The Nurse and her Composure

When McMurphy proceeds to break the glass window again after it was just fixed, the nurse shows no emotions and keeps a calm face. There is no way in my opinion that someone can be ok with that happening twice. Nurse Ratched is keeping her anger bottled up inside. Do you think after some time this will take a toll on her the way she doesnt express her feelings? Or do you think she has complete control of her anger and can wait out McMurphy and make him break a rule that will commit him purmanently?

Chiefs Sanity

Even though Chief is considered mentally insane, he looks at him self in an honest way. He can actually see and assess what is really happening. This is all shown when he stares at himself in the mirror.

Voluntary Patients

When McMurphy finds out that most of the patients are on the ward voluntarily. McMurphy can't understand why they are still there, since they are always complaining. When he goes on a rant questioning the patients, Billy is the only one who responds and says they're not tough enough for the outside world. Why do you think the patients are in the ward? Is it that they really can't function in the outside world, or are they just hiding from their problems? 

McMurphy's Violent Rebellion

When McMurphy decides to rebel against Nurse Ratched, it is in a completely different manner. It is no longer humorous, like sitting in front of the blank TV screen. McMurphy's strength becomes less mental and more physical. Breaking the window is his first act of violence—far more serious than his humorous jabs. Moreover, the glass, which is kept so spotless that it is almost invisible, represents the control Nurse Ratched has over the patients and the ward (even including the doctors); it is so subtle that they sometimes forget it is there. By breaking the glass, McMurphy reminds the other patients that her power over them is always there, while at the same time suggesting that their awareness of her power makes that power breakable.

Harding's Wife

Harding's wife comes to visit him at the library. Harding calls McMurphy over to meet his wife and they all sit together and talk. after Vera leaves Harding asks McMurphy what he thought of her. McMurphy comments on her physical traits but then gets angry when he is asked more. then he yells at all the patients for what seems to be no reason. What could a possible reason be that he flips out at all of the patients? Do you think Harding's wife had anything to do with his anger?

McMurphys sanity

McMurphy throughout the novel has shown that he is different from the typical person in this hospital and there is evidence of this from when we first meet him. Moreover, this rasies the question of does he really deserve to be in this mental institution, or should he simply be in prison?

Chief's sanity

I believe that a lot of the Chief's sanity is revealed to the reader while he observes himself in the mirror. Although he is"mentally insane" his depiction of his reflection is honest, and it's also humanizing. When he describes himself, we see that he actually has the ability to see things in real life.

McMurphy's sides

I noticed on page 162 Chief reveals a softer side to McMurphy. Chief notices McMurphy do "things like painting a picture...with real paints...with no lines or numbers." What, do you think, is the point about McMurphy that the Chief is trying to make? What does this softer, almost feminine side say about McMurphy's character?

dog metaphor

I believe that the dog is the nurse and the geese are the other patience. while the nurse is busy watching over the geese while mcmurphy is trying to run her down while she isnt paying attention .

The other week i veiwed the film "changeling" and as i was watching i couldnt help but notice the similarites to that of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." When the main character of the film was commited to the ward the amount of care was very poor. Also, most people in the ward were perfictly sane in the movie which is very similar to the book since most of the paitients problems caused by the nurses negative comments. Viewing this film opened up my eyes to the horrific conditions they are living in.

Mcmurphy has changed his attitude in the ward, now he follows the rules and acts decent to nurse ratched. He has realized he is "committed" and the nurse has the power to keep him as long as he is causing trouble. Does Mcmurphy act different to for the sake of getting out earlier or is there a greater meaning behind leaving nurse ratched alone? Do you think Mcmurphy has a plan that involves more than just the staff at their ward?

Response to Andy

I do agree with what andy has said about the dog, goose, and car but recently McMurphy has figured out that unlike jail, he is stuck in the ward until they feel he is fit to leave. So they have the control to keep him there as long as they wish. He has two choices. Drive the Nurse mad until she wants to get rid of him, or just be peaceful and wait it out until they let him go free.

Metaphor Responses

I also have to agree with Billy and Andy. McMurphy is a force acted upon the Nurse and has the ability to push her out of the way and "save the geese." The headlights of the car allowed a path of light. This could possibly represent a path for the geese to follow. In other words, McMurphy wants the patients to follow his path by uniting and defeating the the Nurse. I think the patients are slowly learning to follow is lead, especially the Chief.

Response to Laura Gomez

In response to what Laura said, I think that Cheswick is an example of how hard it is to break out from the restrictions of the ward. It is much easier to conform to society than to be the only person standing up for what you believe in. In some ways I can see Cheswick as being a martyr because he was making a bold statement for something he believed in.

McMurphy's Influence

There is no doubt that everyone in the ward has an opinion of McMurphy. The other patients admire him for his strength in the face of the Nurse's authority, but after his conversation with the lifeguard, McMurphy changes the way he acts, careful not the anger the Nurse. What do you think will result from his change in behavior, in the way the authority views McMurphy and the way the other patients view him?

