Ch. 25 By Max Ruditsky

"Look here at the Big Chief; here's an example of a good sailor and fisherman: up before day digging red worms"(192). This quote is a great example of McMurphy's body building course for the Big Chief. This body building course has nothing to do with weight lifting, but rather it is all about McMurphy praising the Big Chief in order to bring him out of the "fog". By telling Chief that he is a great member of he crew, this gives the big Chief confidence to speak his mind and become more of a normal person.

"did that monster bite you? Somebody fix the chiefs thumb-hurry!"(211). This quote shows that McMurphy really cares about the Chief and doesn't want anything to happen because once he is completely out of the "fog" he and McMurphy can form a powerful alliance. This is foreshadowing whats to come, because McMurphy is protecting the chief now, and when McMurphy gets in trouble with the black boys later, the Chief is there.

"Everybody was kinda surprised that Billy had volunteered, took his life jacket off right away, when we found we were short"(214). This is a major turning point in the story, because for his whole life Billy Bibbit has been a timid stuttering rabbit of a man. No one ever knew him to do something this courageous, it seems that McMurphy's trip is bringing the patients out of there shells and giving them new found confidence. This quote is a perfect example of a personality change in one of the patients.

Part 3, Chapter 2

In this section of reading, the boys of the ward go on a fishing trip with McMuprhy's "widowed aunts" (who we later find out are hookers). I found many significant quotes in this section of reading that I think has deeper meaning than what they just appear on the surface.

"But seeing her coming lightfooted across the grass with her eyes green all the way up to the ward, and her hair, roped in a long twist at the back of her head, jouncing up and down with every step like copper springs in the sun, all any of us could think of was that she was a girl, a female, who wasn't dressed white from head to foot like she'd been dipped in frost, and how she made money didn't make any difference" (195). As clearly seen in this long quote, the men in this hospital are being deprived. Being locked up in this ward deprives them of the outside world. It is so refreshing to them to see a woman who is not a nurse. This is probably because the nurses essentially take away the men's masculinity by restricting them with rules and regulations. As seen in earlier chapters, the nurses tell the men when to wake up, brush their teeth, take their medication, and everything else they do during the day. By doing this, the nurses are taking away the men's independence as well as masculinity. However, they finally are able to see a woman who does the exact opposite. Instead of depriving them from their masculinity, Candy (the woman), is essentially giving them their masculinity back. By being a representation of sex, the men are able to feel more masculine and powerful than they did before.

"...I think apparatus burned out all over the ward trying to adjust to her come busting in like she did- took electronic readings on her and calculated they weren't built to handle something like this on the ward, and just burned out, like machines committing suicide" (197). This quote's meaning is very similar to the previous one. Candy is an example of something that the nurses deprive the men on the ward of. They are not use to seeing a woman who is not a nurse, and the hospital staff is not prepared either. The hospital staff expected to see McMurphy's old aunt walking in to gather the boys for a fishing trip. Instead, they were fooled when they saw the youthful and beautiful Candy walking in. They were not prepared for something like this. In the Chief's mind, the unpreparedness of the hospital staff was seen like machines malfunctioning and dying. Candy was not what they expected and because of this, she took away a lot of power from the nurses and the hospital staff.

" 'Never before did i realize that a mental illness could have the aspect of power, power. Think of it: perhaps the more insane a man is, the more powerful he could become. Hitler an example. Fair makes the old brain reel, doesn't it? Food for though there' " (202). This is the first time in the book where we see the men embracing their "mental disabilities". Before, we got the idea that all of the men were uncomfortable with who they were. They shamed themselves because of their disability and they always thought that something was wrong with them. However, this is the first time we see a positive take on their mental disabilities. They think that being called crazy gives them power because people are scared of crazy people. By having this power, the men of the ward are accepting who they are for the first time in the book. They no longer are intimidated by other people, but are intimidating other people. Due to McMurphy, the men are able to be more comfortable with who they are, giving them power and a bit of their masculinity back.

Chapters 20, 21, 22 & 23

"'All right! That's enough! I meant it both ways. I meant it any way you want to take it. I meant you don't have enough of nothing period."' (Mrs. Harding)

""Enough of anything, my bright little child."' (Dale) (pg. 159)

This brief conversation between Dale and his wife, Vera, sums up their relationship. First of all, Dale constantly critiques his wife for her poor sense of grammar and knowledge of the English language. She uses 'nothing' instead of 'anything', and 'didn't' instead of 'nothing'. Instead of listening to the real point of Vera's message, Dale tries to belittle her by correcting her grammar. He emphasizes her mistakes and then calls her pet-names, to seem superior to her. Instead of trying to improve on what Vera is saying, Sale tries to defend himself by picking on his wife. Also, Vera tries to belittle Dale in their relationship. He speech is harsh and sassy, as well as condescending. She complains about the way that Harding handles what he has and how he lives his life. Her criticisms then start his defense again, making a circle of belittling each other. Just one brief conversation shows the relation of Dale and Vera, and their constant struggle to be superior to each other.

