One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest All Questions

What purpose does it serve that Bromden makes an analogy of the sound a hunted raccoon, cougar, or lynx makes just before they die to the sound McMurphy makes when he is pulled from the nurse? Explain.

Bromden shows the reader how McMurphy was acting when he attacked the nurse. Bromden states that, "...that if you ever trailed coon or cougar or lynx is like the last sound the treed and shot and falling animal makes as the dogs get him..." After saying this, Bromden says that McMurphy didn't care anymore if he were to die. He knew what was right and knew that he needed to help protect the other people in the ward, even if it meant giving up his own life. He knew that by attacking the nurse, that would be his final message that he would send the the staff in the ward and the other patients.

Why does Bromden smother McMurphy? Note the use of language as Bromden smothers McMurphy: "The big, hard body had a tough grip on life. It fought a long time against having it taken away..." (322). Why not call McMurphy by name? What is the right thing for Bromden to do—to smother McMurphy or let him live? Explain your answer.

Bromden smothers McMurphy because Bromden noticed that he was suffering. Bromden did not want McMurphy to suffer anymore; therefore, he smothered him so he no longer had to suffer. McMurphy was a "vegetable" after he had his lobotomy, this is why McMurphy was suffering. McMurphy would not have wanted to be left to suffer either, this is why Bromden decided to smother him. Bromden did not want to call McMurphy by his name, because then he would have been killing his friend. I am kinda in between with his decision on smothering McMurphy or to let him live. I think that Bromden should have let McMurphy live, because maybe he would have a miracle and get better. But I also agree that smother would be the best decision, because I would not want him to suffer anymore. This can be found on page 322.

When McMurphy wagers that he can lift the panel does he actually believe he can do it? What might the metaphor be in McMurphy's lifting the control panel? Why does he attempt to do it?

He does not actually believe he lift it but he's at least going to try and give it his all. His metaphor might be that even if you think you can't succeed you should still try and maybe the outcome will actually be good and it symbolizes lifting the nurse off of the patients. He attempts to do it just to show the other patients that he is always willing to try his best.

It's clear that McMurphy has learned how to make others do what he wants—he, himself, notes that he learned to alter his own personality to meet the needs of the customers as a carnival worker. Is this ability to get others to do what he wants a good thing or a bad thing—at least as far as Kesey is presenting it?

His ability to get others to do what he wants is a good thing in this situation because he is trying to help the patients succeed from the nurse and be themselves instead of just following exactly what the nurse wants them to do. In this situation him being able to manipulate the patients is good because he is doing it for their own good.

What purpose might it serve Kesey to have his narrator pretend to be deaf and mute?

His purpose would be that people would be more will to talk around him because they don't think he can understand them, so he would get more information about all the other patients. Like on page 3 he tell us that "They don't bother not talking out loud about their hate secrets when I'm nearby because they think I'm deaf and dumb."

Is McMurphy smart to toy with the nurse and the orderlies as he does in this section?

I believe McMurphy was smart to toy with the nurse and the orderliness as he did in part 1. I believe this because McMurphy was trying to gain more freedom and more knowledge of the ward. He played the nurse and the orderliness well with his tricks. Mcmurphy is also smart to toy with the nurse and the orderlies, because he is trying to win the bet. The bet was if McMurphy could not get in trouble anymore, so he could be on Nurse Ratched's good side.

Here's a quote about the therapy session: "...The group can help the guy by showing him where he's out of place; how society is what decides who's sane and who isn't, so you got to measure up" (48). Is this true? Does society decide who is sane and who isn't? Support your answer with some specific examples.

I do not support this, I do not think that society decides who is sane and who is not. The therapy session would not help the guy it would only hurt him. The electroshock therapy is very abusive. Society should not decide who is sane and who is not. In chapter 5 on page 48, Bromden talks about the therapeutic community and the society. He talks about how the therapeutic company works. He also talks about how people have to function in order to return back to society.

What do you think about the therapy? Is it helpful or not? Explain your answer with some specific examples of what the therapy might cause to happen—either good or bad.

I do not think that the therapy is helpful. I think the therapy that is used, which is electroshock, is very brutal and abusive. Electroshock therapy was used to provide relief from mental illnesses. Some of the common symptoms was depression, mania, and schizophrenia. Electroshock therapy often broke many bones, because of the violent convulsions that it produces. Another common risk are disturbances in heart rhyme. This information can be found in the powerpoint in google classroom. The electroshock has a bad effect on people who receives the therapy. Instead of helping people to relieve pain, it only causes pain.

