Independence Day Reading: One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest

[_Shannon_]

My take on Nurse Ratched is that she equates her job to being able to wield power over her patients (and even over her colleagues). Her aim in executing her duties is to establish order, conformity, discipline, control. There is no humane side to her being a nurse.

Or possibly that she equates " order, conformity, discipline, control" with humaneness?? There is a long tradition in post WWII America elevating the techincal over and above the natural. It is still alive and well in America- the sense that that which can be measured and dispensed and regulated is preferred above non-quantatative, natural functions with far broader terms of normalacy- or even tolerance for that which is outside the norm.

I think this is particularly true in regards to present day mental health, poignantly demonstrated in how many children are on medication for ADD, how many people are on medication for depression, etc.

[bouquin]

Or possibly that she equates " order, conformity, discipline, control" with humaneness?? There is a long tradition in post WWII America elevating the techincal over and above the natural. It is still alive and well in America- the sense that that which can be measured and dispensed and regulated is preferred above non-quantatative, natural functions with far broader terms of normalacy- or even tolerance for that which is outside the norm.

I think this is particularly true in regards to present day mental health, poignantly demonstrated in how many children are on medication for ADD, how many people are on medication for depression, etc.

Well yes, it could very well be that Big Nurse, from her own point of view, equates rigid conformity and control with humaneness. We never get to hear her side, though. In the story she comes across as a manipulative, unfeeling and unsympathetic character without any sense of benevolence.

[NickAdams]

Sometimes I laugh, but I mostly roll my eyes. It's just a poor narrative. Might have been better using third-person limited. I thought the best part, prose wise, was the incident between Mcmurphy and the young nurse: when she drops the pills.

[genoveva]

Something that I find interesting about the history of this novel is that it is just that, Kesey's first novel, and that he wrote it largely while experimenting with LSD in a controlled environment, and that many of the episodes were inspired by his experience of actually working in a mental hospital.

[NickAdams]

Something that I find interesting about the history of this novel is that it is just that, Kesey's first novel, and that he wrote it largely while experimenting with LSD in a controlled environment, and that many of the episodes were inspired by his experience of actually working in a mental hospital.

It seems like he wrote after the trip, rather than on it; the latter would have been a better read.

[NickAdams]

I pushed myself and finished the damned thing.

The only thing I took from this was a possible reference used in the 1996 film 12 monkeys- I might be reaching.

... upset bad by what a tough bunch of monkeys ... Mcmurphy lead the twelve of us.

Some might say Billy is the Judas to Mcmurphy's Christ, but Judas' betrayal was not motivated by cowardice. But this is to be an allusion and not a retelling of the Gospels.

I only see minor differences between Mcmurphy and The Big Nurse. Male/Female; Agressive/Passive; Controling/Controling; Influential/Influential; Self-centered/Self-centered. The are not complete opposites and that's the conflict- two Chiefs and not one will be an indian, pun intended.

I'm glad someone else has started. I'm just under half way done. I love the machinery, but I think it's more than that to the chief. The more I read the more I see that he believes that there is actual machinery. It makes me wonder how easy it is to let an idea become fact in your own mind. I also have to wonder if the nurse means to be so demoralizing, or is it in her hard to do what she believes is best. I think our window into the situation has it's own tint.

The Chief has a few gears missing from his clock.

I was also wondering how it would feel to have the line between what is real and what is imaginary blurred... Once you start believing that what you are experiencing is real, how do you get out of that loop?

Medication.

I'm trying to be objective in my view of each character instead of solely relying on the perspective of Chief.

It's impossible to be objective. All of the information is being relayed by the Chief. We can on speculate.

How does her military training influence her management of the patients? They just do things differently and it isn’t like Sunday school. The loud music makes me suspicious of her. Bombarding someone with loud music is a tactic used to break people down (Like they used in Waco, TX). Why is she so unyielding, is their care her main interest or is it complete authority?

The nurse isn't the only one who has done time with the green machine: Mcmurphy, Bromden, etc.

... we are reminded that the Chief should not be relied on: The constant references to fog and warped time concept, eg. Also he seems to know things he should not; eg, the story about one of the carer's childhood and reason for his so-called hate.

Yes, yes and yes! I wouldn't be suprised if the Chief is up on Disturbed playing imaginary football games with the lifeguard as he narrates the story.

On a seperate note, the Night Nurse's reaction to McMurphy is one of the funniest things I have read:

Funniest part of the book. Funniest part of the book.

What did McMurphy gain after he attacked Washington the aide (in trying to shield George from the "cautionary cleansing")?

The mens trust.

What did McMurphy gain when he attacked Big Nurse in outrage for Bibbit's death?

Justice.