Dog Metaphor - Continued

Andy, I like your explination of the metaphor with the dog and the geese. In this senario, do you think the car (McMurphy) or the Geese (Nurse Ratched) will win. Personally I am hoping for McMurphy to win and corrupt the big nurse.

Dog Metaphor

I believe that the dog represents the Big Nurse, the geese represent the patients, and the car represents McMurphy. I think that it shows that the Big Nurse is chasing around the patients making them do what she wants to do, but then McMurphy unexpectedly comes out of no where and blindsides the Big Nurse.

Actions Speak Louder

Cheswick is trying to show us something very important in this section. He stood up to Big Nurse and McMurphy didnt support him. After that he was sent to the disturbed ward, he came back and told McMurphy that understood why he is compliant and drowned himself. Is he foreshadowing the fall of McMurphy? That the only way to live is to conform? Or is he just a martyr? who by definition is "a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause (a martyr to the cause of social justice)."

dog

i believe the dog it symbolizing their freedom since the fog is now now everything seem to be clearer to chief especially. In that it could also represent his fear of what might happen. that even though they have this freedom, its what or who allows the freedom to stay.

Being "committed"

In the meeting that The Big Nurse calls it is mentioned that McMurphy is a committed patient. Then later when they go to the pool the lifeguard breaks the news to McMurphy that it is up the the staff, so really up to the Big Nurse when he gets to leave the ward. The Big Nurse does not classify McMurphy as an extraordinary case, but that she can turn him into a coward. Once he is a coward then she thinks that everything will be back to normal and the patients will stop questioning her authority. After the Big Nurse turns McMurphy into a coward will he then be classified as extraordinary and get to leave her ward? Will he even be able to be let go?

Dog

i think that the dog represents the nurse and the geese that she is watching over are the patients, the dog getting hit by a car forshadowing the eventual downfall of the nurse.

dog

i feel the dog could also be a symbol of moving foward for example a dog chases after a car. this could show that the chief is moving over. And the car represents time and pace in life.

Dog Metaphor

I think that the dog is symbolic of the Chief who is chasing freedom which is represented as the geese. Also, I believe the car to be representative of the oppressive society in the ward which oppresses him as well as the other patients.

Dog Metaphor

I did not understand the purpose of the metaphor at all. At first i thought it meant to show hopelessness or do'nt even bother trying cause it useless. If anyone actually understands this let me know.

McMurphy Changed--Will He Change Back?

During the ward's trip to the pool, McMurphy learns that since he is committed, it is up to the staff as to when he can leave the ward. This causes McMurphy's attitude to change drastically.  Now that he has changed, what do you think will happen? Will he change back? Or will another patient step up and speak out? What leads you to believe this?

Dog Metaphor

Yeah. i also didn't get the significance of the dog metaphor. i was not sure if it was supposed to relate to his past or if it was foreshadowing? if anyone understood it can you please explain.

Hey Mrs. Speigel I was wondering if you can explain the methaphor of the dog watching the Geese, because it has got me really confused I dont understand what the Kesey means with this! The only thing I'm getting as a significance is that its briniging something from the Cheif's past but I'm not really sure why its important or what it has to do with the rest of the text

The senses

I just thought of something interesting. The Chief's perception/hallucinations are completely visually based (not auditory) - he sees things that aren't there or that aren't happening and the phrase he continually uses is "I seen it" or other phrases that really emphasize "see." And along with seeing these things, he'll feel sensations of cold when there's no literal cause. Interestingly enough though - he chooses to create deficits in two other senses (if we consider the voice to the use of a sense) - hearing and speaking. It seems ironic that he admittedly feigns (fakes) being deaf and mute and yet truly believes he sees and feels things that are in fact fake. Could it be that as he faces reality more and more, he has less hallucinations and that will slowly push him to break out of his "pretend" deafness and muteness? With his focus on McMurphy being "his own self" - being real is he somehow growing inspired to be his own real self and does that start with the senses?

Female Roles

The author depicts women in a very negative light. You can easily tell just because of how McMurphy talks about Big Nurse. He calls her a "ball cutter" and he says she "pecking" at them. Also, all the women in the book are blamed for the men's conditions. For example, Harding's wife is the reason for why he is there and Billy Bibbit's mom is the reason for why he is there. Is this saying something about the author?

Kesey and McMurphy

I can see a lot of similarities between Kesey and McMurphy. McMurphy seems to be giving the patients a sense of pride and acts a voice for them. Perhaps Kesey made this character to represent himself in a way? Kesey says that while working at the hospital he did not feel that the patients were insane, they simply didn't conform to normal standards of society. Can McMurphy's voice be interpreted to be the voice of Kesey? If so, why did he choose to describe McMurphy as such a strong and masculine character?