Is there something to Bromden's idea? Is it true that society tries, to some extent, to keep individuals from becoming overly "large?"

I think Bromden's idea is true. Society does keep individuals from becoming overly "large". When people see each other succeed sometimes, people do everything in their power to make sure they don't. People fear having someone more powerful than themselves and able to have control. This can be found on page 223.

Now that we've seen a little more of McMurphy, do we think he's only out to help himself, or is he interested in the wellbeing of others? Give examples that support both sides of this argument.

I think McMurphy is trying to help himself, but I think he is interested in the wellbeing of others. McMurphy was concern about other wellbeing about the whole radio thing. He was concern with it being to loud for some of the people, but also not being loud enough for other people in the ward. He was creative and thought of a way to help the situation, but Nurse Ratched did not care. Nurse Ratched said the ward did not have enough money to afford two of the rooms during the day. I think he is looking out for himself, but I also agree that he is trying to help out the others in the ward. I can see where the reader may think that he is only worrying about himself, when all he wanted to do is watch the World Series. But then again the nurse did not allow McMurphy to do so, because he needed to be working during this time.

Bromden's narrative states that he was just about to talk to McMurphy when McMurphy went into the canteen to buy cigarettes. Is the Chief going to eventually talk, and if so, what would that do to the narrative?

I think that Chief Bromden will eventually talk, because he is coming out of the fog. He is starting to remember things and beginning to be normal again. The ringing in the his ears is a sign that Chief is coming out of the fog. I think he will eventually talk to people, because it is going to be in his human nature to do so. He won't be able to stop himself like he has been in the novel. If Chief Bromden does talk, I think it can have a good effect or it could have a bad effect. The effect could go either way because people will think different. I think that the staff and nurse will think it is a good thing, because he is getting better and maybe he could be moved to the Acutes. This then also means that he can be fixed. I think the other residents will think bad about him, because they will find out that he is not deaf and will think bad about him. If Chief tells them the reasons he did not talk back, then the other resident could think of him as a coward.

What do you think about the fact that the nurse leaves a log book out and encourages the patients to write information about one another? Does this seem like good medical practice or something else? Either way, fully explain and support your answer.

I think that if it was done a different way it could actually be a good thing. Like if they could let the nurses know things anonymously then it won't look like they're fighting over telling on someone. This would also keep people from getting mad at eachother. One other thing that might help is ifn they didn't talk about it in a group setting but more in an individual setting to take care of the problem. This would help learn more about the patients because most won't always be truthful to the nurses or staff but could be with people like them.

What ideas are evoked, or brought to the surface, in Bromden's terrible dream? What, evidently, are some things that he fears?

Ideas that are evoked, or brought to the surface, in Bromden's terrible dream were death, combine, and fog. On page 78, Bromden says, "a lot like the sound you hear when you are standing late at night on top of a big hydroelectric dam. Low, relentless, brute power." This quotes shows that Bromden was dreaming about the combine. On page 82, Bromden says, "but the fog is getting thick enough I don't want to watch." This quotes shows the reader that in Bromden's dream there was fog. The fog enables Bromden from focusing on important details. The biggest factor in his dream is the death of Blastic. On page 81, Bromden says, "The worker takes the scalpel and slices up the front of old Blastic with a clean swing and the old man stops thrashing around." This quotes that Blastic is dead.

In your opinion, is this a redeeming novel, an optimistic novel, a pessimistic novel, or is it something else? Explain your answer.

In my opinion One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is a pessimistic novel. In my opinion, a pessimistic novel is where the evil outweighs the good things in a novel. In the novel there were good things, such as, Bromden talking again, part of the fishing trip, and when McMurphy puts Nurse Ratched in her spot. But in the novel the negatives outweigh the positives. Some of the negatives are: being in the hospital, people commiting suicide, treatments, and etc. Being in the hospital is the biggest negative, because the Chronics can not leave. The residents that stay there never get to leave and they do not have any free time. The residents are also assigned jobs from Nurse Ratched. The whole atmosphere of the hospital is negative and the staff members in there are also negative. The orderliness are very rude to the residents and push them around. These factors are why we feel it is a pessimistic novel.

When he leaves the institute, is Bromden cured? Is a sane man heading home? If he is cured, then what is the ultimate message in the book? Explain your answer.

In the novel, Bromden is a Chronic that suffers from paranoia and hallucinations. He has received multiple electroshock treatments and he has not be "cured." In my opinion, Nurse Ratched just gave up on him. He might be suffering from paranoia and hallucinations but I do not believe he is mental. Once the electroshock therapy was not working, why did Nurse Ratched try something different? Nurse Ratched gave up on Bromden and classified him as a Chronic. Bromden is more normal than anyone is the ward; therefore, Bromden is not mental. I think Bromden would be cured by leaving the hospital, leaving the hospital is the best thing for him. Yes, a sane man would be heading home. Bromden wants his family and not Nurse Ratched. This can be found in the last chapter of the novel.

