Chapters 24-25 (pages 205-258 all of part 3)

McMurphy has a really dominating presence in the ward, and he's beginning to make the other patients bigger as well. Some of it has to do with things that he's planned, like getting a basketball team started and coaching the patients until they feel more confidant and excited and can get more used to having fun. McMurphy also has started praising up Chief left and right both alone and in front of others to build his confidence and make him bigger. Of course, his motive is to make Chief strong enough to life the control panel, but he still succeeds in making Chief feel bigger than he had been. Another way the patients were made to feel bigger (and I think this was also planned) was on the fishing boat when there was a lot going on and people were struggling, asking McMurphy for help, but he was, "...laughing and...just standing at the cabin door, not even making a move to do anything..." (Kesey 248). It made them sort of realize that they couldn't always depend on McMurphy and that they had to step it up themselves sometimes and be "big." 

However effective these things may be, I think it's the unplanned things McMurphy does that are actually more effective in making the other ward patients feel and act bigger over time. We start to see the gutsy side of him rub off, both on the fishing trip and back in the ward. For example, McMurphy broke the window several times, and that inspired Scanlon to "accidentally" break it with the basketball later on. Just the way McMurphy carries himself and talks to others of authority started to get the other patients thinking that if he could do it, they could be a little like that too. You might say that, unintentionally or not, McMurphy's "bigness" increased the size of the little patients all around him. Chapter 24 explains that some of the Acutes were starting to follow McMurphy's lead in causing a stir. Chief notices that "Harding began flirting with all the student nurses, and Billy Bibbit completely quit writing what he used to call his 'observations' in the log book, and when the window in front of [the Big Nurse's] desk got replaced again...Scanlon did it in by accidentally bouncing our basketball through it" (Kesey 208). This shows the way McMurphy's presence and actions were raising up the other patients.

Ever since McMurphy stepped foot into the ward he gave off a very powerful and assertive presence. But, he never belittled the patients, he only wanted to raise them up along with him. He would always ask everyone how they are doing or how they are feeling, which means a lot to the others in the ward. Most of them probably have never been talked to nicely or asked how they were feeling, so for McMurphy to do that, it makes them feel important and big. 

One planned thing McMurphy has done for the patients is invite them to the fishing trip. The reader can tell how much this meant to the patients through the Chief’s perspective, “I didn’t have the money, but I kept getting this notion that I wanted to sign the list. And the more he talked about fishing for Chinook salmon the more I wanted to go” (Kesey 209). Chief sounds like he really wants to go and definitely does not want to miss out on this opportunity, because they never get to do things like this usually. Just holding the patients in the ward and not bringing them to go do fun activities will make them feel smaller and smaller, but getting them out and having fun will help them grow. 

Personally, I think the unplanned things made a bigger impact on the patients. When McMurphy went to the ward and made an effort to talk to everyone, that meant a lot to the patients and showed them that someone does care about them. It is always those little things that randomly happen that stick with people the most and make them feel big and important. Yes, attending a fun planned activity will always be enjoyable, but the unplanned things will always have a special meaning.

One thing I think that Mcmurphy has over Nurse Ratched is his compassion. He truly makes the others around him feel stronger and better than they truly do. Whether that be through a conversation or a handshake. He invited them to a fishing trip so they felt welcome. He does anything but make them feel useless and small. Mcmurphy is viewed as a role model when it comes to the EST. His bravery rubs off on others. “She saw that McMurphy was growing bigger than ever while he was upstairs where the guys couldn’t see the dent she was making on him, growing almost into a legend. A man out of sight can’t be made to look weak, she decided, and started making plans to bring him back down to our ward.” Even without Mcmurphy present he is looked up to. I feel that he has an impact through the things he does unplanned because it allows others to truly see who he is without making that decision by how he looks. His actions provided support of those I did not think would. Harding, Scanlon, and Fredrickson for example.  “So Harding and Scanlon and Fredrickson and I talked over how we could convince him that the best thing for everybody concerned would be his escaping the ward. (161)” Instead of caring about themselves and their day to day lives they cared more about Mcmurphy's escape. I think this truly encompasses Mcmurphys positive effect on those in the ward.

