of Christ being crucified on the cross which was a grave sacrifice. McMurphy’s antics have gone too far for comfort of the staff of the ward. The electroshock therapy is supposed to put him in his place so he can no longer cause trouble, thus putting an end to the rebellion against Nurse Ratched/The Combine. The patients realise how much McMurphy is risking by acting out but, in a way, see him as invincible considering how much he’s gotten away with. Completely sane, they feel they owe McMurphy their obedience. Brain-dead, they feel they owe McMurphy his legacy. Reader #7-“Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?” (p. 270). McMurphy isn’t really sick. During his time he has done good things, he made a basketball team and helped other people. This allusion is towards Jesus Christ because he feels like he’s being punished when nothing is really wrong with him. He used his strength to get of electroshock therapy to give him a more powering image. McMurphy is a leader in the ward just like Jesus was to his disciples. This is why Mcmurphy is creating the picture he is similar to jesus christ, but towards the ward. Reader #9-Mcmurphy and Bromden are being taken to electroshock therapy, when Mcmurphy gets on the table he says “Do I get a crown of thorn?”(Kesey 270). This quote is an allusion to Jesus, Mcmurphy is similar to Jesus in many ways. Mcmurphy sacrifices himself for the better of everyone in the ward, and he also sacrifices himself willingly. Mcmurphy is viewed as the savior of the ward, and the only one to end Nurse Ratched’s control. I think that Mcmurphy has been a benefit to the ward because he has shown everybody that you don’t always have to conform. He has also shown the people of the ward that you can stand up for yourself.
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Symbols are a concrete object that stand for an abstract idea. There are a lot of things that could be considered a symbol in the novel, and one of those things is the repeated breaking of the glass in Nurse Ratched’s office. Let’s explore the significance and meaning behind this.
Reader #1-McMurphy busted a window recently. Not sure why, but his reasons became self evident. He ruined his chance for escape, or release. But, in a way, he helped Chief. It was a symbolic victory, a gesture in which he showed how you can defy society as an individual. He became a martyr, showing the men that they could be doing something more. He wants them to find themselves, regain who they once were. Reader #2-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief bromden has a flashback and we learn chiefs past. Chief remembers what happened between his parents and how “ mother kept getting bigger while father shrunk into alcoholism and despair”. Chief joined world war II and in the army he learns about the electronics that he will later develop schizophrenically. His hallucinations come from the combine; a large mechanized matrix that control over mankind. Chief thinks he can hear the mechanized gears of the combine beneath the floors of the hospital where he has been living as a deaf mute since the war. Although chiefs confidence was returned by McMurphy, this is so meaningful because he has a first thought from his past, and he usually can't think of it. Reader #3-In this novel, the nurses station glass keeps breaking. As of what is going on in the book right now, i think this symbolizes a gesture of defiance, and wanting equality. Because the nurse is locked up in a room and everyone has to share the ward so it’s considered unfair. So mcmurphy defies that boundary. I think this act of rebellion is going to spread through the ward. This may lead to future fights or acts of defiance. One theme could be rebellion or individuality because mcmurphy wants to overpower the inequality of the ward. This is affecting the other patients because they witness this act and take consideration and think differently about the ward. Reader #4-After McMurphy shatters the glass at the nurse’s station he went back to the rebellious ways while Nurse Ratched tries to figure out another way to get ahead and have their attention again in the ward. McMurphy also brings a basketball team together and had Dr.Spivey sign it off as “therapeutic” value. Ratched wasn’t to fond of the idea and protested against it but overall McMurphy won. “tidiness like a pocket watch with a glass back, a place where the schedule is unbreakable and all the patients who aren’t Outside, obedient under her beam, are wheelchair Chronics with catheter tubes” In my opinion I believe the glass is represent the breaking of the old into the new. McMurphy was upset that Ratched declined his request that Candy Starr couldn’t come and see him. He broke the glass after the news; symbolizing that his old actions are in the past and he’s a new person now. Him and other people in the ward continues to break the glass. Also the glass in considered “unbreakable” as in the rules are unbreakable. McMurphy and other patients in the ward want to show that they’re breakable and continues to break the glass. Reader #5-The breaking glass might symbolize the people in the ward and how broken they are and how they lives were falling apart just like how the glass is breaking. McMurphy was the one who was breaking the class because on page 207 it says that ‘’ The nurse taped his hand in the station while scanlon and harding dug the cardboard out of the garage and taped it back in the frame, using adhesive from the same roll the nurse was bandaging McMurphy’s wrist and fingers with.McMurphy sat on a stool, grimacing something awful while he got his cuts tended, winking at scanlon and harding over the nurse’s head.’’ McMurphy felt sad about being in the ward and saw the glass and forgot it was there. Reader #6-During part 3 of the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, the glass in the Nurse’s station keeps getting broken over and over again. The broken glass might symbolize Nurse’s power and the way Mcmurphy keeps breaking her, But she somehow keeps winning all her power back. After the glass broke, the aides put a piece of cardboard where the glass broke, and Nurse continues to sit behind it as if it were transparent. She looks like “a picture turned to the wall”. The second time McMurphy punched through the glass it was a continuation of his physical rebellion, showing his strength against Nurse Ratched. Nurse finds other ways to take down McMurphy, but no matter what he does to Nurse he still continues to lose against her. The broken glass also might symbolize McMurphy’s weaknesses. Reader #7-Mcmurphy goes back to rebellious way after breaking the glass. at the same time nurse ratched is trying to get ahead of