How do we view McMurphy now? We know he has a criminal history and that he has been convicted of statutory rape. Are we offended by him? Do we want him to win or lose the wager? If we want him to win, and if we are, for the most part, on his side, why? What elements of characterization has Kesey used to endear McMurphy to us?

McMurphy is one of the main patients in the ward that you can tell is normal. He likes to do the same things as normal people and can see the pain that the other patients are being put through. We are a little offended by him because he was convicted of rape, but, in chapter 5, McMurphy states, " 'Whoa. Couldn't make that stick,' McMurphy says to the doctor. 'Girl wouldn't testify.' " This statement proves that we are not positive that he did commit the rape, since the girl didn't testify. We want him to win the wager because that would prove that someone can stay on Nurse Ratched's good side for at least a week. Kesey tells us about McMurphy's personality and the way he acts around other people.

What does it mean that McMurphy offers to or tries to bring everyone when he leaves? Does this mean he has their best interest in mind or that he has his own self-interest in mind?

McMurphy is trying to help get the men out of the ward and show them the real world. Many of these men have been in the ward for a long time but are really sick. Mcmurphy has their best interest in mind because he won't gain anything from helping them escape.

What does it mean that McMurphy is going to blow the chief back up to full size? Will this be good for Bromden, or is McMurphy being reckless with Bromden?

McMurphy noticed that Bromden didn't realize how big and strong he actually was and looked. He knew that if Bromden got up to full strength and believed that he was big and strong again, he'd be able to do anything that he wanted to. This will be good for Bromden because it will make him feel more confident in himself. He wouldn't think that other people are better than him. McMurphy isn't being reckless with Bromden because he sees the potential in him. He sees that Bromden can be big and strong and do big things during his life.

What does it tell us that McMurphy gets the doctor to propose his idea during the group meeting, after McMurphy and the doctor meet? What traits is Kesey giving McMurphy here?

McMurphy talks to the doctor about having a carnival, like the ones that they had in high school. In chapter nine it states, "When they come back what seems like days later, they're both grinning and talking and happy about something." McMurphy and the doctor were talking and realized that they were from the same high school. Kesey is giving Mcmurphy traits that show that he is a normal person who lived a normal life, before he was said to be psychotic.

What is the significance of McMurphy's stepping over the man with hydrocephalus at the swimming pool. McMurphy says, "Let him lay...Maybe he don't like deep water" (172).

McMurphy thinks about the fact that the man may not want to get into the water, so Mcmurphy states that they shouldn't force him to get in. The significance would be that McMurphy no longer wants to fight this battle and people shouldn't be trying to force him to.

Does McMurphy win or lose the wager over whether or not he can cause Nurse Ratched to lose her composure? When and how does she lose her composure?

McMurphy wins the bet on making Nurse Ratched lose her composure. He does this when he wants to watch the World series game. He tries and gets the votes to change the time but she still does not let him so at the time the game is about to start he turns on the tv and sits down. Nurse Ratched then cut the power to the tv but McMurphy still sat there looking at the screen, soon the other patients joined him. That's when Nurse Ratched lost her composure and went off on all the patients.

Tell the details of McMurphy's fantastical story about how he and another patient of the ward went out once, met some young women. Who, according to this fictional story, is that other patient from the ward? Why did he tell this story? What do you think his purpose was in doing so?

McMurphy's story is about when him and Billy Bibbit were in Seattle. During the story, they picked up two women. McMurphy was trying to get the other guys to laugh. He also saw that he was getting on Nurse Ratched's nerves. The first paragraph of chapter 9 states, "All through breakfast McMurphy's talking and laughing a mile a minute. After this morning he thinks the Big Nurse is going to be a snap. He don't know he just caught her off guard and, if anything, made her strengthen herself." This paragraph shows that McMurphy knew what he was doing by telling funny stories.

Consider how oppressed and sterile the ward has been described before McMurphy arrives. Then consider how McMurphy is described. Make a prediction now about what is going to happen as a result of this combination.

My prediction is that the ward will become more lively and the patients will start to become themselves and stick up for each other. With McMurphy there he is opening their eyes to what is really happening and he is trying to make it a better place.

Based on all the details in Bromden's description, how might we characterize, in detail, Nurse Ratched's style, goals, motivations, and philosophy?