In the book, McMurphy talks a lot about being big. Whether that be how big he sees Chief, or how big he believes himself to be. He also talks a lot about how "big" all the others see Miss Ratchet. During his stay in the ward, McMurphy attempts to make the other people on the ward feel bigger. He tends to make a big fuss whenever one of his "friends" are feeling down on themselves. Such as when McMurphy helps the ward to watch the world series. Although it is mostly McMurphy's doing, I think that because he did this "big" thing, that the others at the ward started to see that they could also be as big as McMurphy. Chief sees him as being as big as Miss Ratchet, which is fairly big. Chief thinks "He’s coming across the day room at us. He gets bigger and bigger, and he’s burning red in the face." (81) And yet he continues to grow in the wards eyes. The bigger McMurphy gets, that more influence he has on not only his peers, but also the staff.

Although it seems as though everyone in the ward is getting bigger in their influence, the Chief still sees himself as small. He believes that “You are bigger and tougher than I am. You can do it.” (123) He has no faith in himself to even do something as small as talking. 

I believe that there are some things that McMurphy does that he does purposely to not only get a rise out of the staff, but to also help the patients. Some of these could be when McMurphy tried to clean the bathrooms while singing. This does seem like a small feat, however, by getting a rise out of Miss Ratchet, and making those in the ward laugh, he showed them that they are big enough to make even a small difference. I also believe that he did thing on the ward that unintentionally made the patients bigger. Such as when McMurphy plays cards or even just talks to them, he does not talk to them as though they are crazy. He talks to them like normal people, which I think helps boost their self esteem and makes them feel "bigger"

I think that the unintentional things that McMurphy does are more effective. This is because when McMurphy talks to them, it makes them feel normal again. By making them feel like humans again, McMurphy has shown them that being big as a mindset, not just a physical attribute.  

When McMurphy was first introduced, I thought of him as almost a know-it-all that thought he was all that. However, as time has gone on, you can see the compassion that he actually has for himself and the people on the ward. Unlike what all the patients were used to (being in fear of what the nurse would do) they were able to share laughs and enjoy some of their stay because of McMurphy. It wasn’t Nurse Ratchet that made a change in the patients, it was McMurphy. You could see the positive impact McMurphy was trying to have on the ward and he really does deserve so much credit for that. 

The ward was an overall toxic environment. How can one that goes to a place to get help actually get the help they need when they place is run the way it was? As stated earlier, when McMurphy showed up, it all seemed to change. McMurphy tried to get everyone on the ward to participate in various activities such as basketball and fishing and it made me happy to see the patients getting out of their comfort zones, “I was as excited as the rest of them” (138). It’s really refreshing reading this part of the story. Seeing as the whole story has been quite sad and having someone come in wanting to do something for the other people. It certainly isn’t something they were used to but it was something that they needed. What McMurphy does with the patients is exactly what they needed to become happy and on the right path to healthiness. 

Going into what I said earlier, his personality is what changed the ward. He went out of his way to make conversation with the other patients rather than being closed off and miserable like everyone else. It takes a special type of person to make a change and McMurphy is exactly what that ward needed. Overall, I believe both the planned and the unplanned were super effective. Everyone is so different so some really need that interaction whether it's through a conversation with one person or wethers it's a group activity to help them get out of their shell.  

If there’s one thing that McMurphy is perceived as being, it’s big. He’s big in his actions and mannerisms and choices, he’s physically big, and his influence on the ward and the patients in it is the biggest of them all. While McMurphy works hard to make sure everyone knows how big he is, he also begins to build up the patients around him so they can feel big too. He does this in what feels to be planned ways when he organizes a basketball team and a fishing trip for the patients. These activities help to get the patients experiencing more things than just the mundane ward routine, and they also create opportunities for the patients to get out of their shells and have some fun for a change. McMurphy creates this chance for them.