the ward. McMurphy creates a basketball team for the ward which Dr.Spivey sign off as therapeutic value. nurse ratched did not like the idea, and went agaisnt him, but there was not much she could do, so he won. “tidiness like a pocket watch with a glass back, a place where the schedule is unbreakable and all the patients who aren’t Outside, obedient under her beam, are wheelchair Chronics with catheter tubes” I believe the glass represents the breaking of the old into the new. McMurphy was upset that Ratched declined his request that Candy Starr couldn’t come and see him. He broke the glass after the news symbolizing that his old actions are in the past and he’s a new person now. Reader #8-The glass represents Ratched’s power and Mcmurphy breaking it represents him destroying her power of the ward. He doesn't know what else to do, he has gotten through to her a couple times but it is not going how he wants. It is affecting the other patients because now they are starting to become rebellious. Not as much as Mcmurphy but they are taking after him. It is bringing up old actions and ways that he used to be before the ward. He realised that the other patients are depending on him and it got to his head. Mcmurphy thrives on punishment it gives him the rush that he is living for: “When you broke a rule you knew it. You wanted to be dealt with, needed it, but the punishment did not come” (Kesey 200). Mcmurphy brings life into the ward, but it might not be a good thing. Reader #9- There are many occasions when glass has been broken in One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. What is so significant about this happening so many times is the fact that glass is very fragile, and also reflective. The way i see this is, people can also be very much fragile and reflective. Both glass and people can be so damaging, and In the ward, the people seem to be so lost in life because of different reasons, which can lead them to be so fragile. While Chief and McMurphy have had somewhat of a relationship up until this point, in Part III of the novel this relationship reaches a turning point. Let’s look at the changes in their relationship and think about the effects of becoming closer on each of them.
Reader #1-While McMurphy is talking to one of the black boys he learns that Chief is getting gum, but no one knows how. The black boy explains that Chief sticks the gum to the bed posts, and then removes it to chew it again. This ignites a relationship between McMurphy and Chief: “Juicy fruit is the best I can do for you at the moment, Chief…. before I realized what I was doing, I told him Thank you”(Kesey 217). Although this event doesn’t seem like much to start a friendship, nor does it look like they could help each other. However, this friendship is exactly what they both need to fix the society of the ward. In this scene, McMurphy sharing his gum could be symbolizing the start of something new in the ward. Also, Chief talks to McMurphy for the first time proving that he is not what everyone thinks he is. Everyone in the ward believes Chief is stupid, dumb, deaf, and has no idea what is really going on. That is not the case; however, Chief knows exactly what happens in the ward, and what is going to happen to McMurphy. Chief tries to warn McMurphy about what is going to happen to him if he is not carefully about his actions. Especially when McMurphy punched Nurse Ratched’s window more than once. McMurphy and Chief’s friendship could be exactly what the patients in the ward need. Two people who could do real damage to the “perfect” society and to Nurse Ratched. It is going to be very interesting to see what the two of them are going to do to shake up the ward. Reader #2-During a section in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ Chief Bromden and McMurphy begin to have a change in their relationship with each other. Before this though, McMurphy was beginning to ease down a little on causing a ruckus in the ward, and Chief was still just a pretend deaf indian janitor. So they never really had any kind of contact up until this point. In the time when McMurphy was finished talking to a black boy about Chief’s secret gum stash, he went up to Chief at night and said, “Here” and gave him a piece of gum and replied “Thank you,”(page 217). For the first time in the book, we actually see Chief Bromden speak and talk with McMurphy. So it would seem that the sharing of the gum was a way of McMurphy telling Chief that he can trust him. And this is significant because we get to see Chief and McMurphy, the narrator of the novel and the main protagonist, actually interact with each other and say what their views are about the world. And this, they both get a new relationship where McMurphy gets back into being himself again, and Chief getting more self-esteem and courageous to do things against the wards norms. Reader #3-Chief was rudely awoken by an orderly scraping the gum off the bottom of his bed. Chief asked the orderly what he was doing and he responds with admitting that he had been watching chief for a number of years, and had never seen him visit the canteen. The orderly naturally wondered where Chief got his gum from seeing as he never visited the canteen. Once he leaves Mcmurphy whispers to Chief and starts to sing a song about the gum. At first Chief was angry at Mcmurphy but he soon realized it was funny and he started to laugh. Mcmurphy jumped up and gave Chief a fresh piece of gum. The gum represents the beginning of Chief’s first friendship in the ward, and Mcmurphy and Chief start to talk and even though Mcmurphy tells Chief he is as big as a mountain, Chief says he is too small and weak to escape. Reader #4- In part III McMurphy gives Chief Bromden a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. This symbolizes their friendship. McMurphy shares a story with Bromden about a time where he was also silent. McMurphy wonders if Bromden is saving all the information about everyone and one day he will use it against them. This is a turning point in their relationship because they’re sharing things together. Bromden tries to do something he’s never done before: “I tried to laugh with him, but it was a squawking sound, like a pullet trying to crow” (218 Kesey). McMurphy makes Bromden laugh, and that shows the he likes his company. Their relationship has definitely formed into something deeper after this. Chief Bromden has made it clear that he has a pretty serious mental illness which makes him view the world in a very unique way. One thing that he has avoided up until now though is how his life outside of the mental ward has influenced him. Let’s take a closer look at the significance of this flashback occurring now in the novel.