"'The thing is, no one ever wants another one [EST]. You... change"' (159). Harding was describing what EST does to a person when McMurphy first went near the Shock Shop room. Although Harding always tries to see how the treatments on the ward are always therapeutic and help the patients, Harding struggles to remain 100 percent positive about EST. In fact, he gets rather worked up about this. By this, Harding was saying that EST was an experience someone only hopes to have once, or none at all. Even though EST may help certain patients, maybe it is not helpful at all. For example, Chief Broom has gotten EST over 200 times. Maybe the reason why he needs so many shocks is to fix the previous ones. Also, another sign that EST may not work is that Harding implies that EST may be random; sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. He makes the comparison to a carnival wheel: sometimes you win and other times you lose and have to play again. By this, Harding proves that sometimes the EST works while other times it doesn't so patients have top try again.

"' Now lobotomy, that's chopping away part of the brain?''' "'You're right again''' ... "'I didn't think the nurse had the say-so on this kind of thing."' '"She does indeed" (164-165).

During this conversation between Harding and McMurphy, McMurphy learns about the seriousness of a lobotomy. He not only learns what it is, but learns that Big Nurse has the power to make any patient get one. This makes McMurphy seriously reconsider his plan about testing the Big Nurse. He realizes that if he does not shape up, the nurse has the power to make him get a lobotomy. Also, this scene could be foreshadowing for the end of the book. This may be because without the threatening on a lobotomy, the book would not really change. They already feel scared enough of getting EST, so why add something else? This conversation may be seen as a warning to McMurphy to behave but might as well be a warning to the reader of what is to come.

Chapters 18 and 19 by Max Weiss

"But me, I know why. I heard him talk to the lifeguard. He's finally getting cagey, is all." (150) The Chief has yet again heard something he wouldn't have if he didn't fake deafness. At first glance you see the obvious, McMurphy has seemed to give up. But, finding out he is a committed patient actually just makes McMurphy realize he can get out, so there is no point to him fighting the system any longer. This is the Nurse winning a battle, making McMurphy realize she has all control, which is what the Nurse does with every patient. She doesn't even need to enforce any rules too harshly once she defeats the fight of every man that walks through the ward's door.

".. he was drowned." (151) When Cheswick drowns there is definitely a suspicion that he committed suicide. He was always behind McMurphy and it seemed to Cheswick that McMurphy had been leading him on. Cheswick's death is an awakening for McMurphy. This is when McMurphy first realizes his responsibility that he took on by leading the charge against the ward, in other words fighting back. He also realizes that he has effectively killed Cheswick and let down everyone else in the ward by giving up his power and letting the nurse win.

"His face has commenced to take on that same haggard, puzzled look of pressure that the face on the floor has." (155) McMurphy had recently come to terms with the responsibility he has in the ward. Now he sees these two men who are stuck between a rock and a hard place, take the epilepsy medicine and have your gums rot or don't take the medicine and have seizures and grind your teeth so much during the seizures that your teeth will probably fall out anyway. McMurphy notices this awful state these two men are in and really all the men are in (in their own way) and I feel it is the final push for him. This incident transforms him from a man trying to just have fun and do what he wants, to accepting responsibility and leading a ward full of insane people on a journey to sanity.

Chapters 18 and 19

"The lifeguard was standing on the edge of the pool; he had a whistle and a T-shirt on with his ward number on it. He and McMurphy had got to talking about the difference between hospital and jail, and McMurphy was saying how much better the hospital was. The lifeguard wasn't so sure. I heard him tell McMurphy that, for one thing, being committed ain't like being sentenced. 'You're sentenced in a jail, and you got a date ahead of you when you know you're gonna be turned loose,' he said" (147). Before talking to the lifeguard, McMurphy continually antagonizes Big Nurse and attempts to gain power in the ward. However, after this conversation, McMurphy questions his actions and rethinks his attitude towards Big Nurse. Since he is a "Committed" patient, only Big Nurse has the authority to release McMurphy from the ward, but he is frustrated with his behavior. As a result, McMurphy begins to show more respect for Big Nurse. Ultimately, he gives up power in the ward and among his peers to ensure that he has a chance of being released from the ward on time.

"And that afternoon in the meeting when Cheswick said that everybody'd agreed that there should be some kind of showdown on the cigarette situation, saying, 'I ain't no little kid to have cigarettes kept from me like cookies!' We want something done about it, ain't that right Mack?' and waited for McMurphy to back him up, all he got was silence. He looked over at McMurphy's corner. Everybody did. McMurphy was there, studying the deck of cards that slid in and out of sight in his hands. He didn't even look up. It was awfully quiet; there was just that slap of greasy cards and Cheswick's heavy breathing" (149). After he learns the consequences of disrespecting Big Nurse and her authority, McMurphy no longer stands up for his peers in these situations. McMurphy is known among the patients as the "Bull Goose," illustrating that he has the most power of all the patients. As a result, they always look to him for help during arguments with Big Nurse. However, selfishly, McMurphy does not stand up for his peers because he is only concerned about his release date, and he does not want to anger Big Nurse.