Along with this, McMurphy also builds up the patients in unplanned ways, such as in the way he talks to them and how he isn’t condescending, but rather has compassion for those in the ward with him. When Chief is feeling really little compared to how big McMurphy is, McMurphy tells Chief, “ ‘Criminy, look at you: you stand a head taller’n any man on the ward. There ain’t a man here you couldn’t turn every way but loose, and that’s a fact!’ “ (219). The way McMurphy builds up Chief here is so crucial to Chief’s perception of himself. Chief is physically very big, and he doesn’t see the power that he could hold because of his size, but McMurphy does. He wants Chief to be confident in himself and to know that he is capable of all of the things McMurphy is capable of. These unplanned conversations and the way McMurphy treats the patients seems to be the most effective in making the rest of the patients feel bigger. The patients look up to McMurphy, and his actions are rubbing off on the patients and causing them to see themselves as being bigger too because of it. 

I like how you explained how Mcmurphy is perceived both physically and mentally as big. That is a great way to describe his character. I like your way of explaining how the cheif is physically big but "doesnt see the power he could hold because of his size." I really enjoy the way you explained the different perspectives. 

Chief expresses the way he feels in the ward, “No. I’m way too little. I used to be big, but not no more. You’re twice the size of me”(Kesey 219). Chief does not mean to be literal in this context, he is a very large individual size-wise. However, in the ward, the patients are belittled making Chief, along with many others, feel very small. McMurphy shows them that they do have power in the previous evidence, it is unintentional. He has always questioned, even at the beginning of the story, why they feel as though they are crazy and convinces them that they are just an average fellow. This gives them confidence that creates a feeling as though they are bigger, spiritually. He plans for two women to sneak into the ward that allows the men to experience the normalcy of being around women. Another experience he gives to the patients is the paradise of freedom on a boat, “A mile or so out George cut the speed to what he called a trolling idle, put four guys to the four poles in the back of the boat, and the rest of us sprawled in the sun on top of the cabin or up on the bow and took off our shirts and watched the guys trying to rig their poles” (Kesey 245).  Both ways he uses to make the residents feel big are effective. I feel as though the intentional adventures he takes them on are more effective in giving them self-realization of how important freedom is. Sometimes telling someone that they are more than what they think, it is hard for them to see your point of view. The change is really presented when the patients experience this themselves during these exciting events McMurphy purposely planned to show them what they are missing out on. 

McMurphy has a really bold personality that could be described as "big". When he walks into a room, he makes sure he is noticed, he isn't very quiet, and he loves to stir the pot. To gain attention and spark some rebellion in the ward, McMurphy does both intentional and unintentional things that are both effective in winning the patients over. One planned thing he does is invite the patients of the ward on a fishing trip. This is definitely an important part of the story because it demonstrates to the others that someone does care about them and whatever is in their best interests. During the fishing trip, we see it mostly through Chief's perspective and we are able to tell how important out is to him. While this was a big part of winning over the patients, I think it's mostly McMurphy's unplanned or unintentional ways that had the biggest effect on them. From the moment he walked into the ward, he made it a point to speak to the patient's, showing that they are all individually important. I think this was a huge change from the way Nurse Ratched treated them and that is why it was such a successful method for McMurphy. Just treating them like actual humans and listening to them and giving them the time of day is what helped him the most. 

As readers have seen through multiple scenarios, McMurphy is developing a "bigger" presence within the ward which has actually been effective in many ways. He influences the patients with his bold and humorous personality and gifts them praise and confidence. Even Chief, who has felt small and belittled throughout the whole novel, "...I'm too little, I used to be big but not no more" (219 Kesey), starts to feel praised and respected by McMurphy. McMurphy has impacted the patients intentionally and unintentionally. He intentionally impacted them by organizing a basketball team and inviting the patients out on a fishing trip, "...with the basketball season obviously over, McMurphy decided fishing was the thing" (208 Kesey). 

Yet the unintentional impact McMurphy shares onto the patients was the most empowering of all. It speaks volumes to make someone feel needed and wanted which McMurphy did to the repressed patients. For instance back in the first couple chapters when McMurphy befriended Chief despite the opinions of the ward. McMurphy begins to develop a deeper connection with Chief as he consistently treats him more and more like an important person. Something that is crucial for Chief's perception of himself, as Chief lacks self-confidence. McMurphy doesn't even intentionally know how impactful his words are in the ward and that makes it all more impactful. 