Reader #1-Bromden remembers something about his childhood. Before he remembers, he is about to sign the list for the fishing trip but he is afraid it will blow his cover that he is faking that he is deaf. This is clear in the text when: “Bromden wants to sign the list, but he is afraid to blow his deaf-and-dumb cover, realizing that he has to “keep acting deaf if [he] wanted to hear at all.” (Kesey part 3) This relates to the childhood memory he thought of. He remembered that when he was a child he spoke to people that came to his home, but they acted like he had not said a word. I think he thought of this memory because it relates to the fact that he is acting deaf. He is acting deaf because he doesn’t feel he will be heard if he speaks, and he hears more when he is deaf because people think he can’t hear anyways. Reader #2-The flashback to Bromden’s childhood was a significant moment for his character. This moment is important because it represents something that he remembers. He hasn’t had a memory of his childhood in a long time. It was about his Dad; he was selling land to three people. When Bromden spoke to them, they seemed like they didn’t hear him. Bromden thought back when, “About 10 years old” and he was “in front of the shack”(Kesey 210). This is meaningful to him because it was a memory with his dad and childhood that never occurs to him. Nothing has reminded him it until that moment. Reader #3-Chief Bromden has a flashback to his childhood. This flashback is when he is little a group of people come and are trying to take over his indian land. This is like the ward how McMurphy is trying to get rid of the nurse. His flashback explains his last name and the difficult childhood he had and how it might make him the way he is today. “As my sociology professor used to emphasize, there is generally one person in every situation you must never underestimate the power of” This is a good quote to relate to the ward and nurse ratched vs McMurphy. This flashback is meaningful to bromden, because it is the first time he has ever witnessed the brutality of people and what they can do. Reader #4-In Part III Chief has a significant experience, he is able to remember something from his past. This started with Chief remembering that he was not the one that started acting deaf, in fact he just felt he was never heard. This triggered a flashback to his childhood and the day the government came to his tribe’s camp to appraise the property so they could buy it and build a dam on the waterfall they were on. This flashback could have been triggered by the huge changes in the ward, or him asking himself why he chose to start acting deaf and mute. Either way this was an important and meaningful moment for Chief because he was “amazed that I’d remembered that. It was the first time in what seemed to me centuries that I’d been able to remember much about my childhood.”(Kesey 215). Reader #5-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Bromden had a flashback and remembered something. Bromden remembers that people came over to talk to his dad about buying the land.”But someone should inform them of the government's plans” (Kesey 212).This is significant because this is the first time he remembered something from his childhood. This is meaningful to Bromden because he is slowly starting to remember things from his past and about his family. Before he had his flashback he was going to sign something but he couldn’t so he can hide his deafness. Slowly Bromden is starting to regain some memories he has from his past. Even though many of the characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are mentally ill in some fashion, they also reveal many truths about human nature and how we work. What are some of the universal truths that we see in the story?
