Laughter

While at the gas station all the men seemed defeated by the seemingly over-powering attendants. Just as everyone, even the doctor, seemed to be depressed and feeling defeated McMurphy came to the rescue. He sticks up to the attendant and gives everyone a sense of confidence and even hope. After all the patients even start bossing the attendants around they drive away, laughing, but not yet a real laugh. "I think McMurphy knew better than we did that our tough looks were all show, because he still wasn't able to get a real laugh out of anybody." Why is it that even when the patients are able to be a "boss" to someone else they still can not laugh for real? Also while on the boat everyone breaks into laughter and there is no mention if it is real of fake laughs. Do you feel this out-break of laughter was filled with real laughs, and if so what made this situation different then the first where the men were able to laugh for real.