FREE ESSAY ON ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Knowledge #1 (5 points each)
In, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the main character is Randle P 
McMurphy. He sort of comes off as a New York tuff guy. In my opinion McMurphy is a 
hustler, considering his gambling and how he's always trying to manipulate other patients

to his benefit.
Chief Bromden is a six foot eight, half bread Indian. For years, Chief, as 
McMurphy calls him, has fooled the staff and patients in the ward into thinking that he's

deaf and dumb. Though it was by accident, McMurphy is the first person that Chief has 
spoken to in years. Throughout the book, Chief seems to open up to McMurphy more and 
more, inch by inch.
Big Nurse is a picky b**ch. On the outside, she's always smiling, but inside she's 
full of hate. The biggest reason she despises McMurphy is because he threatens her 
perfect little world.  She must be a Jap.
Knowledge #2 (5 points each)
One important event is the vote held on the viewing of the World Series. 
McMurphy had actually won the vote, but still wasn't able to view the World Series 
because of a technicality brought to attention by Big Nurse. McMurphy didn't get to 
watch the game, but in a sense still won, sense he had influenced the patients to
actually 
vote against Big Nurse. 
Another important event is the fishing trip. Big Nurse strongly disapproved the 
trip, and she showed it. She posted newspaper clippings of bad weather reports and 
tragedies at sea, right next to the sign up sheet for the trip. Despite the fear that
some of 
the patients felt, they went right ahead and signed up. Another victory for McMurphy!
The beginning of the party is somewhat important. It's an example of McMurphy's 
manipulating capabilities. Though Mr.Turkle knew he could get fired, McMurphy was 
able to talk him into letting Candy Girl and Sandy into the ward.
Billy's tragic death is very important in understanding just what kind of effect Big 
Nurse had on the patients psychologically. In reality, Billy didn't do anything wrong,
and 
shouldn't have been criticized by Big Nurse. But in Big Nurse's perfect little world, it

seemed to be forbidden and disgraceful. Big Nurse threatened to tell Billy's mother, who

she was close friends with, what he had done. Instead of suffering through that , which 
seemed to be a living hell, Billy got out of it the only way he knew of. Billy grabbed a

tool out of a drawer and slit his own throat. He decided to take his own life, in fear of

what Big Nurse would do. 
One last event is McMurphy's death. Outraged by the acts committed by 
McMurphy, Big Nurse decided to do surgery on him. During McMurphy's absence from 
the ward, rumors went around that he had in fact escaped. When McMurphy was finally 
returned to his bed, Chief was reassured of his relationship with him. Chief Knew he 
wouldn't leave without him. As Chief spoke to him, he noticed there was no response to 
anything he says. McMurphy was a vegetable!! Rather than allowing McMurphy to suffer 
like that, Chief decided McMurphy would still escape with him. Chief put a pillow over 
the head of McMurphy's corpse and put all of his weight on top, until the vegetable 
stopped struggling. Then, with all his strength, Chief lifted the control panel and
hurled it 
through the window screen, and made his escape.
Comprehension #5 (10 points each)
In , One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the main problem is Big Nurse's selfish, 
egotistical, narrow minded views. When McMurphy threatened Big Nurse's traditional 
ways, she just couldn't take it. She would go to just about any lengths to stop this
radical.
Comprehension #6 (10 points each)
If the story had one last chapter, I predict it would just describe everything going 
back to how it was before McMurphy entered the scene. Without McMurphy there, 
encouraging the patients to think for themselves, Big Nurse would become a despot, once 
again. As time goes on, the memory of McMurphy would eventually fade away, 
completely. The only person who would remember him is Chief, who has taken residence 
in Canada.
Comprehension #7 (10 points each)
The main character, McMurphy, didn't exactly admire Big Nurse. Besides being a 
b**ch, she was a monarch. Everything was done when and where Big Nurse said it was to 
be done. McMurphy wasn't use to having everything done a certain way, continuously. 
Big Nurse didn't even allow McMurphy do something as simple as watching a game on 
television. Everything had to be done her way. McMurphy couldn't stand it, but there 
wasn't really anything McMurphy could do about it, so they thought.
Application #8 (10 points each)
If I was deserted in an Insane asylum with Big Nurse, I wouldn't be able to stand 
it. First, I would attempt to escape from there. If I was to fail at escaping, I would
focus 
on Big Nurse herself. I would do anything I could to make her life a living hell, in
hopes 
of getting transferred, even if it risked becoming a vegetable. Duh, which way did he go

George, which way did he go.
Application #9 (10 points each)
In the original ending, McMurphy is turned into a vegetable, then is killed by 
Chief so that he would still in a way, escape with him. In my ending, McMurphy 
somehow, overcoming many obstacles, manages to contact a federal agent. He would 
then request an investigation over the ward's staff members. The feds would discover how

the patients were treated and uncover documents relating to the cruel surgeries. As a 
penalty, Big Nurse and her assistants would receive the same surgery they had once 
performed. Once they had all been turned into vegetables, McMurphy and Chief would be 
appointed head of the ward. Candy Girl and Sandy would become the new assistant 
nurses, and everyone would be free to do as they please.
Application #11 (10 points each)
If this story would have taken place in California, today, it would have been 
extremely different. Most likely, Big Nurse would not have been the despot she was in 
the book. The surgeries, resulting in vegetables, would not have taken place. If 
something like that were to take place, the whole organization would be under 
investigation, and relatives of the patients would be suing for damages. This ties in
with 
Analysis, question number 15.
Analysis #12 (15 points each)
There's actually not too much you can compare. In the beginning of the story, 
McMurphy is the perfect image of New York hustler. Towards the end of the story, he's a 
lifeless vegetable, like a body without a soul. The cruel surgery performed by the staff
of 
the ward is what caused the change.
Evaluation #25 (10 points each)
McMurphy wasn't exactly sinless, but he wasn't the devil either. It's true some of 
his habits aren't god willing, but many individuals have the same habits. Though its been

proven to cause cancer, thousands of Americans still smoke. Groups such as M.A.D.D. 
protest drinking all together, but thousands of Americans still drink. McMurphy sweared 
substantially, but today it's excepted by many members of our society. McMurphy wasn't 
completely good, but that doesn't mean he's completely bad either.
Evaluation #22 (10 points each)
Anger, Sorrow, Satisfaction are three words describe my feelings. I felt an 
extremely high amount of anger just knowing Big Nurse won the battle at the end. Then I 
became overcome with sorrow knowing that Chief had to kill the only person he had 
opened up to in years to keep him from suffering. Last I felt a state of satisfaction 
knowing that Chief or McMurphy wouldn't have to deal with Big Nurse ever again.
Evaluation #23 (10 points each) 
There is one character that I felt wouldn't have an effect on the story if he had 
been written out of the story. He was occasionally the reason the other patients felt
anger, 
but he didn't do anything that changed the outcome of the story. The character I'm 
describing is Harding. Personally, he annoyed the hell out of me, and I felt he wasn't an

important factor in the story.