Reader #1-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey describes a fog that has us all wondering. Chief claims that the fog that surrounds chief constantly is “made” by nurse ratched. Chief is schizophrenic and see’s things that aren't really there, we recognize that the fog may be medically induced, and is a fog in the mind, other than literal fog. Personally i think that maybe the fog is to distract the patients so then they can't get more power than nurse ratched or “rise up in rebellion” against nurse ratched, but also keeps them satisfied with their lives and keeps them from thinking anything real. Chief explains “ the men hide behind the fog because it's comfortable.” Reader #2-Everyone in this world is diffrent, some face struggles harsher than others and require more help than others. These individuals have a greater struggle in the world even if it comes down to social, academic work and everyday basic needs. The book One flew over the cuckoo’s nest teaches us the struggle people face. We learn that these individuals are sometimes the saddest out there, but they are also the most kind in the world. Reader #3-Respect. That word resonates when you say it. Or at least it does if you’re in a box canyon, which you aren’t for 99 percent of your life. But everyone wants to be respected, and for others that comes in different ways. Conquerors want to be known and feared. Kings want to be praised and looked up to. Teachers want us to listen. Students want to be heard. We must give the respect to others, as it is given to us. We’re all here together for like 80 some years apiece. Don’t be a jerk while you’re here. Be nice and others will be nice to you. Reader #4-People want to be respected. It’s a basic desire. People can sometimes get shut down and ignored if they are treated right. This can lead to random outbursts and inappropriate actions. This could seriously impact the lives of daily people. They stop performing as well, don't participate, and neglect work if they don't feel listened to. People that feel unlistened to will or tend to work together and get along better than those who are heard. People that are respected and listened to are often able to vent and share ideas amongst themselves. This leads to more open minded people. People in the ward have a hard time being listened to and acknowledged since there are so many of them. A lot of them feel unlistened to. I think this will cause conflict later on. Reader #5- There are different kinds of people in ¨One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” that the author gives clear examples to his readers. everyone is pretty much put in their own groups depending on mental illness. The patients that can’t really function on their own stay at one side and are called the walkers and the ones that can move and are energetic are the acutes. everyone sees them the same but there really not. they all act differently and show their emotions differently. like when mcmurphy first came in the story he acted like he was all that but he still had a mental illness and also with Chief Bromden, he acted like he couldn't talk so no one would bother him or speak to him. everyone is different no matter what disability or illness they have. Reader #6-during the book many themes can be brought upon the story. one is that all humans ill or not, struggle, some struggle to stay sane, others academically and some with emotions, or keeping friendships. all humans are different but not a single on has it easy. and their struggles are what shape them into who they are, making them strong, smart, sad, a liar, and cheater, a jerk, or anyone. they fit their personalities to better cope with their problems. and that was is being shown alot in this novel. everyone being who they arent to cover up or make up for what they truly are. Reader #7-There are many different themes and people in the book.. Some people in the story don’t even talk and are scared of nurse ratched and some people are very outgoing and don’t take anything seriously like McMurphy. In the book McMurphy says ‘’ I tell ya, I can’t figure it out. Harding, what’s wrong with you, for crying out loud? You afraid if you raise your hand that old buzzard’ll cut it off’’ in the book some people are scared to do anything because their scared of what’s gonna happen, but McMurphy doesn’t care at all, he wants everything to be done his way. The actions that people do as a whole is that they mostly work things together and sometimes it doesn t go to well. The people in the ward see the world a little differently, they dont expect much more than what they have in the ward. Reader #8-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest, the theme of needing control over others is shown. McMurphy, being the one who needs to have power over Nurse Ratched, shows the universal truth about people. That being: humans need to feel that they’re in control to be content. The author illustrates this in the book, “McMurphy walks past the window where she’s glaring out at him and grins at her like he knows he’s got her whipped now. When he tips his head back and winks at her she gives that little sideways jerk of her head” (Kesey 142). McMurphy is happy that he has her bent out of shape over something he did. He wants her to know that he won’t back down without a fight. He’s not just fighting for truth, he's fighting for control, and that's just what he will get. Reader #9-A universal truth about human nature that represents what we have read in the novel so far is: everyone has a different mindset, and different perspectives on the way they see and think about things can determine who you are as a person. In the book, we have come face to face with many peculiar people, there is no doubt about that, but we see them differently because they think and act differently than we do. This concept goes to show the overall truth and concept in this book. We as human tend to judge people because they do not have the same thinking mentality of us, for example; McMurphy says, “..in the nurses’ station i can see the white hands of the big nurse float over the controls.” When he says this, he knows the nurse wants them to all act and be a certain way because she sees them as differently, but she only see this because they aren't like her, they don’t think and see things like her. Everyone has their own mindset, and this helps define who we are as humans. 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. We’ve already established that Chief Bromden, because of his mental disability, sees the world differently. Let’s look a little more at how his mind works by examining his hallucination of the ward coming alive at night.
Reader #1-Chief Bromden is a patient that has schizophrenia and has constant and very strange hallucinations within the ward. One of these hallucinations happens when it’s night time in the ward and suddenly the bedroom became sorta like the inside of a dam with machines and faceless workers everywhere. Plus there were also many furnaces around the room as well as hooks that look like they’re in a butcher's warehouse. This scenario then moves along to the sleeping patients beginning to get strapped to a hook by the foot, starting with Blastic, and old vegetable in the ward. Blastic was flapping out his arms and free leg to get free but then he gets supposedly gutted from one of the workers with a scalpel and appears to be dead right after. Then Chief gets pulled out of the hallucination by an old negro man named Mr. Turkle who takes a late shift and begins to very carefully and gently “lift old Blastic onto the stretcher and carry him out, covered with a sheet-handle him more careful than anybody ever handled him before in all his life.” (Page 90) So the irony behind Chief’s hallucination is that Blastic was gutted dead, and he awakens to find doctors on the late shift carry Blastic’s corpse out of the ward. Reader #2-Chief Bromden hallucinates because of his medication they give him because of his medical problems. every time he takes his medication he sees fog drifting into the wards, the medication makes him hallucinate hard and makes him feel like he's in a different world or out of reality. He believes that the staff have hidden fog machines in the vents that make the patients hallucinate. Some reason the chief feels like it's a safe place for him because he can escape reality and feel himself. there's a character in the story that chief bromden sees but dies, but at the end of his hallucination he seen old blastic right in front of him alive. It had chief speechless and confused over what he seen and does during his hallucinations. Reader #3-In his hallucination Chief sees the vegetable Blastic being grabbed by the heels and being hung by his the tendon in his heels. The workers then proceed to cut him open, but there is no blood just rust and ash, and the occasional piece of wire and glass. The ironic part of this hallucination is that Blastic died that very night. Chief’s hallucination are a distortion of reality; like how he visualizes Nurse Ratched as a monster because of how powerful she is. This hallucination is significant because he visualizes the ward as a combine and the patients as machines, he sees the workers killing Blastic because of how they don't help the patients at all, they are just mean and abusive towards them. There are lots of things that go into making a great character in a story. Great characters are dynamic, elicit strong emotions, and seem to jump right off of the page. Randall P. McMurphy, a newcomer to the mental ward in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is one of those characters. His arrival not only creates a lot of turmoil in the ward, but holds a lot of significance to our narrator, Chief Bromden. Let’s see what that significance is according to our readers.
