Pages 1-75 In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starts off in a mental institution and follows the mind of the Columbia Indian, Chief Bromden, or aka "Chief Broom". He pretends to be deaf and just observes everything that happens. He sweeps the floor and when doing that he listens in on conversations and watches what happens in the halls. Introducing and developing a lot of the characters right from the start, the workers and the other patients are some of the first people introduced. There's the nurse who Bromden calls "Big Nurse" (Miss Ratched) and she has her "black boy" workers. The there is a new redheaded admission, R. P. McMurphy, who is a loud, rebellious, and friendly man. People question whether if he really is insane or just pretending to get out of farm work. Then there is Cheswick, Billy Bibbit, Martini (Acutes). Ellis was an acute made into a chronic from shock, Ruckly also made into a chronic, Colonel Matterson, Maxwell Taber, Pete-always been a chronic his whole life Acutes-Younger patients, can still be fixed Chronics-people who are never leaving McMurphy starts to question the guys in the place. Why they are just letting the nurse walk all over them and peck at them. She uses her power of not being able to be fired to create laws and have the men follow what she says. Some men say it’s because they are rabbits and shes a wolf and that they belong in that position it’s their role. He makes a bet with them. The way the novel is written seems like a journal that Bromden writes in. The picture drawings that pop every now and then help add to that aspect because they are like little sketches Chief drew while he's writing. The beginning of my book it has other people thoughts and critics. One of them points out that Kesey is sexist and racist based upon his characterization of woman and black people in his book. Do you agree with this statement? If not why? Do you think McMurphy knows Chief isn’t deaf and saw through his lie because he is lying about being insane?
I agree with Carl. during this time period racism and segregation and sexism were common among society. It is hard to tell whether or not Kesey was really any of these things but he very well could have been. In my opinion however, I think that Kesey was not racist or sexist, but chose to incorporate these elements of society into the novel I order to show there impact on a society as estranged and focused as a mental Asylum, and not just normal society as a whole.
I don't have any pictures in my book, at least not through pages 1-75....
Anyways I think that McMurphy does know that Bromden isn't deaf. Bromden himself says that he suspects McMurphy sees right through his act, and McMurphy has a knack for taking apart every character in the ward and looking past their outer appearances. I think that McMurphy almost praises Bromden's ploy, otherwise he might have ratted him out to the rest of the ward members. In McMurphy's eyes, Bromden is somewhat similar to himself; they're both trying to deceive the Big Nurse.
1-75 I think that there is a good possibility that Kesey was a biased person towards white males considering the time the novel was written. However, there is also a good possibility he just wanted to show the poor conditions of the ward through the employees. Women are portrayed as controlling and dominating characters, seemingly demonizing women holding positions of power. The mean nurse almost HAS to be a woman due to nursing not being a common practive for males at the time, and a mean head nurse is a commonly used antagonist in fiction set in asylums/hospitals/mental wards. It may have just been an unfortunate that the meanest person in the story is a woman, but then again, it just so happens that the only person to fill the role was a female. As for black people, I think he was probably a racist. Simply by displaying Nurse Ratched's prejudices towards them, Kesey shows his own. I have a few questions to add as well: Do you think that the questionable integrity of the narrator is problematic to the telling of the story, or does it add to the mystery surrounding nearly all of the characters? One of the chapters was nearly a summary of what the schedule was at the ward. What does this help to achieve and why do you think Kesey decided to put it in the story? Segregation seems to be a common theme in the story. Nearly everyone is segregated: patients from the world, patients from patients, employees from employees. What do you think Kesey is suggesting here? Why does he segregate all of the characters?
In my opinion, the segregation depicted in One flew over the Cockoo's Nest is an inverse way to show the connection between the patients there. As you said, patients are separated from other patients, employees, and the world, so what better is there to form a connection between them than by giving them the commonality of ostracism. Kesey is suggesting that even through ways as wrong as segregation, people can still come together.