During McMurphy and Chief’s conversation, Chief tells McMurphy how he’s “...way too little. I used to be big, but not no more. You’re twice the size of me,” (Kesey 219). Chief is not talking about stature; he is talking about his confidence and willingness to stand up for himself. McMurphy then plans to help Chief become bigger not only physically but also with his presence. He promises that if Chief continues to keep his secret that he’s deaf and follows McMurphy’s training, he will not only get to go on the fishing trip but also have people look up to and admire him. 

When it was time to go on the fishing trip, McMurphy continues to make Chief and the other patients bigger by uplifting them and setting an example of confidence. One example of this is when he convinces George to join their crew despite his original aversion to it by praising his skill as a fisherman and boosting his confidence by saying how they needed him to be there. Another example where McMurphy made everyone bigger was at the service station when he stood up to the people working who were trying to take advantage of them just because they were from a mental institution. They all ended up joining in on fighting against the service station workers’ prejudice and realized after that McMurphy had “...shown us what a little bravado and courage could accomplish, and we thought he’d taught us how to use it,” (Kesey 239). Instances like this are planned by McMurphy in order to uplift the guys but there are plenty of times where the patients are made bigger while on the fishing trip that is unplanned by McMurphy and happen as a result of the impact he’s had on them already. What I mean by this is that the patients are able to work as a team and have fun while fishing. They also are finally able to let loose and laugh for the first time after McMurphy was laughing on the sidelines. They are able to form bonds with each other and become bigger on this trip because they were able to have fun for the first time without the strict rules of the ward. I believe the unplanned things McMurphy has done are what is most effective in making the patients bigger because they are able to start making each other bigger just as a result of McMurphy’s presence. 

McMurphy and Chief talk about how Chief used to be big and now he is too small, "“No. I’m way too little. I used to be big, but not no more. You’re twice the size of me.” (Kesey 219) Chief is sort of insecure, as you can tell he feels he is small now just cause he was bigger in the past so now he sees himself as someone who is really strong but McMurphy disagrees with Chief. "“Hoo boy, you are crazy, aren’t you? The first thing I saw when I came in this place was you sitting over in that chair, big as a damn mountain..." (Kesey 219) McMurphy clearly believes that Chief is a lot bigger than he seems to think, but as the conversation goes on McMurphy decides that he will help Chief get bigger again, as the reader we know his intentions for this is just so he can get Chief to lift up the control panel to get them out of the ward. 

McMurphy trains most of the people by making a basketball team and some of the others start to show that they do not care and start to act out while playing,"...Scanlon did it in by accidentally bouncing our basketball through it before the whitewashed X was even dry. The ball punctured, and Martini picked it off the floor like a dead bird and carried it to the nurse in the station, where she was staring at the new splash of broken glass all over her desk, and asked couldn’t she please fix it with tape or something?" (Kesey 208) This shows that Scanlon got mentally bigger in a way he does not seem as scared of Nurse Ratched as most of the others are. The next thing that he does is he goes on a fishing trip with the others and so unplanned things happen, and McMurphy doesn't help the others and makes the figure it out themselves which makes it so they have to work harder and think about what they have to do. 

I feel that the unplanned things are more effective because, it allowed them to have to comprehend what they were going to do which helped improve their thinking skills for future events to come.

McMurphy has always had a following with the patients, but he realized it was solely because they felt safe with him rather than idolizing him. He decided to make Chief bigger when they had their first ever conversation which created a strong bond between the two. However he only decided to do this because Chief confirmed that he could lift up a heavy control panel in the shower room that could help him escape. He created a basketball team that benefited the whole ward. Getting them out to exercise and get "bigger" just like McMurphy had promised to do for Chief. "...with the basketball season obviously over, McMurphy decided fishing was the thing" (208 Kesey). 

He gathered a group of men together and took them out on a boat. This was extremely beneficial for them all, as they all had fun catching fish and being anywhere else but the ward. "I hadn't planned on fishing but after seeing that steel power a salmon has at the end of a line I got off the cabin top and put on my shirt to wait my turn at a pole. "(247)

I feel in a way that McMurphy is only doing this because of his extended sentence. He was conned previously in the book by helping the men, but now he's helping himself and using them just as much as they used him. It seems beneficial all around so far.