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Examples Of Mcmurphy In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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Michael Gugliotta English 3 Honors 10/22/15 Mrs. English Savior of the Patients Who would have thought the new patient, McMurphy, would be the person who saves the other patients? In Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, McMurphy’s impact on the patients is evident. Before his arrival, the patients were under the strict rule of Nurse Ratched. They did not know how to stop her anger. McMurphy, like the other patients, is also mentally unstable and has made questionable decisions in the past. Despite McMurphy's alleged flaws, he inspires the men with a rebellious attitude, helps the patients increase their confidence, and make the patients realize they have a place in life outside of the ward. Although the patients never express their …show more content…

After McMurphy’s arrival, the patients begin to open up more. He interacts with them by playing cards, betting, or just telling them a story about his life. The patients find McMurphy interesting and realize he is helping them in whatever way he can. He attempts to help many of the patients, including Bibbit, Harding, and others, but most importantly Chief. Chief reveals to McMurphy that he is not deaf and dumb. Everyone thinks he is, and Chief just goes along with it. Also, Chief might have PTSD from his experience during war. This may hold him back from standing his ground and showing his true self. McMurphy wants Chief’s help in overthrowing the hierarchy Ratched has established in order to help himself and the other patients. McMurphy convinces Chief to help lift the control panel and, “You (Chief) promise me that, and you not only get my body- buildin ' course for nothing but you get yourself a ten-buck fishin trip, free!”(191). McMurphy wants Chief to bulk up so he can help him lift the panel. Although it may seem selfish, McMurphy would help Chief become a stronger person physically and mentally, but it would also benefit the other patients. If Chief is able to lift it, it would limit Ratched's power because the control panel symbolizes the influence she has over the patients. McMurphy is also letting Chief go on the fishing trip for free. The fishing trip is a special occasion …show more content…

McMurphy tries to instill this idea into the patients and hopes they could make a clean transition to life outside the institution. When McMurphy develops a strong relationship with the patients, he notices that the staff labels most of them as mentally challenged. Due to their lack of confidence and self-respect, the patients are never able to truly act like themselves. They feel limited because of their poor treatment. The patients have the opportunity to leave the ward, but choose not to because they are comfortable in their environment. McMurphy makes the patients realize they all have a purpose in life. He preaches this to Billy and Chief the most. Billy’s only limitations are his stutter and the fact he is still taking orders from his mother. Once McMurphy sees this, he questions "why? Why You're just a young guy (Billy)...why do you stand for it"(167). Billy proves on the fishing trip he would be able to survive in the outside world. He does not stutter and has a good time with Candy. McMurphy is mad with Billy and the other patients for not leaving the ward. This annoys McMurphy because he realizes these men are not all mentally challenges and would be able to succeed outside of the ward. He notices if they believe in themselves and are confident, they would be able to live a better life. Before

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379 Words | 2 Pages

In addition to setting, McMurphy did what wanted, when he wanted, always being loud and disruptive (“One Flew Over The Cukoo’s Nest” 3). He admits himself into the ward only to get out of working on the work farm. Because McMurphy is not actually insane, he’s not fond of the rules of that are set in place on a daily basis; He doesn’t follow the “god damned policy” (Kesey 89). By acting the way he does, he gets under the skin of the Big Nurse, who is in charge of keeping a set routine Acutes and Chronics, such as “Six-forty-five the shavers buzz and the Acutes line up in alphabetical order at the mirrors, A, B, C, D….” (Kesey 26).

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763 Words | 4 Pages

In the beginning, McMurphy seems to be winning his conflicts with Nurse Ratched but she is merely waiting for the right moment, in anticipation for her opening. Nurse Ratched has crucial control over the patients and this is what makes McMurphy lose to Nurse Ratched. McMurphy finds out the reason why the other patients are in the ward when they say to him that

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281 Words | 2 Pages

Contrary to those who fail to acknowledge Chief’s voice, McMurphy listens respectfully because he sees the potential for tremendous growth. When next faced with fog, Chief vows never to hide in it again. McMurphy’s example teaches Chief instead to find an alternative to the safe route of losing himself in situations of uncertainty.

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1075 Words | 5 Pages

At first look it just looks like a bunch patients going on a fishing trip, but we know by now that it's never that simple. After all, Foster told us that "the real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge"(Foster 3). McMurphy hopes that the fishing trip will make the others realize that they are still human, still men, still deserving of some of life's simple pleasures, and deserving of being out of Nurse Ratched's iron fisted control. Having a little fun outside of Nurse Ratched's control will help the patients remember who they are. This is exemplified by Chief Bromden when he recalls a memory and states that "it was the first time in what seemed to me centuries that I'd been able to remember much about my childhood"(Keser 215).