Reader #1-Mcmurphy doesn’t fit into the typical 3 Categories that the institute provides. The types of patients in the wards are called Chronics, categorized as a walker, wheeler, or vegetable. And then there’s the acutes who are the type that can barely function. The Chief admires Mcmurphy because his way of approaching others is different than anyone who’s ever been here. The chief gets nervous at the way Mcmurphy approaches him. The chief was thinking that “He wasn’t fooled for one minute by my deaf-and-dumb act; it didn’t make any difference how cagey the act was, he was onto me and was laughing and winking to let me know it.” (Kesey 24) The Chief knows that Mcmurphy is smarter than anyone here, and that he doesn’t fit into any of the ward’s categories because he feels he’s outsmarted them already with this one unforgettable look he gave the Chief. In the ward the woman they call the “Big Nurse” runs the place. By the way that The Chief describes her, it seems like everyone has to fear for her, because she is a very strong-minded individual. She shows her authority through the way she treats patients and has a keen eye for anything she sees out of place. The way that power is gained in the ward is cooperation. The chief has a power that no one else knows he has. They all think he can’t hear and that he doesn’t have anything going on up in his head. But really, he’s seeing everything that goes on with the patients, and staff and no one knows about it because he cooperates and puts on a harmless act. Mcmurphy is different because he’s loud and rambunctious. He also seems to be functioning well. He’s also tried to take authority quickly, rather than just letting the day go by like all of the other patients. Mcmurphy is not like anyone in the ward. He’s smart just like The Chief, and he’s going to do anything and everything in his power to make that ward his. Reader #2-McMurphy isn’t like the other patients in the ward, he is more open and friendly than the other patients. The type of patients in the ward are different from McMurphy. When he is walking around asking people to play cards and talking about random things and just being very open. The other patients are frightened by him. He just wants to make a good impression on everybody since he’s gonna be there for a while as he says that on page 19 ‘’ It’s my first day and what i’d like to do is make a good impression straight off on the right man if he can prove to me he is the right man.’’ overall McMurphy is different from others because he’s more outgoing than the other patients. Reader #3-It is clear that McMurphy doesn’t fit into the typical mold in the ward. The patients in the ward are very reserved and quiet. You can tell that it makes them uneasy when McMurphy is loud and when he laughs. In the book, it says “Yet he looks like he’s enjoying himself, like he’s the sort of guy that gets a laugh out of people.” (Kesey 23) McMurphy introduces himself to everyone in the ward, one by one, and the patients don’t really know what to think about it. The Chief admires McMurphy because he seems to be the most exciting thing/person to come into the ward in a long time. The Chief likes how McMurphy is very confident and fearless. McMurphy is very different when he talks about his gambling as well. Harding holds the power in the ward, but you can tell that McMurphy wants it and thinks he is going to get it. Reader #4-McMurphy doesn’t fit in with the other patients in a variety of ways. Before Mcmurphy got to the mental hospital you can tell it wasn’t a social environment and people just kept doing their regular routines. When McMurphy arrived in the text it says “After he checks the day room over a minute, he sees he’s meant for the acute side and goes right for it, grinning and shaking hands with everybody he comes to”(Kesey 18). He’s being friendly to everyone and just wants to get to know them in a social way. When McMurphy was being social some of the patients were uncomfortable and were fidgeting and twitching because they weren’t used to that kind of interaction. Since McMurphy is very social i believe he will keep gaining power from the other patients every day he’s at the hospital. Overall McMurphy is very different than the other patients because of his personality. Reader #4-The patients in the ward are much more disabled and mentally ill than Mcmurphy. They all keep to themselves and aren’t as open with why they are there. They follow the rules, for the most part, and they aren't trying to take control of the ward. They are just sliding by, doing the same thing everyday until Mcmurphy gets there. When Mcmurphy walked in the ward he made sure that everyone noticed him, shaking the hands of every patient and he even laughed. Chief was shocked when he heard it he said “Not like that fat public relations laugh. This sounds real. I realize all of a sudden it’s the first laugh i’ve heard in years” ( Kesey 12). It’s almost as if he didn't recognize the sound, like nobody in the ward ever laughs. Harding used to hold the power in the ward, but it quickly changed after Mcmurphy made it very clear that he is the craziest man in the ward. There are the chronics, acutes, and the vegetables, all a different amount of crazy. Mcmurphy doesn't fit in any of the groups, he is his own kind of crazy. Someone who they have never seen before and this is significant because he is bringing something new to the ward, maybe happiness maybe rebellion. It is still too soon to tell, the Big nurse if nervous about him messing up “the outfit”. Reader #5-The types of patients at the ward are Chronics, Acutes, Vegetables, Wheelers, and Walkers. Acutes are the ones who are the most close to people without mental illnesses. Wheelers are people who are patients that are in wheel chairs. Lastly, Vegetables are patients who are brain dead and cannot function for themselves. The Chief admires McMurphy because McMurphy is different than everyone else at the ward. He does everything for himself, and he doesn’t let anyone do anything for him. In the ward, the three black boys