Nurse Ratched wants to be the person with the most power in the entire ward. She wants people to know that she is in charge and nobody else is. Nurse Ratched can also be described mean. We know this when she yells at the patients and other workers in the ward. Nurse Ratched was motivated by the fact that she wanted to be the most powerful person in the ward. Nurse Ratched knows that she won't get fired, since she has a history, in the army, with her boss, so she uses many skills to train the other employees. As stated on the character list, she uses techniques including manipulation, guily, and disapproval to keep the patients in line. If they don't abide by her rules, she sends them off to be tortured by shock therapies and lobotomies.

What significance is there to "Old Rawler" castrating himself on page 129? How does this action work with the sequence of events around it?

Old Rawler castrating himself is symbolic to how the patients have already be "castrated" by the system. This shows how he feels living in the very disturbed floor where he is confined. It demonstrates how controlled and regulated the ward is. It shows that they don't have any freedom nor do they have the guts to ask for more. It works with the other events because at the same time McMurphy is trying to break the other patients out of the nurses control.

Is McMurphy smart? Fully explain your answer.

Overall, McMurphy is smart. People called him insane and put him into the ward. He knew that he wasn't anything other than a normal person, but other people in the ward wouldn't believe him. When he first got to the ward, he could tell that Nurse Ratched didn't treat the patients with the care that they needed. He could tell that the patients were being abused and treated inhumanely.

How might the fishing trip be seen as religious symbolism? Explain your answer.

The fishing trip can be seen as a religious symbol that symbolizes the disciples. The patients going on the fishing trip act as the disciple Jesus took on a very similar trip. The fishing trip took place in chapter 25.

What are some connotations or ideas implied by Bromden's repeated references and flashbacks including haze, fog, or mist?

The fog symbolizes a lack of knowledge and shows an escape from reality. The fog also represents his state of mind and trying to escape from the reality of the ward. The fog in the flashback shows us its only in his head and not happening right then.

Is the nurse genuine/correct at the top of page 200: is it likely that the illness of the acutes was caused by the lenience of their parents and, is it likely that more discipline will help them? What do you think and why? Explain.

The illness of the acutes was not caused by the parents. The acutes don't have anything wrong with them, they are just normal people who are treated like they have issues because they have one uncommon thing that they do. They might not talk a lot, or they might make one mistake which will lead people to believe that they're different or weird.

What other "marks" can we find on the characters that make them stand out in a way that society-the combine-does not accept?

The man that has hydrocephalus and when Sefelt had his seizure are marks that will make them stand out. They stood out because when the man was lying by the pool everyone was staring and when Sefelt had his seizure he fell and everyone's attention as on him. People are drawn to stare at things like they because they are not educated and want to know what's going on.

Discuss what happens to Billy Bibbit that night and the next day. While Bromden waits for McMurphy to react to the news of Billy's death and to the Nurse's accusations that McMurphy is at fault, Bromden notes that "we couldn't make him stop because we were the ones who were making him do it." Is that true? Is McMurphy acting in response to the needs of the patients? Explain your answer and offer some concrete examples to support your answer.

The next day, Nurse Ratched catches Billy sleeping with Candy in the Seclusion Room. She threatens him by telling him that she will tell have to tell his mother about the incident. Billy pleads and pleads to the nurse to try and get her not to tell her. He knows how disappointed his mother is going to be, so when he's in the office by himself, he cuts his neck and kills himself. Bromden's comment that said, "we couldn't make him stop because we were the ones who were making him do it" is true because they pressured Billy into sleeping with Candy. They encouraged him to do it and he went with what they were telling him to do. McMurphy thinks about what he would want before he thinks about what the others would want. He thought about how he would want to sleep with Candy, so he automatically thought that it would be a good experience for Billy too. He also decided to go on the fishing trip because he wanted to. He pressured the other men into signing up, so that they would be able to go.

What is the purpose of Bromden's flashback in this section? So, what more do we now know about Bromden's past?

The purpose of Bromden's flashback in this section is to show what he has been through in his past. During the flashback, Bromden says, "...when I see that they don't look like they'd heard me at all." The flashback shows people that people have been ignoring him, or seeing him as mute, for a lot longer than the time he's been in the ward. We now know that Bromden didn't have the easiest life growing up. In the village, people would come in and try to buy their land and they had to fend for themselves. When the three people came to buy the land from his father, he didn't feel like the people even noticed him while he was there. This shows when he first began feeling small and hopeless, even though he was six foot tall.

