One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog 2

The conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy is in full swing at the end of "Part One." Who is getting the best of their rivalry at this point? Why do you say that (specific evidence)?


What is your perception of the Chief at this point in the story? Why? And how has the presence of McMurphy changed the Chief's character or his narration (be specific)?


Who are you rooting for at this point in the story and why?


1. I believe that McMurphy is getting the best of Big Nurse at this point in the story. By having the majority of the patients on his side and standing up for what they want to do, he is making Big Nurse nervous that she is losing her control over the facility. For example, at the end of part 2 on page 126 it says that, "...[Big Nurse was] hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations..." This shows how the Nurse is losing her control over the group, and by losing her cool, she is just making McMurphy more of the victor.


2. At this point in the story, I think Chief is becoming more humanized. His personality and thoughts are being influenced by McMurphy. This makes him more of a human being, than a lunatic controlled by Nurse. For example, when Chief raises his hand because of McMurphy, this shows that he is independent and does what he wants.


3. At this point I am rooting for McMurphy. McMurphy has a sense of humor and I think that he is an honest guy just trying to let these patients lead somewhat normal lives. Big Nurse is oppressive and McMurphy is fun-loving and has good intentions.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog 1

Having talked about hero, antihero, and villain in class, I am sure that you are completely clear on what all three are. And knowing that, you also are aware that how you classify chraracters into one of these categories is a very personal thing. 


Hero: I don't really see a hero in the book. It is much like The Great Gatsby, there is not much of a hero, just a narrator. Chief, the narrator just tells things how it is, and does not really have any values that distinguish him as a hero. McMurphy can't be a hero either, because he has certain values that don't match up with the values of the audience.


Anti-Hero: McMurphy is obviously an anti-hero because he has values that do not match up with others. He is overly aggressive with his sex drive, and as shown on page 41, he pretended to be crazy to get out of farm work. While he has these bad characteristics, he want's to do good for the patients in the institution. He recognized that none of the patients have fun, nobody laughs, and the nurse controls everyone. He want's to change this for the patients.


Villain: Nurse Ratched is the villain of the story, because all of the patients view her as a controlling monster. Even though it is not out rightly said, she dehumanizes the patients, treating them like they are lesser than her. For example, on page 45 she manipulates the patients to reveal embarrassing secrets about their past by saying, "Am I to take it that there's not a man among you that has committed some act that he has never admitted?" When their secrets are revealed it is almost like the nurse has proved to herself that she is much better than these people.

Final Gatsby

Why Didn't Daisy leave with Gatsby while she had the chance?

Daisy's main characteristic is weakness. She never comes out of her comfort zone, and since she had already settled down with Tom she doesn't wan't to restart her life to choose another path. She may like it better with Gatsby, but she would never consider doing something as outrageous as leave Tom.

Was Gatsby Great?

No, Gatsby was not great. The title is pure irony and it sets Gatsby up to be the hero, but in the end he is an utter failure. The place where you most see his failure in life was at the end, when nobody came to his funeral. If he was a great person and accomplished much, people would be sad when his death came. But instead, his own father skipped out, and we realize that for the most part, Gatsby was just a loser, and money can't even change that.

What were the glasses of Doctor T.J Eckleburg a symbol of?

The glasses and the eyes of Eckleburg symbolize how the upper class get much attention, and it seems like everyone is always watching them. His eyes seemed to rise up out of the fog at one point, and could be seen from much of the surrounding area. 

What is the purpose of Nick in this story?

Nick, for the most part is a flat character. He does not change much at all throughout the reading, and maybe that is because he has already experienced these events. That is the reason why I think his purpose was only to have a non-biased outlook on these events, and tell the story to us how it actually happened. That's right, Nick was only in the story to narrate.