and Big Nurse hold the power. The three black boys force people into doing things. For example, in the beginning of the story Chief was hiding in the closet because he didn’t want to be shaved. When he left the closet, the three black boys hit Chief with brooms and forced him into the room to get shaved. The Black boys however, look up to the Big Nurse. Whatever the Big Nurse says to do the three black boys do it. To gain power in the ward you make others fear you by forcing them to do things they do not want to do, and that is how the three black boys and the Big Nurse have power. As I said before, Mcmurphy isn’t like everyone in the ward because he is very independent. He doesn’t give into the force of others, and functions by himself. Reader #6- It is significant that McMurphy doesn’t fit into the typical mold of patients in the psychiatric hospital. Most of these patients can either be cured or not, and this is how they’re divided. They are mostly depressed, confused, and lost. Chief Bromden pretends to be more confused than he really is. He acts like he’s death and doesn’t have a clue about what’s going on, when he really does. He admires McMurphy because he’s fun, entertaining, and bring something new to the hospital. In the story, it states on page twelve that, “Yessir, that’s what I came to this establishment for, to bring you birds fun an’ entertainment around the gamin’ table.” McMurphy is came across to be a mistake that he was placed in the ward. He knows what’s going on unlike some others in the center. It’s important to have him in this environment to maybe gain control of the ward. Reader #7-The book mentions that they’re two types of patients, Acutes and Chronics. Acutes are believed to be cured and Chronics are people that can’t be cured. McMurphy doesn’t fit into any of these places because he can be cured but he chooses not too. The chief admires McMurphy because she views him as an ordinary man with no problems, she ends up spending all her free time with him to help him. “My name is McMurphy, buddies, R.P McMurphy, and I’m a gambling fool.”(Kasey 12) In the book McMurphy introduces himself as a gambling fool and is known for his brassy voice and his confident, iron- heeled walk. It is believed that McMurphy doesn’t want to be cured because he wants to take over the whole ward and he doesn’t want to go back to his old life. Reader #8-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy is different from all the rest of the patients in the ward. When Randle McMurphy, a new patient arrives his appearance is seen by his brassy voice and his confident walk. McMurphy is a redhead and has a devilish grin and had introduced himself as a gambling fool. McMurphy tells jokes and everyone enjoys his humor. Chief explains that the way he “talked reminded him of a car salesman or a stock auctioneer because of his loud talk and his swagger”(13). McMurphy exclaims that he had some hassles at the work farm, so the court ruled him as a psychopath. McMurphy is different from the rest because he challenges the ward, which is the direct opposite of the nature in the hospital. The two types of groups in the ward are called Chronics and Acutes. Chronics are the ones that can still get around if there fed but are mostly “vegetables”. Acutes are known as the ones that can be fixed. McMurphy is overall different from the rest because technically he made his way into this ward because he didn't wanna work in the pea fields. Reader #9-McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” is not a type of the person who seems to fit in with the typical mold, or groups, of the ward. As said from Chief Bromden on page 11 “Even though I can’t see him, I know he’s no ordinary admission. I don’t hear him slide scared along the wall, and when they tell him about the shower he don't just submit with a weak little yes, he tells them right back in a loud, brassy voice that he’s already plenty damn clean, thank you.” Now normally there are Acutes, who are young patients who can still be “fixed” and don’t have many problems, then there’s the Chronics which are older people with lots of problems and won’t be able to recover. But both groups have a sense of fear in the ward when it comes to the Big Nurse and the black boys. So when McMurphy enters in the ward, everyone was in a state of confusion by how McMurphy was acting like a tough, confident person. And that’s probably the reason why Bromden admires McMurphy for how he’s friendly, and not scared of things as easily as the others in the ward. Making it so that McMurphy managed to stand out in the ward, when he’s only just arrived. Plus when McMurphy went to the same room with the Chronics and Acutes, he took the time to shake hands, talk, and have fun with the other patients before getting stuck with the thermometer. Reader #10-There are many different patients in the ward, but there's a specific patient that sticks out to Chief Bromden. A new patient came to the ward named McMurphy and Bromden feels like he's different from everyone else. All the other patients are kind of separated. The more younger patients are called “Acutes” All they do is walk around and tell jokes. Then there's the Chronics that are called walkers because that's all they do. Bromden thinks that McMurphy has his own kind of group because when he first arrived he didn't care what people thought of him, he just went up to everyone and introduced himself. Hes also breaking rules already because hes suppose to go to the “shower when they enter the ward. McMurphy is his own kind of person so that's why Chief Bromden feels he's different from the other patients. Reader #11- during the book, it is mentioned that there are 2 different types of patients at the ward. The acute and the chronics. Acute being the type of patients that can be cured who come in to the hospital. The second type of patient is a chronic, being the type of patient that cannot be cured. As quoted on page 12 McMurphy introduces himself saying “ My name is mcmurphy, buddies R.P Mcmurphy, and i'm a gambling fool” (kasey). Mcmurphy