In the third part of the book, McMurphy has everyone starting to be themselves again. A bunch of the men are starting to laugh and to be rebellious like McMuprhy, flirting with staff and having a good time in general without worrying about the things that had worried them before. It a very inspiring thing to read about, a so called crazy guy subtly helping dozens of men who could not be helped in any medical or "therapeutic" way, and he helps them just by trying to make them feel good, not focussing on what’s bothering them, but giving them confidence and happiness.
McMurphy plans a fishing trip for the guys, and says its with his two Aunts. That night, the black boys are giving Bomdon a hard time and McMurphy gives him a piece of gum. Bromdon speaks to him and says thank you. This is very significant because for a great number of years that he has been in the institution he has not said anything at all and was considered deaf and dumb. He talks about how he’s really small (in reality he’s the largest in the whole institution) but its just because he's self conscious and scared, and he talks about how McMurphy is so big, but its because he has a big personality, he’s not scared of anything. He talks about how his dad used to be big but than the "combine" got to him. "That's what they said to him. He said, What can you pay for the way a man is? They didn't understand. Not even the tribe. They stood out in front of our door all holding those checks and they wanted him to tell them what to do now. They kept asking him to invest in them, or tell them go, or buy a farm. But he was too little anymore. And he was too drunk, too. The combine had whipped him. It beats everbody. It'll beat you too. They cant have someone as big as papa running around unless he's one of them. You can see that." I like how it is like he’s talking crazy, but it all makes sense.
MrMurphy told him that he would be big again, he would make him big, and went on during the night trying to boost his confidence. When the morning came around and the black boys tried to push him around he didn't take any of it and walked away. Everything is starting to change for the better, the patients are getting their courage back.
Turns out that the fishing trip was actually with a girl named Candy, who is friends with McMurphy and its not really legal. They go on the fishing trip anyways, and the men have the most fun they could ever have. The doctor even ends up having fun and breaking rules. McMurphy refuses to help anyone do anything, he wants to prove to them that they can do it themselves they only have to believe in themself. And they do it, they do everything themself. In the end everyone laughs, which is the first anyone laughed in a long time. "It started slow and pumped itself full, swelling the men bigger and bigger. I watched, part of them, laughing with them- and somehow not with them."(pg 214, Ken Kesey, One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
Ken Kesey does an amazing job, showing through Chief Bromdon's view of people and their size that laughter cures and makes people feel good, no matter the circumstances. He shows how it boosts a person's confidence and makes them feel bigger and seem bigger to other people. This was one of my favourite parts of the book, it gave me a good feeling inside, because the men are finally realising how to live again and the surprisingly little amount of effort and stress it took. Before they were scared of the outside world, even going into it for the fishing trip, but now that they are there they know its not so bad, they just have to keep facing their fears.
In the very end of this part, it talks about how McMurphy looks "dreadfully tired and strained and frantic, like there wasn't enough time left for something he had to do.." (pg 221, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) This could foreshadow more radical behaviour from McMurphy, maybe to get out of the hospital, or to help the boys more, or to win his battle with the Big Nurse. I think it might be all of them, since he tries to help the patients so much, sometimes without them realising, but he also doesn't like rules or structure, so doesn't want to stay in the ward.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Chief Bromdon & the End of Part One and Two
Since I have read farther, I am convinced that Chief Bromdon has something wrong with him, even if he may not be mentally ill. One night he starts talking about how he didn’t take his medication to make him sleep. He talks about the walls and floor moving and there are machines everywhere. He dreams or hallucinates of drumming and workers everywhere, twisting knobs on the machinery and doing bad things to the patients. He thinks of "crazy horrible things too goofy and outlandish to cry about but too much true to laugh about." (pg 80, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
He talks about fog that comes in through the walls, and how he likes to hide in it. I think that he is imagining this fog, and it’s a metaphor for not being in control, or being safe by conforming to the rules of the ward. Sometimes he thinks he gets lost in it and panics. He talks about how the fog hasn't started up, since McMurphy got there, about how its probably because he wouldn't stand for it. Everything seems to be going on well with McMurphy getting everyone to laugh and easily getting the better of the Big Nurse. It becomes obvious that the patients aren't really becoming more free, when McMurphy asks everyone if they want to change the schedule around to watch the World Series during a group discussion. He expects everyone to take his side and when they don’t, Bromdon feels the fog start to come in the room again, thicker than ever before. McMurphy is angry at everyone for being so cowardly, so he asks them if they can do another vote, if anyone will side with im this time and everyone says its no use trying.
They all get talking and McMurphy is talking about breaking out the window. Everyone says he cant do it.
He tries to lift up a great big heavy cement piece of machinery, tries and tries, till he bleeds. When everyone says they knew he couldn't do it, he says "But I tried though,""Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now didn't I?" (pg 110, Ken Kesey, One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Which is amazing inspiration for the rest of the patients. At the next meeting half of the patients raise their hands so that they can watch the World Series. McMurphy needs one more person to vote, and asks Bromdon, even though everyone thinks that he is deaf. "McMurphy's got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I'm fair game. He's doing it, wires.. No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself." (pg 123, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
This is the moment that Bromdon realises maybe that the machines don’t control him at all, he is doing it by himself, and can control his own hand, and vote for what he wants to do with his own life. After this rebellious move from all of them, there is no more fog for Bromdon, he starts to feel and see things like he hasn't for a while. He notices how the floor feels and looks out a window to watch birds and a dog. Maybe the fog could also be fear for him, of the world or authority.