What is the purpose of the ringing in Bromden's ears? The ringing starts when he sees McMurphy struggling between his instinct to confront power and to conform to authority, and stops when McMurphy breaks the window.

The purpose of the ringing in Bromden's ear signifies him coming out of the fog. It also signifies began to regain sanity. On page 169, Bromden says, " I had to hurry to catch up, and the run made my heart ring a high, excited pitch in my head." This quote shows that Bromden did have ringing in his head. The fog that he is experiencing is from the medication that the nurse is giving him. Bromden's ringing starts when he sees McMurphy struggling between his instinct to confront power and to conform to authority. Bromden notices the same ringing in the football field. Also on page 169, Bromden says, " The ringing would build and build till I didn't think I could stand still any longer; then the kick would come and it would be gone and the game would be on its way." This quotes shows the reader that he began to regain some of his memory back. Bromden's ringing stops when McMurphy breaks the window.

Now that we've seen a few meetings, can we find some sort of analogy between the meetings and some institution or scenario in the real world? Is Kesey offering a metaphor here?

These meetings are similar to rotary meetings in real life. Kesey is trying to make these meetings seem as real life as possible, so that the reader will be able to visualize what they actually look like. The metaphor in this scenario is when Dr. Spivey says, "just like she's got a man folded up inside that yellow paper and can pass him on to be looked over." When Dr. Spivey says this, he is showing how Nurse Ratched runs the ward and how she controls everyone's every move.

How might the fact that McMurphy's friends are prostitutes be seen as religious symbolism?

This can be seen as a religious symbol because Jesus was also friends with a prostitute. The book portrays McMurphy as the more powerful of the men, just like Jesus. The reader meets the prostitute in chapter 25, before the fishing trip takes place.

In the context of the novel, is this night a healthy thing for the acutes, or not? Explain.

This night is healthy for the acutes. It allows them to have a good time and enjoy themselves, while in the ward. It's good for these people to have a good night and enjoy themselves every once in a while. The acutes are normal people too and need to have times to party and enjoy themselves. They shouldn't be cooped up all the time and treated like wild animals or robots. They should be able to have all the freedoms that any normal person, outside of the ward, would get.

Bromden ends the first chapter with "But it's the truth even if it didn't happen." What might he mean?

When Bromdon says "But it's the truth even if it didn't happen." he means that it's the truth to him because it is what he "saw" but because he is schizophrenic we don't always know if what he saw really happened.

Discuss the confrontation with the guys on the dock; what do they treat Candy so badly, and why don't the patients or the doctor defend her? What is Kesey showing us through this scene?

When the guys arrived at the dock, the guys who worked on the dock made fun of Candy. The workers made comments towards Candy. On pages 205, the workers said, "What other girl? Couldn't blondie there handle the lot of you?" The workers continued to make comments toward Candy; therefore, Candy left the dock. The patients do not defend her, because they are in away afraid of them. But before the patients arrived the dock, they stopped at the gas station for gas. At the gas station, Dr. Spivey lied to the workers there that they are not from the hospital. The patients felt bad because they knew the truth. Kesey was showing us through this scene that, the patients are not as tough as they saw they are. The patients could have stood up for Candy but they did not. They could have stood up for her, like previously when McMurphy had to guts to tell the gas station worker that they were from the hospital.

What effect does the boat trip have on the men? Explain your answer. Discuss the men's arrival back at the dock - what has changed? How does Kesey compare their behavior and attitudes here to the way they were before their time on the boat? What accounts for this change?

When the men arrive back to the dock they feel better about themselves. They are more brave acting. The men stood up for themselves and felt bigger then they did early. In other words, the men felt more confident in themselves. The men on the dock noticed that the men were braver too. The men on the dock did not say anything to them when they arrive back to the dock. Also, the men on the dock did not make fun of Candy. The boat trip had a good effect on the men. The men were able to "live" a little and adventure out of the hospital. Before the boat trip, the men all felt bad because Dr. Spivey lied. The reader can see their attitude changes after they arrive back to the dock.

How do the nurse's practices affect the patients within Bromden's Blown up/Deflated metric? And, is her tactic healthy?

When the nurses are rough with the patients, they cause them to become deflated. The treat the patients poorly and ring down their self confidence. When the nurses are more calm and lenient towards to patients, they are able to blow up ans stick up for themselves. This can be found on page 223.

McMurphy takes the men on a risky boat trip—a trip that includes stealing the boat. Some might argue that this is too big a risk for men with mental and health problems. Is it? How much risk is acceptable in life? When is danger not worth the risk and risk not worth the rewards? What seems to be Kesey's dominant message in the boat passage?