is described to have a confident brassy voice and a high heeled walk. Mcmurphy doesn't fit into to any of the patient categories because he isn't there to for help, but to escape the farm life and take over the institute for mental help. Reader #11-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest the character McMurphy stands out more than others. Perhaps because he is not really mentally ill like other patients, but really because he is loud, brings a lot of attention to himself and doesn't care about and does not follow the rules. He's very opposing to the rules in the ward and became the alpha. There are two types of patients in the ward chronics and acutes and McMurphy is none of those. Reader #12-As soon as Mcmurphy enters the ward Chief Bromden can tell he is different than the other patients. Most patients are either chronics or acutes. Chief describes the chronics as “machines with flaws inside that can’t be repaired”(Kesey 16) and acutes as teens who can be repaired, but Mcmurphy doesn't really fall into either categories. One way he is different is that he doesn’t just submit like the other patients do when they are admitted. Mcmurphy enters very loud and introduces himself to the entire ward and even tries to make some bets calling himself a gambling fool, all while avoiding the aides who try to put him through the normal admission process. Mcmurphy doesn’t think he should at a institute of psychology but the court ruled him psychopathic because he got in a couple fights at the work farm. Mcmurphy is nothing like any of the other patients as Chief says. Reader #13-In the ward, there are Acutes, the people that come in with smaller/ less severe conditions. They usually can be “fixed” and get out of the ward. Chronics, the people who have suffered from traumatizing things like war. They can't really get out of the ward. The Chief is one. Vegetables are people who are basically brain dead and can't do anything for themselves, the black boys feed them purees because they have no teeth. They pee themselves as well because they have no control over their bladders. Wheelers are mostly chronics who can't walk and even some vegetables. I think Chief admires McMurphy because he stirs things up in the ward and brings some entertainment. Also, McMurphy doesn't care about the rules or how things work and he wants to be head “bull goose looney”. It seems to me like the black boys and the Big Nurse have most power in the ward. The black boys are like the Big Nurse’s minions and they do whatever she tells them to. They clean up the ward and make sure everything is always in line and the patients are doing as told and following the rules. To gain power in the ward, basically, you just have to scare all the other patients. McMurphy is different from all the other patients because he isn't actually “crazy” (to me at least). He just got sent to a ward by the court and he chose doing that instead of going to jail. Also, he's much louder and has “swagger”. He's big and tough looking and likes to be in charge. He’s the complete opposite of all the patients and you can tell because when he first comes in, all the patients become uneasy and nervous. Reader #14-McMurphy stands out in the crowd when it comes to being a patient in the ward. In the ward, there are two types of patients: the acutes and the chronics. The difference between the acutes and the chronics is that the acutes actually have a greater chance of getting cured. The Chief admires McMurphy because McMurphy unlike the other patients, seems pretty normal. McMurphy has confidence. He went around greeting the acutes and chronics as if it were no big deal. He even “competed” by mocking Billy’s stutter and won. He laughed, and it was a genuine laugh. The Chief also admires how McMurphy wasn’t fooled by his “deaf and dumb” act. “But then’s when I remember thinking that he was laughing because he wasn’t fooled for one minute by my deaf-and-dumb act; it didn’t make any difference how cagey the act was, he was onto me and was laughing and winking to let me know it.” (Kesey 24) If McMurphy fit into the stereotypical acute or chronic patient, there’s no way he would be able to go around bragging about gambling, casually greet both the acute and chronic patients, and catch onto the Chief’s act. Reader #15-McMurphy sticks out from other people in the ward because he is different than them. He smiles his wild smile, and pushes the boundaries of a patient. He may be crazy, but his problems may not best be worked out through being in this mental hospital. McMurphy is unlike the other patients because he wants authority and the other patients don’t. He will question nurse Ratched because he has the character trait of a character who doesn't follow rules. The main character, Chief Bromden, admires McMurphy because he’s everything he’s not. He appreciates that there's someone new that will change up the ward and push Nurse Ratched. Reader #16-McMurphy doesn’t fit in at the ward. His personality is very different from the rest of the patients. The patients in the ward are much more quiet than Mcmurphy. I think the chief admires Mcmurphy because he probably wishes he was like him. Mcmurphy is much more confident and loud than others in the ward. The patients think it's unordinary when he is laughing. they don’t see people laugh often. In the text, it says “i see McMurphy notices he’s making the money uneasy, but he don’t let it slow him down.” (Kesey 19)You can tell that Mcmurphy already thinks he is going to end up with all the power in the ward and be the leader. Reader #17-In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the main character Chief Bromden introduces a new character into the story McMurphy. I feel like him and bromden are become good friends in time and both rebel against the nurse. Bromden, who has been there the longest and is used to everything being the same. He is curious about the new patient, because he doesn't act like any of the other people there. Most of the patients there are shy and unable to carry on a real