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227 Words | 1 Pages

The hospital often subjects the patients to therapeutic meetings with a qualified doctor, and such meetings are goal-based, focusing on the rehabilitation of a specific patient. However, when McMurphy arrives, he notices how flawed these meetings are, and continually desires to change them. In doing so, he makes greater enemies with Nurse Ratched although the other patients support his every action. He interrupts the meetings with relentless and unnecessary questions and individually attempts to stop the institution from imposing itself on those within the ward. Nurse Ratched tries to get the meetings back on track, but McMurphy forces them in a different direction every time— sometimes just to get a laugh out of his fellow patients.

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1164 Words | 5 Pages

One of the main characters, Randle Mcmurphy uses his rowdy and rule breaking ways to agitate the Big Nurse-Ratched and becomes a hero for the patients of the ward, Mcmurphy's actions end up turning the patients on the ward into functioning human beings.

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1091 Words | 5 Pages

Nurse Ratched, the head administrative nurse at a mental institution, exercised her near-absolute power over every aspect of the patients’ lives. Over time, she gradually gained a strong position of power, which was only strengthened by her ability to determine the fates of her patients. She was presented as a controlling, yet peaceful character, ensuring that her calculate outlook on the patients was upheld on every measure. Her strong personality is not seen as superficial, rather permanent through many distractions, revealing a mechanical aspect to her presence. Her lack of emotion was an extreme patience, which she used as a weapon against the patients.

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1522 Words | 7 Pages

McMurphy helped them “Because when the patients went on the fishing trip, Mac taught them to use what they have to full advantage” (King). To gain more independence for themselves, he told everyone to fill out a role that they should do while on the trip. By doing this everyone on the boat learns a valuable lesson that if one of the members did not do their own role the boat as a whole would not function correctly. In addition to letting everyone have their own role on the boat, McMurphy is also an influence of why Chief escapes near the end of the novel. By killing McMurphy, he showed McMurphy that he has regained the confidence that he had before he entered the ward.

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725 Words | 3 Pages

Without a doubt, Nurse Ratched and McMurphy were two of the largest characters in the novel, lying on two opposite sides of the novel’s central conflict regarding institutional authority. In the course of several discussions, various perspectives regarding the relationship of these two forces arouse, ultimately resulting in the realization of how it is eternally and purposefully debatable about whether the Combine or McMurphy truly won the novel’s central conflict and the true meaning of victory. Originally, I went into this discussion believing that the only message the novel could convey was that of McMurphy being successful in liberating the other patients. Throughout the vast majority of the novel, Chief had consistently believed “there is no real help against [Nurse Ratched] or her Combine.”

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592 Words | 3 Pages

McMurphy convinces George a patient that likes neatness to join the trip and be Captain of the boat. “Hell, George, why didn't you say you were a fisherman” Pg 195. This shows McMurphy has the power to organize a fishing trip without Nurse Ratched going. Therefore McMurphy is gaining power in the ward and Nurse Ratched is losing power to

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688 Words | 3 Pages

All of McMurphy violent behavior was for the men to better themselves. He prepared them for real world outside of the ward. He helped them not to get pushed around and to not be afraid to do what they want. Mcmurphy’s madness is made reasonable as it provided the patients with hope and helped them return to a sane lifestyle. By the end, McMurphy managed to release many of the patients to their normal senses, Even though it caused him to lose his freedom.

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810 Words | 4 Pages

Power is the capacity to act mighty towards something or even someone. Power is frequently in the hands of a dominant character known as the “Big Nurse.” Throughout the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, she has many unfortunate patients locked in her hospital and uses power to overrule them, making it like a totalitarian society. The totalitarian rule in a society is one that regulates every individual’s behavior.

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1873 Words | 8 Pages

As the book goes on, you can see the effect McMurphy has on the patients. You see how they start to gain their own independence and being to speak up for themselves. An illustration of this would be when Cheswick, one of the patients on the ward stood up and asked Nurse Ratched why he couldn't have his cigarettes “complaint. “Then what

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756 Words | 4 Pages

McMurphy makes the other people in the ward happy through laughter. From the minute he arrives on the ward he is joking around and brightening up the place with his big laugh and goofy smile. He does a lot to make the other patients happy, for example, taking them on a fishing trip, and fighting for them to be able to watch the World Series. Ultimately McMurphy suffers great consequences for these actions, but he also one great reward. By making others happy, he makes himself happy, and dies a happy man.

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1288 Words | 6 Pages

His rebellious and free mind makes the patients open their eyes and see how the have been suppressed. His appearance is a breath of fresh air and a look into the outside world for the patients. This clearly weakens Nurse Ratched’s powers, and she sees him as a large threat. One way or another, McMurphy tends to instigate changes of scenery. He manages to move everyone away from her music and watchful eye into the old tube room.

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