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.
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