Also with regards to the integrity of the narrator, I believe that he fits the role finely. Even though his mental state is questionable and his opinions and telling of the story may seem to be cons of his narration, they still are used by the author to further indirect characterize of Bromden. In addition, any narrator that was a character in One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest would have a questionable integrity. Each character is either suffering from a mental illness or prefers segregation and racism. Each possible narrator would tell the story in a different way and I think the author chose chief Bromden as a narrator because he seemed to be the best fit for his depiction. What do you think? Why did Kesey choose Bromden to be the narrator? Who else would prove to be a good narrator? Why?
I think Kesey chose Bromden as the narrator because he is an observer. He doesn't say much and acts deaf, so he sees and hears everything that happens when people think he doesn't. He is one of the only characters, patient wise that can do that without getting into trouble for being nosey. Also he seems pretty intelligent. I'm not really sure who would prove to be a good narrator besides for Bromden. A would say a nurse or worker but they aren't there 24/7 or with the patients at every waking moment, so I feel the reader wouldn't get the same effect.
I absolutely LOVE the fact that Kesey compares the institution to a factory and the constant metaphors he uses throughout. It's not just a subtle nudge, the entirety of the book thus far is relating the ward to a factory. I especially like the way Kesey took up about two chapters just explaining the schedule of a single day, as if everything has to be clean-cut and in order the exact same every day. He structures this part of the book EXACTLY LIKE A FACTORY. Step one, blah blah blah, then at 10am blah blah blah, etc. I just love the way he does that.
Also, I think it's humorous that I can't picture McMurphy as anything but a lumberjack in flannels. He just doesn't fit in at the ward at all, and although he's testing the factory for weaknesses and playing a major role in the storyline, I don't know how I feel about his character yet. Perhaps the fact that he doesn't belong will become appealing to me in the future, but for right now I just see him as the complete opposite counterpart of Miss Ratched, merely used for that specific purpose. I guess that's the point of his character but I wish maybe it was a little more subtle how different he is from the rest of the group.
Okay so I guess I have two discussion questions: 1. Can someone please explain Ellis to me? Is he a representation of Christ somehow and doesn't even exist? Ellis could almost actually be a clock or a representation of time in a way but I'm not sure. Or is Bromden just exaggerating the way that Ellis is strapped to the wall by comparing the bindings with nails? 2. Why does Kesey have the aides be black boys? I feel like it doesn't really make sense that they're in this position, unless it's signifying that even the black boys (during this time period) were of greater status than the patients in the ward.
You're lucky I am not abiding by the bed time I set for myself on a daily basis just for you;)))))))))))))) 1. Yes, yes, yes. These three points are all the same opinion I have about Ellis if that helps. 2. I see that you really like to answer your own questions mid question. (Yes I agree with your point on that as well.)
If you think about it people wouldn't really want the jobs of the black boys (dealing with insane people, picking up waste, cleaning dirty sheets, etc.) so it could just be the signifying that that blacks got the crappy jobs and still had to listen to a white boss.
True, I still feel like it's not the job for them...they just don't seem like they really belong. Though they do pose as better aides than, say, white males, but I think that having female aides would be more realistic. *Diverging from the race point...* Perhaps Kesey created them to be male instead of female because otherwise the aides would not seem like they have any control over the patients; the black aides are used for the physical tasks such as subduing patients. If they were females, there would be a loophole and everyone would be wondering why none of the patients had rebelled yet (it's not like they would have had to overtake the female aides).
True I agree, that female aides seem a little more realistic for the time period but like you said a female aid wouldn't really be able to do all the lifting or holding a patient down if they started getting out of hand.
What is our reading schedule?
ReplyDeletefor Monday pages 1-125 (part 1 of the book) split into pages 1-75 and 76-125.