Yes, it is a risky situation with stealing the boat. As for this situation, I do not think they were risky there life away. I think the fishing trip was good for them, because they have been trapped in the hospital. The fishing trip is also good for them, because they get to adventure out and see the real world. It would be a more risky situation if they did not have a suitable captain to run the ship or if they have no knowledge of fishing. Another situation where it would be more risky is if they knew of a bad storm coming in. The guys and Candy do run into a storm at sea but they all able to get back safe, even though Bromden falls in the water and there was not enough life jackets. I also think the fishing trip was a good for them, because they were able to "live again." For the guys I think the risk are worth reward. They stole the boat, but the guys had a great time fishing.

Bromden has taken to describing himself and others as being blown up or deflated. What exactly does he mean? Fully expand on your answer.

Bromden describes some as deflated because they are the people who have given up. The deflated ones are those who go on each day being told what to do and have no way of being their own person or standing up for themselves. Those who are blown up are ones still have some self confidence and are able to stand up for themselves. This can be found on 223.

Is Bromden right when he says that the combine—society--starts breaking a man down as soon as it sees that the man is strong?

Bromden is right when he says this. He knows that the combine has changed him from the man that he used to be. He knows that he used to be strong and brave, but now he feels like a nobody since people think that he is deaf and mute. This also happens in society. If society sees someone as strong, the first thing that happens is the others in society try and break down that person. They try and break the big and strong person. People seem to like breaking down powerful powerful people to make them feel small and helpless, like Bromden now.

What does it say about McMurphy that he explicitly stated that he now understood he has to behave because he is committed, but then breaks the window?

Chapter 22 and 23 is where the reader starts to see that McMurphy understood the he has to behave because he is committed. McMurphy starts to understood when he talks to the lifeguard about prison and the hospital. He then understand that since he is in the hospital he does not know when he gets out. If he is in prison he would know when he gets to leave. In the end of part 2, McMurphy starts to see the power that Nurse Ratched has in the hospital. On page 171, Nurse Ratched says, " there should be some manner of punishment meted out for the unspeakable behavior concerning the house duties three weeks ago." This shows the reader the power of Nurse Ratched and what she is capable of doing.

What exactly happens to Cheswick? Explain in detail. Is Cheswick a suicide, or is his death accidental? If so, what whose fault is his suicide? Why has he committed suicide?

Cheswick dives into the pool and his hands get caught in the drain and no ones gets there fast enough so he drowns. I think it was a suicide because he had just gotten back from disturbed, he had to have swam all the way down to the drain to get his hands caught. He was upset that nothing was being done for the ward and he knew there wasn't going to be a fix.

While Bromden has had a nightmare that includes Blastic being torn apart, Blastic has actually died. What does this tell us about Bromden's hallucinations?

Chief Bromden's hallucinations extends further into his life until he can not longer tell what is true or what is fake. On page 82, Bromden says, "two aides I never saw before and a young doctor lift old Blastic onto the stretcher and carry him out, covered with a sheet." This quote is in reality. On page 81, Bromden says, "And then probably help one of the workers life me onto one of those hooks himself, saying, how about let's see what the inside of an Indian ar like." This quote is a hallucination from Bromden. Bromden's dream parallel reality, when he witnessed death and treatment of patients in the ward.

Based on the Bromden's flashbacks, what elements from his history do we know? List at least four things.

From the flashbacks we learn that Bromden grew up on in an Indian village, where he used to play football. Also that his dad was the chief of the Indians.

Describe the visit from Harding's wife on page 182. What is your opinion of Harding's wife. Explain the dynamic between her and Harding, and between her and McMurphy. Analyze the relationship between Harding and his wife.

Harding and his wife don't have a good relationship. To me, Harding's wife is not someone who people would want to be around. She seems judgemental and seems like she gets whatever she wants. In chapter 21, it states, "...she says any man that drops around to see her flips more than his damned limp wrists." By making this statement to Harding, his wife is telling him that he has less masculinity than the other men that visit her and that he is homosexual.

Why do you think Harding argues with McMurphy when McMurphy suggests that the therapy is not helpful? Fully explain your answer.

Harding argues with McMurphy when he suggests that the therapy is not helpful because he has been doing it for a long period of time, so he believes that it is helpful. Harding has also been told by the workers in the ward that the therapy would help them in the long run. Since the nurses tell Harding this so many times, he has to believe that it actually will help him. In chapter five, Harding starts to argue with McMurphy about how the therapy helps them. McMurphy knew that the therapy wasn't doing anything to help them, but Harding had been told the opposite his whole time in the ward.