Everything starts to go downhill once again in Part Two of the novel, when they all go to the swimming pool. McMurphy starts talking to a lifeguard about how being in the Hospital is better than being in prison. The lifeguard disagrees and says how in prison you have a set term and than you get to go home but in here they can keep you as long as you want. He than continues to tell him about how he’s been there for 8 years, because of a sore arm. McMurphy finally realises why everyone lets the Big Nurse push them around, and he realises how stupid he’s been trying to piss her off. This makes him angry and for a while he is frustrated with everyone.
One day they are all waiting to get x-rays for one reason or another, and it comes out. McMurphys gets angry at the rest of the patients for not telling him how things were. He then finds out that most of the patients are in the hospital voluntarily. After everything that happened and how they were all complaining, they could have just walked out. Instead they had McMurphy jeopardize his chances of getting out by having him stick up for them and piss off the Big Nurse. I understand and I don’t understand how someone could have themself voluntarily abused and mistreated in a hospital like the one they are in. In one way I can see they are scared of the outside world and of new people and responsibilities, but than on the other hand how can they live like that? Voluntarily throwing their life away to such a monotonous and repetitive pretend life where they have no choices or fun or freedom, where they are constantly put down in many ways by the staff and other patients.
McMurphy is frustrated at first, he cant understand saying over and over "I don't seem able to get it straight in my mind..." (pg168, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Chief Bromdon in his new view of things knows that McMurphy will snap sooner or later, he feels it coming and wants to say something, but doesn't want everyone to know he can talk and isn't deaf. McMuphy in the middle of group discussion, walks over to the nurses station, and puts his hand through the window, supposedly by accident. This has officially started the battle again between McMurphy and Ms. Ratched and has given the boys a hope once more.
He talks about fog that comes in through the walls, and how he likes to hide in it. I think that he is imagining this fog, and it’s a metaphor for not being in control, or being safe by conforming to the rules of the ward. Sometimes he thinks he gets lost in it and panics. He talks about how the fog hasn't started up, since McMurphy got there, about how its probably because he wouldn't stand for it. Everything seems to be going on well with McMurphy getting everyone to laugh and easily getting the better of the Big Nurse. It becomes obvious that the patients aren't really becoming more free, when McMurphy asks everyone if they want to change the schedule around to watch the World Series during a group discussion. He expects everyone to take his side and when they don’t, Bromdon feels the fog start to come in the room again, thicker than ever before. McMurphy is angry at everyone for being so cowardly, so he asks them if they can do another vote, if anyone will side with im this time and everyone says its no use trying.
They all get talking and McMurphy is talking about breaking out the window. Everyone says he cant do it.
He tries to lift up a great big heavy cement piece of machinery, tries and tries, till he bleeds. When everyone says they knew he couldn't do it, he says "But I tried though,""Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now didn't I?" (pg 110, Ken Kesey, One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Which is amazing inspiration for the rest of the patients. At the next meeting half of the patients raise their hands so that they can watch the World Series. McMurphy needs one more person to vote, and asks Bromdon, even though everyone thinks that he is deaf. "McMurphy's got hidden wires hooked to it, lifting it slow just to get me out of the fog and into the open where I'm fair game. He's doing it, wires.. No. That’s not the truth. I lifted it myself." (pg 123, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
This is the moment that Bromdon realises maybe that the machines don’t control him at all, he is doing it by himself, and can control his own hand, and vote for what he wants to do with his own life. After this rebellious move from all of them, there is no more fog for Bromdon, he starts to feel and see things like he hasn't for a while. He notices how the floor feels and looks out a window to watch birds and a dog. Maybe the fog could also be fear for him, of the world or authority.
Everything starts to go downhill once again in Part Two of the novel, when they all go to the swimming pool. McMurphy starts talking to a lifeguard about how being in the Hospital is better than being in prison. The lifeguard disagrees and says how in prison you have a set term and than you get to go home but in here they can keep you as long as you want. He than continues to tell him about how he’s been there for 8 years, because of a sore arm. McMurphy finally realises why everyone lets the Big Nurse push them around, and he realises how stupid he’s been trying to piss her off. This makes him angry and for a while he is frustrated with everyone.
One day they are all waiting to get x-rays for one reason or another, and it comes out. McMurphys gets angry at the rest of the patients for not telling him how things were. He then finds out that most of the patients are in the hospital voluntarily. After everything that happened and how they were all complaining, they could have just walked out. Instead they had McMurphy jeopardize his chances of getting out by having him stick up for them and piss off the Big Nurse. I understand and I don’t understand how someone could have themself voluntarily abused and mistreated in a hospital like the one they are in. In one way I can see they are scared of the outside world and of new people and responsibilities, but than on the other hand how can they live like that? Voluntarily throwing their life away to such a monotonous and repetitive pretend life where they have no choices or fun or freedom, where they are constantly put down in many ways by the staff and other patients.
McMurphy is frustrated at first, he cant understand saying over and over "I don't seem able to get it straight in my mind..." (pg168, Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Chief Bromdon in his new view of things knows that McMurphy will snap sooner or later, he feels it coming and wants to say something, but doesn't want everyone to know he can talk and isn't deaf. McMuphy in the middle of group discussion, walks over to the nurses station, and puts his hand through the window, supposedly by accident. This has officially started the battle again between McMurphy and Ms. Ratched and has given the boys a hope once more.
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