DeletePages 1-75
ReplyDeleteIn One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starts off in a mental institution and follows the mind of the Columbia Indian, Chief Bromden, or aka "Chief Broom". He pretends to be deaf and just observes everything that happens. He sweeps the floor and when doing that he listens in on conversations and watches what happens in the halls. Introducing and developing a lot of the characters right from the start, the workers and the other patients are some of the first people introduced. There's the nurse who Bromden calls "Big Nurse" (Miss Ratched) and she has her "black boy" workers. The there is a new redheaded admission, R. P. McMurphy, who is a loud, rebellious, and friendly man. People question whether if he really is insane or just pretending to get out of farm work. Then there is Cheswick, Billy Bibbit, Martini (Acutes). Ellis was an acute made into a chronic from shock, Ruckly also made into a chronic, Colonel Matterson, Maxwell Taber, Pete-always been a chronic his whole life
Acutes-Younger patients, can still be fixed
Chronics-people who are never leaving
McMurphy starts to question the guys in the place. Why they are just letting the nurse walk all over them and peck at them. She uses her power of not being able to be fired to create laws and have the men follow what she says. Some men say it’s because they are rabbits and shes a wolf and that they belong in that position it’s their role. He makes a bet with them.
The way the novel is written seems like a journal that Bromden writes in. The picture drawings that pop every now and then help add to that aspect because they are like little sketches Chief drew while he's writing.
The beginning of my book it has other people thoughts and critics. One of them points out that Kesey is sexist and racist based upon his characterization of woman and black people in his book. Do you agree with this statement? If not why?
Do you think McMurphy knows Chief isn’t deaf and saw through his lie because he is lying about being insane?
I agree with Carl. during this time period racism and segregation and sexism were common among society. It is hard to tell whether or not Kesey was really any of these things but he very well could have been. In my opinion however, I think that Kesey was not racist or sexist, but chose to incorporate these elements of society into the novel I order to show there impact on a society as estranged and focused as a mental Asylum, and not just normal society as a whole.
DeleteI don't have any pictures in my book, at least not through pages 1-75....
DeleteAnyways I think that McMurphy does know that Bromden isn't deaf. Bromden himself says that he suspects McMurphy sees right through his act, and McMurphy has a knack for taking apart every character in the ward and looking past their outer appearances. I think that McMurphy almost praises Bromden's ploy, otherwise he might have ratted him out to the rest of the ward members. In McMurphy's eyes, Bromden is somewhat similar to himself; they're both trying to deceive the Big Nurse.
1-75
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a good possibility that Kesey was a biased person towards white males considering the time the novel was written. However, there is also a good possibility he just wanted to show the poor conditions of the ward through the employees. Women are portrayed as controlling and dominating characters, seemingly demonizing women holding positions of power. The mean nurse almost HAS to be a woman due to nursing not being a common practive for males at the time, and a mean head nurse is a commonly used antagonist in fiction set in asylums/hospitals/mental wards. It may have just been an unfortunate that the meanest person in the story is a woman, but then again, it just so happens that the only person to fill the role was a female. As for black people, I think he was probably a racist. Simply by displaying Nurse Ratched's prejudices towards them, Kesey shows his own.
I have a few questions to add as well:
Do you think that the questionable integrity of the narrator is problematic to the telling of the story, or does it add to the mystery surrounding nearly all of the characters?
One of the chapters was nearly a summary of what the schedule was at the ward. What does this help to achieve and why do you think Kesey decided to put it in the story?
Segregation seems to be a common theme in the story. Nearly everyone is segregated: patients from the world, patients from patients, employees from employees. What do you think Kesey is suggesting here? Why does he segregate all of the characters?
In my opinion, the segregation depicted in One flew over the Cockoo's Nest is an inverse way to show the connection between the patients there. As you said, patients are separated from other patients, employees, and the world, so what better is there to form a connection between them than by giving them the commonality of ostracism. Kesey is suggesting that even through ways as wrong as segregation, people can still come together.