How likely is it that the men actually developed a lice infestation while on the fishing trip? If not, then why de-lice them? Explain your answer.

It's actually very unlikely that they developed lice while on the fishing trip. I believe that the only reason for Ms. Ratched to de-lice is because she wants to use it to scare the men and get the men thinking it was dirty and it was McMurphy's fault.

Why does Kesey include the scene where McMurphy buys three cartons of cigarettes? What is the purpose of this scene? Did McMurphy plan, far in advance, to break the window?

Kesey includes the scene where McMurphy buys three cartons of cigarettes to show Nurse Ratched's power. Shortly after McMurphy buys the cigarettes and then Nurse Ratched punishes McMurphy and some of the other residents. The purpose of the scene is to show the reader that Nurse Ratched can do whatever she wants to the residents. She can do this because for one she is the boss of the hospital and she takes care of the residents. In chapter 23, Nurse Ratched punishes the residents for not following the cleaning schedule. Then, since the residents did not apologize or act like they failed to do their job she takes the away the second game room. Nurse Ratched did this to McMurphy to show her power to him, but also to win him over. I think McMurphy wanted something to do to take his anger on something, but I don't I think he had far in advance to break the window. On page 172, Bromden says, "The glass came apart like water splashing, and the nurse threw her hands to her ears. This shows the reader that McMurphy did break the window and it was so loud it stop the ringing in Bromden's head.

What emotions does Kesey want the reader to experience when McMurphy causes the nurse to lose her composure?

Kesey wants the reader to feel the tension between Mcmurphy and Nurse Ratched, because of the authority that the nurse thought she held over the patients. Now that the patients have gained confidence from McMurphy she can feel herself losing control of them and herself.

What element of dramatic irony has Kesey included? What thing do we, the readers, now know that a character in the text, McMurphy, does not know? How long does McMurphy think he has to be in the hospital?

McMurphy didn't know what the readers and others knew. We know that you are not commited for a certain amount of time, that the nurses and doctors decide when you get released. He thinks he is only in for as long as the rest of his sentence so 4 months.

What is the relevance of McMurphy's having been in a Chinese prison camp during the Korean War?

McMurphy once being in a Chinese prison camp during Korean War shows that he has been through worse and more intense punishment than the electroshock therapy. It is to show that he has no fear of the little things like getting shocked. (page 280)

McMurphy taunts Washington with racist language. Does it appear that McMurphy is openly racist or he is merely trying to initiate a fight? Explain your answer.

No, I don't believe McMurphy is racist. McMurphy just wanted to fight back towards Washington for George, and started to throw racial slurs at him to bother him. (page 266)

Do we think Nurse Ratched is most concerned with the wellbeing of the patients? Is she sadistic? Give specific examples of her possibly sadistic behavior.

Nurse Ratched is not concerned about the well being of the patients. She sees them struggling, but doesn't do anything that would put them out of their pain. She watches them suffer through all the things she puts them through. Nurse Ratched always watches them through the window, and watches them sit in the day room. She is sadistic because she seems to enjoy watching other people suffer.

What's Kesey suggesting about Harding by repeatedly describing his hands as pretty, or dove-like, on page 58, among other places?

On page 58 Kesey repeatedly describing his hands as pretty, or drove-like. Kesey is suggesting that Harding is gay or likes men.

Why is a boat a good device for this passage? In other words, what themes or ideas can Kesey suggest with a boat that might be more difficult to suggest with another kind of adventure?

The boat can be seen symbolizing what's really keeping the patients up, in other words what keeps them going day to day. The purpose of a boat is to keep you from drowning and by using this device in the passage, it shows to motivation of the men to continue on. This can be found on page 248.

Bromden refers several times to the combine. What might he mean by the combine?

The combine is what he calls the doctors and officials that work at or for the hospital. He mentions in Chapter one that the workers work for the Combine.

What message is there in the fact that the doctor does not resign when asked, but instead tells the hospital that they will have to fire him if they want him to go?

The doctor says that they will have to fire him if they want him to go, because he will not resign when the hospital asks. The doctor is saying this because he is telling the nurse that he will stick up for himself. If Doctor Spivey resigns to quit his job, then that means he is weak and he does not want the nurse to think he is weak. This can be found on page 320.

Cuckoo's Nest was first published in 1962. Consider the dynamic between Nurse Ratched and her patients. What ideas, relevant to 1962, are implied or symbolized by the dynamic between this nurse and her patients?

