Chapters 5-6

C. McMurphy is a lively character. Before he came into the ward the Acutes and Chronics would automatically separate from each other, each group taking one side of the room. Since he showed up the Acutes and Chronics have actually started communicating as well as questioning the authority. Unlike the other patients, he doesn’t let the head nurse essentially walk all over him, rather he tests her… a lot. An example of this is, “Doctor”--- he stands up to his full height, wrinkles his forehead, and holds out both arms, open and honest to all the wide world— “do I look like a sane man?" (47 Kesey)”. This was the result of the doctor insinuating that McMurphey was just there to live an easier life due to McMurphey essentially back-talking.  Another example of McMurphey questioning the authority is, “And you really think this crap that went on in the meeting today is bringing about some kinda cure, doing some kinda good? (59 Kesey)”, he is one of the only people that are brave enough to question the techniques being used within the facility. McMurphey doesn’t believe all the crap that is getting fed to them and he's not afraid to say it. In response to this, he talks to Harding who fills him in comparing them to rabbits, basically saying if McMurphey doesn’t want to have harsh treatments on him, such as electroshock therapy he better start acting better and participating. Since McMurphy came into the book a lot more dialog has occurred- due to his huge personality so we're hearing more from other people rather than just hearing what Chief is thinking.

McMurphy’s overall influence on the ward has been quite astounding. He has found a way to unite the Acutes and the Chronics after being secluded from one another for years. He has helped them open up and communicate with each other in the course of a few short hours of him first arriving. He has also helped the patients realize that they are able to fight back and not succumb to the wrath of Ms.Ratched. The patients were attacking one another mentally in a way as Murphy phrased it as a “pecking party.” McMurphy explained to the group that “‘a peckin’ party can wipe out the who flock in a matter of a few hours,’”(Kesey 57), meaning that the whole ward could be wiped out and all unity could be lost if everyone kept attacking each other at Ms.Ratched's therapy sessions. McMurphy was able to unite the ward by making everyone realize that in order to find freedom, they needed to help each other rise above Ms.ratched instead of dragging one another down. He made the other patients realize that they all were under the control of Ms.Ratched and that they were allowed to rebel instead of giving in to her ways. He gave the other patients a new found confidence and a purpose to fight for their freedom.

How would you feel if one day you walked into work and everyone was against you like they are against Mrs. Ratched? What would you do?  Does she deserve this treatment? -- I suppose to answer this you have to make a decision on whether or not she's treating the patients fairly or not...

This ends up being a complicated question--If we judge her by our standards today then she must fail (I would hope so anyway), but does she fail if we judge her by the medical and psychiatric standards of the time in which this is set? 

A) In chapter five many things are revealed about the institution that no one wants to believe. McMurphy reveals that the Big Nurse is not what everyone believes her to be, “‘You want to know who pecks that first peck? [...] It’s that old nurse, that’s who’” (Kesey 58). McMurphy starts up trouble now, Harding does not believe him because he is brainwashed by the Big Nurse. Most of the patients are because she manipulates all of them into complying with her standards. She pins them against each other - hence the Chronics’ and Acutes’ separation. Harding is in deep with the brainwashing because after endless explanations of Big Nurse’s wrongdoings he still believes she is doing good, “‘we need a good strong wolf like the nurse to teach us our place’” (Kesey 64). McMurphy provokes thought from the patients in the ward unlike any other. Even though Harding doesn’t believe him many other patients do, and McMurphy is bringing them together to fight for their freedom. Many things are going to change in the coming months of McMurphy being there.

We learn early in chapter 5 about how the ward is set up, specifically during meetings. Patients are expected to pay attention to the nurse and to stay seated. It’s clear that the nurse is in charge as she directs the patients to, “‘...remain seated during the course of the meeting.’”(48) She also directs the black boy to take Pete out of the dayroom when he starts acting out during the meeting. The nurse is in charge of keeping the ward in order and holds this power because, “‘...the supervisor is a woman, a dear old friend of Miss Ratched’s.”(63) Patients like Cheswick describe the ward as a matriarchy. A ward that is run by Miss Ratched who is intimidating and grinds down on anyone, including the doctor, for their mistakes. 

McMurphy starts to influence the minds of other patients when he gives his input at the meetings. He compares the meeting to a “peckin’ party”(57) where one chicken in a flock spots blood on another and brings the rest of the flock to tear that chicken apart. McMurphy says that the nurse starts the pecking and Harding and the other patients are in agreement. 

We learn about Mr. Bancini or Pete. How he’s been a chronic his whole entire life and it's a result of his birth. Pete describes himself as a “born miscarriage” and talks about how he’s never been normal and never had it easy. We learn about the true dynamic between the patients of the ward and the Big Nurse. We learn Harding, Doctor Spivey, and the rest of the patients are extremely intimidated and scared of Miss Ratched. Harding compares himself and the rest of the ward to frightened rabbits, who know their place and won’t challenge the wolf (The Nurse).

B.) From what we know about Chief and how he describes time passing in chapter 6, we can infer that his perception of time and feeling is construed. He talks about how The Big Nurse changes dials and he gets all stiff and stuck in time, feeling …”buried under a ton of sand”(Kesey 77). We can infer since there is no humanly possible way this nurse is stopping time or making him freeze, that she is simply turning the dial on the thermostat. It being cold in the room could be a clear indication of why he says that “You sit solid and you can’t budge, you can’t walk or move to relieve the strain of sitting, you can’t swallow and you can’t breathe” (Kesey 77). 

When Chief talks about the ‘fog’, he describes that “...time doesn’t mean anything”(Kesey 78) but since it hasn’t fully happened since the arrival of McMurphy, Chief is heavily confused. He believes that McMurphy has such a hold on the staff where they would be scared to fog the place because he will complain. Which allows us to question if they haven’t used this time control or fog since his arrival because of fear? Or has Chief just been so focused and preoccupied with McMurphy that he hasn’t noticed how much time has passed since he last succumbed to something that is only believed to be affecting him. Because how would something like this affect the patients but not the staff, if both are human. Chief states that when he urinated on himself there was “...everyone up yelling and running around..”(Kesey 78).Honestly, it is probable that the only other people who experience these same fogs are other Chronics or people who are paralyzed, since Chiefs description is heavily similar to paralyzation. 

B)

I think the fog is definitely more of just Chiefs thing, maybe the others have sort of the same perceptions, but seeing the fog specifically i think is “special” to Chief. I would think these time perceptions and feelings, the others wouldn’t necessarily see in Chief, since it’s more so internal. The fog most likely represents his mind, thoughts and feelings. In the way which he might feel disconnected or not really comprehending what is going on, and that is represented by the fog. “About the only time we get any letup from this time control is in the fog; then time doesn’t mean anything. It’s lost in the fog, like everything else” (78) It's apparent that when McMurphy is around Chief doesn't feel this way. Since McMurphy is vastly different from the other patients, he takes charge and doesn't like listening to the rules. I think this might clear the fog since it it much different (inferring) from the seeing the same mundane things over the years. McMurphy brought something new, a change, a new hope maybe. And clearly thats something Chief had been lacking, or unintentionally hoping for.