DeleteAlso with regards to the integrity of the narrator, I believe that he fits the role finely. Even though his mental state is questionable and his opinions and telling of the story may seem to be cons of his narration, they still are used by the author to further indirect characterize of Bromden. In addition, any narrator that was a character in One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest would have a questionable integrity. Each character is either suffering from a mental illness or prefers segregation and racism. Each possible narrator would tell the story in a different way and I think the author chose chief Bromden as a narrator because he seemed to be the best fit for his depiction.
DeleteWhat do you think? Why did Kesey choose Bromden to be the narrator? Who else would prove to be a good narrator? Why?
I think Kesey chose Bromden as the narrator because he is an observer. He doesn't say much and acts deaf, so he sees and hears everything that happens when people think he doesn't. He is one of the only characters, patient wise that can do that without getting into trouble for being nosey. Also he seems pretty intelligent. I'm not really sure who would prove to be a good narrator besides for Bromden. A would say a nurse or worker but they aren't there 24/7 or with the patients at every waking moment, so I feel the reader wouldn't get the same effect.
DeleteBromden is the eyes and ears of the institution.
DeleteWell put.
DeleteI absolutely LOVE the fact that Kesey compares the institution to a factory and the constant metaphors he uses throughout. It's not just a subtle nudge, the entirety of the book thus far is relating the ward to a factory. I especially like the way Kesey took up about two chapters just explaining the schedule of a single day, as if everything has to be clean-cut and in order the exact same every day. He structures this part of the book EXACTLY LIKE A FACTORY. Step one, blah blah blah, then at 10am blah blah blah, etc. I just love the way he does that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think it's humorous that I can't picture McMurphy as anything but a lumberjack in flannels. He just doesn't fit in at the ward at all, and although he's testing the factory for weaknesses and playing a major role in the storyline, I don't know how I feel about his character yet. Perhaps the fact that he doesn't belong will become appealing to me in the future, but for right now I just see him as the complete opposite counterpart of Miss Ratched, merely used for that specific purpose. I guess that's the point of his character but I wish maybe it was a little more subtle how different he is from the rest of the group.
Okay so I guess I have two discussion questions:
1. Can someone please explain Ellis to me? Is he a representation of Christ somehow and doesn't even exist? Ellis could almost actually be a clock or a representation of time in a way but I'm not sure. Or is Bromden just exaggerating the way that Ellis is strapped to the wall by comparing the bindings with nails?
2. Why does Kesey have the aides be black boys? I feel like it doesn't really make sense that they're in this position, unless it's signifying that even the black boys (during this time period) were of greater status than the patients in the ward.
You're lucky I am not abiding by the bed time I set for myself on a daily basis just for you;))))))))))))))
Delete1. Yes, yes, yes. These three points are all the same opinion I have about Ellis if that helps.
2. I see that you really like to answer your own questions mid question. (Yes I agree with your point on that as well.)
Ohh why thank you for staying up past 9:40 just for me Carl ;)
DeleteI'm glad we agree on these answers, but I'm still curious about Ellis...
If you think about it people wouldn't really want the jobs of the black boys (dealing with insane people, picking up waste, cleaning dirty sheets, etc.) so it could just be the signifying that that blacks got the crappy jobs and still had to listen to a white boss.
DeleteTrue, I still feel like it's not the job for them...they just don't seem like they really belong. Though they do pose as better aides than, say, white males, but I think that having female aides would be more realistic.
Delete*Diverging from the race point...*
Perhaps Kesey created them to be male instead of female because otherwise the aides would not seem like they have any control over the patients; the black aides are used for the physical tasks such as subduing patients. If they were females, there would be a loophole and everyone would be wondering why none of the patients had rebelled yet (it's not like they would have had to overtake the female aides).
True I agree, that female aides seem a little more realistic for the time period but like you said a female aid wouldn't really be able to do all the lifting or holding a patient down if they started getting out of hand.
Delete