The dynamic that is symbolized or implied by the nurse and her patients is showing how the patients in mental hospitals were looked at. They were looked at as not "normal" and that some couldn't be fixed but in reality most could be helped with the right type of medicine. The nurse holds all the power over the patients and does not let them do anything. She controls how fast or slow the days even go. The dynamic just shows the way all mental patients were treated by the "normal" people.

What inference can we make about the way the nurse allows all the psychologists to theorize about how McMurphy should be sent do the disturbed ward and then after everyone else has spoken what they think she wants to hear, she states that she disagrees with all of them and that McMurphy should stay where he is? What advantage might this move give her down the road?

The nurse wanted the other people to think that they are right and that it was what she wanted. After they said to move him up she disagreed to make herself stand out and look better. She keeps him down in the ward to show that she still has all the power because she knows he can gain the power on disturbed. Her plan is to keep him at the ward for as long as it takes to "fix" him.

Explain the passage about the nurse and her birthmark. What purpose might Kesey have in including the closing passage of p.165-166?

The purpose Kesey might have is that a lot of the time patients were put into the hospital for having abnormal things about them. The birthmark on the nurse is abnormal and by her praying for it to go away shows that she is worried that it will send her to a hospital just for having an abnormal look.

What purpose does it serve in the novel that Bromden and McMurphy go to the disturbed ward? Further, what purpose does it serve to see that the people on the disturbed ward are in fact, quite mentally ill?

The purpose of Bromden and Mcmurphy going to disturbed is to prove a point of to the other patients that Nurse Ratched holds all the power. She sent them when it was least expected. The purpose of showing how ill they are is to show them that the people with them really aren't that sick.

What purpose does it serve in the novel that the small, Japanese nurse is so kind to McMurphy and Bromden?

The purpose that the small nurse is so kind to McMurphy and Bromden is to show the reader that Nurse Ratched is the main cause and problem in the ward. The small nurse believes since Nurse Ratched is older and meaner to the patients, she does not need her job there anymore. (page 288)

What seems to be Kesey's message in the dynamic of the relationship among the residents, the doctor, and the nurse during the staff meeting?

The relationship between the nurse and the doctor is that the nurse has total control over what happens to the patients and in the ward. The doctor has little control of anything. The patients are at the bottom of the ladder and have very little to no say in what goes on around the ward. The relationship between the doctor and the nurse is backwards, somehow she found her way into the top position.

What is the relevance of Bromden's observation that the cigarette burns on Billy's hands have all healed up? Note: this observation takes place just as the men discuss whether or not McMurphy is acting purely on self-interest or not.

The relevance of Bromden noticing the cigarette burns shows the healing process that Billy is going through. He is getting better mentally and physically.

What might the relevance be that Bromden describes McMurphy as tired at the end of the previous section, and then again describes him as tired when McMurphy intervenes in George's behalf during the de-lousing episode? What inferences can we make about McMurphy's characterization and character development here?

The relevance of McMurphy being described as tired shows how exhausted he is trying to push Nurse Ratched and trying to get the patients to be better. McMurphy has been in the ward too long and is wanting to leave because of the unfairness. (page 266)

What does it mean that the three orderlies don't intervene when McMurphy attacks the nurse?

The three orderlies don't intervene means that they didn't get involved when McMurphy attacked the nurse. They knew what McMurphy had done in the past and knew that it would get them into even more trouble if they got involved. They knew that McMurphy had already gotten into another altercation with the orderlies, so they didn't want to cause any more problems with him. They also knew that McMurphy was a tough dude, so they knew that it would be tough in general to beat McMurphy, even if they outnumbered him by a few people.

What prediction can we make about how the wager that McMurphy makes with the other patients will turn out? Explain your answer.

The wager that McMurphy makes with the other patients will turn out in favor of McMurphy. He makes the wager because he knows that he can win the bet. He knows that it won't be that difficult for him to stand his ground against the nurse. He knows that he can control himself for a week, in order to keep his win streak alive.

Kasey wants the reader to feel the tension between Mcmurphy and Nurse Ratched, because of the authority that the nurse thought she held over the patients. Now that the patients have gained confidence from McMurphy she can feel herself losing control of them and herself.

We have learned that Bromden was in the military. He talks about how they used to fog out fields the machines obscured the surroundings so that nobody could see anything in front of him. Bromden would get lost in the fog and always find himself returning to the same place. This is where the fog in the ward comes from and how he gets lost in the fog because he doesn't want to fight it.

What does it tell us about McMurphy and his personality that he places a bet when he pretty much knows he will lose—that he is willing to lose all of his past winnings just to make a point?

What does it tell us about McMurphy and his personality that he places a bet when he pretty much knows he will lose—that he is willing to lose all of his past winnings just to make a point?