conversation. McMurphy who has just arrived has a gambling problem, he goes around to meet all the other patients. During this time nurse chases him down to get the welcoming shower.”ya know ma’am that is the exact thing somebody always tells me about the rules”. This quote said by McMurphy is a hint to what will happen between him and the big nurse. He is the only one so far that has really challenged her. Reader #18- McMurphy doesn't fit into the typical mold so far in the book. All of the patients in the ward seem to follow McMurphy because he is different from the other patients. He is outgoing and very social, while the others are kept to themselves and do what they're told rather then do what they want. In the ward, the head person in charge is Nurse Ratched, she is very controlling and manipulative. The staff that work with her, listen and do everything she says and wants. Most of the staff treat the patients like they don't know anything, like they are less than, which in this case they kinda are, but in McMurphy's case, he seems like he know more than any of the other patients. Towards the beginning of the book he says “They don't bother not talking out loud about their hate secrets when i'm nearby because they think i'm deaf and dumb, everybody thinks so. I'm cagey enough to fool them that much.” This Statement alone shows how differently he is compared to the others, which is the main reason he doesn't fit into the typical mold at the ward. While we have made some drastic leaps and bounds in the field of the human mind in recent times, there is still much that is unknown. One thing that is certain though is that everyone thinks in different ways. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, we encounter a lot of different perspectives on how the world is viewed. Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, believes that the world is a “Combine” that we are all parts of. What is “The Combine” and how might biases towards mental illness in the 1960s help develop his thoughts about it? Let’s find out!
Reader #1-In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Chief describes the asylum system as “the combine”. Chief believes the asylum is a huge over controlled atmosphere which he believes is being run by the combine. He uses “combine” to describe the authority figures and the society around him. “The ward is a factory for the Combine. It’s for fixing up mistakes made in the neighborhoods and in the schools and in the churches, the hospitals. When a completed product goes back out into the society, all fixed up good, as new, better than new sometimes….”(Kesey 40). This is explaining the point that the society wants the patients to be controlled under lock and key. Being watched and told what to do. Just as in the 1960s, the society wanted nothing to do with the mental and they would stop at nothing to try to “fix” them. They would try to come up with new solutions such as using shock therapy and other brutal techniques. Similar to what the “Big Nurse and the black boys” do in Cuckoo’s Nest to deal with the patients that are still unacceptable. In the 1960s being “mental” was something that needed to be fixed. It wasn’t normal and needed to get out of the way for the rest of society. Similar to how the society looks at the people in Cuckoo’s Nest. Reader #2-In the novel Chief Bromden uses the term “the combine” to describe one of his beliefs in the first part of the novel. In the book Bromden says, “when you got something under your belt you’re stronger and the bastards who work for the combine aren’t so apt to slip one of their machines in on you in place of an electric shaver.”(Kesey 6). The combine to bromden symbolizes the forces of authority and society that place the mentally ill inside the asylum he currently is in. The combine represents people that want mental ill patients to be kept under control and locked up. In class we have learned about the 1960s and the way people would deal with the mentally ill. Doctors and all of society would think of patients as crazy/psychotic people that needed to be locked away somewhere and this is why institutions like asylums were created. the combine are those people that do not respect people with a mental illness. These people that are apart of “the combine” are just there to keep these patients locked up in the asylum. Reader #3-what is the combine? chief Bromden describes it as a “ huge organization that aims to adjust the outside as well as she had in the outside” (Kesey 28). This connects to what we learned about mental illness because it shows that people need to be controlling of their surroundings and what is going on. People with a mental illness want to be controlling of what they think is going on; even if what they think isn't really happening. The combine actually controls things by tricking the patients into doing what they want. this does not describe the truth they are altering what reality is. Reader #4-In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Chief uses ,The Combine, to represent the asylums machine like character. This “machine” has control over how the asylum runs in it’s day to day operations. Chief describes The Combine as a machine that either makes or destroys a man when he says” Across the room from the Acutes are the culls of the Combine’s product, the Chronics.”(Kesey 15). Since mental illness had no set treatments in the 1960’s, many new treatments failed and would damage the patient physically or mentally. Chiefs delusion of this machine could possibly represent protocols for treating patients or even society's little experience in treating mental illness. Although The Combine is a figment of Chiefs imagination, it is describing the truth about mental institutions. These institutions followed the same cookie cutter treatment plan for everyone, those who were broken in the process just rot in the institution until they suffer the same fate as Chief or Ellis, life in a institution. |
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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