"McMurphy was doing the smart thing. I could see that. He was giving in because it was the smartest thing to do, not because of any of these other reasons the Acutes were making up. He didn't say so, but I knew and I told myself it was the smart thing to do. I told myself that over and over: It's safe. Like Hiding. It's the smart thing to do, nobody could say any different. I know what he's doing" (151). From the Chief's perspective, McMurphy is acting rationally because he is protecting his own interests. The Chief relates McMurphy's situation to a similar predicament his father was in when the white men arrived out west. They told the Chief's father that they would give him two hundred thousand dollars to move off his native land. Wisely, the father compromised with the white men instead of resisting. In McMurphy's situation, he must also adjust to Big Nurse's rules otherwise he will stay in the ward for several years instead of just a few months.

Chapters 16 and 17 by Emmy Budas

1. "'Patient McMurphy ... does not strike me as a coward'" (136).

I chose this quote, which is said by one of the boys during the meeting, because it shows how each of the members working on the ward have different opinions towards McMurphy. In some minds, McMurphy is brave and is refusing to follow orders because he feels that he is capable of taking charge and controlling some of the patients, as well as the members of the ward, like Nurse Ratched. Others, like the Nurse, think that McMurphy can be controlled as long as he has proper leading. The Nurse feels that eventually McMurphy will give up once he realizes there is nothing he can do, but some of the boys feel that McMurphy is not a coward and that he will never give in, he will continue to fight until he has made his point.

2. "'We have weeks, or months, or even years if need be. Keep in mind that Mr. McMurphy is committed. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us'" (137).

I chose this quote, which is said by Nurse Ratched, because it explains the true meaning of "being committed". The Nurse's goal is to be able to get hold on McMurphy and have control over him. The Nurse explains that she will control McMurphy no matter how long it takes because he is committed, therefore, he cannot leave until she allows him to. The Nurse says this to the boys and other fellow members of the ward to assure them that she will have control over McMurphy and she will need them to help her in gaining that control.

3. "I wish McMurphy'd wake up and help me" (144).

I chose this quote because this shows how the Chief looks up to McMurphy. McMurphy has given the Chief courage and the Chief respects how McMurphy is his own self. The Chief knows that McMurphy is smart and is able to handle any situation with the Nurse. Being with McMurphy and having McMurphy on his side gives the Chief a little boost of confidence. The Chief hopes that McMurphy will wake up because he knows that if McMurphy saw what they were doing to the Chief and knew what was going to happen to the Chief, McMurphy would do anything in his power top make sure it does not happen.

Chapter 9, 10, and 11

"The clock at the end of the mess hall shows it's quarter after seven, lies about how we only been sitting here fifteen minutes when you can tell it's been at least an hour" (93). The Big Nurse sits in the control room which gives her access to control every action in the ward. This quote discusses that she is in charge of time. The Nurse decides when things can happen and by doing so, is in full control of the patients lives. She changes the clocks, so that things last exactly how long she plans. This allows her to keep everything on schedule even if there are obstacles. Because of her actions, the ward runs as a machine and she acts as the control panel. Everything works mechanically with no outliers. This denies patients any freedom and reasonable treatment because their minds cannot make decisions and are under the Nurse's control.

"One by one the patients are sneaking looks at her to see how she's taking the way McMurphy is dominating the meeting...She's too big to be beaten...She's lost a little battle here today, but it's a minor battle in a big war that she's been winning...She don't lose on her losses, but she wins on ours...As soon as you let down your guard, as soon as you lose once, she's won for good" (101). These negative feelings, that are discussed by the Chief, are also the views of most of the other patients in the ward. Even though McMurphy has recently come into the hospitol, he has already started making a difference with the way things are run. He stands up for what he wants and battles the Nurse for superiority. However, there is still a problem which is discussed in this quote. The patients in the ward have given up. The Nurse has already made such a strong impact on their minds and they feel that there is no hope. Even with a powerful man like McMurphy, they don't see a reason to try. I feel that this moment is one of the last times the patients feel this way and they will finally get to see that the Nurse can be over powered.

"But I tried, though...Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?" (111). This quote is from McMurphy and he says it right after he fails at lifting an extremely heavy control panel. He is saying this to make himself feel better for not lifting it. However, there is more likely a deeper meaning for this quote. I feel that he is actually saying it to the patients with extreme anger. He is tired of them not sticking up for themselves. McMurphy went to lift the panel even when it was hard to do. He did not know whether or no he was going to succeed, but he still tried. All of the patients in the ward will never stick up for themselves. They are too afraid that something might happen. McMurphy is yelling at them because he wants them to stand up for their freedom. He wants them to be in control and to not be cowards. Even if they don't succeed at it, they could at least give it a try. If not they would never know what could have happened.