Cuckoo 2

The conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy is in full swing at the end of "Part One." Who is getting the best of their rivalry at this point? Why do you say that (specific evidence)?

What is your perception of the Chief at this point in the story? Why? And how has the presence of McMurphy changed the Chief's character or his narration (be specific)?

Who are you rooting for at this point in the story and why?

At the end of Part One, McMurphy seems to have the upper hand. However, it’s important to note that they have not reached a state of equilibrium—any new happening threatens to change the power balance. Throughout much of this section of Part One, McMurphy seems dejected, as epitomized by his failure to life the heavy object to throw through the window. “His whole body shakes with the strain as he tries to lift something he knows he can’t lift, something everybody knows he can’t lift,” writes Kesey, as an illustration of the failure and futility of McMurphy’s attempts (125).  At the end of the section, however, McMurphy seems to have regained his ability to motivate his companions, to foment resistance. The section ends, importantly, with “men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations;” Kesey intentionally left the audience with the belief that McMurphy had triumphed—if only temporarily (145).

At this point in the story, I’m still not fully comfortable with the chief. I now understand that he’s faced some level of trauma, seemingly tied to the Department of the Interior having taken over his tribe’s land and his later service in the war. The audience is also provided more insight into his mental illness, as his dreams begin to reveal twisted imaginings of hellish environments where humans are treated as objects (86-88). And yet, recurring nightmares alone don’t seem to constitute mental illness. The only other evidence present is the fog—perhaps a motif, but explained by Bromden as if it were a purely physical mechanism (the creation of which he describes in detail).

McMurphy’s arrival seems to have made the Chief less impartial of a narrator. He seems to be somewhat emboldened by McMurphy’s contrariness to Big Nurse, and a result, describes in greater detail her failings and cruelties.

I am rooting, though with reservations, for McMurphy. I can’t say I identify with or appreciate him greatly. He’s clearly not an ideal hero, but when compared to the antagonist (Big Nurse), he seems quite good indeed. I’m not sure that even a 50s audience could have accepted Big Nurse as a hero, given Kesey’s portrayal of her as an angry, vindictive, and unfeeling master of the ward.

Cuckoo's Nest 1

The big nurse is a villain. At best, she neglects the well-being of the patients in pursuit of efficiency; at worst, she enjoys the pain she causes them. Chief tells us that, "she dreams of....a world of precision efficiency and tidiness" (29) and rejects individuals who "don't hate enough" (30). Thus, her evil is apparent-- for a society that values taking care of the sick and weak, her actions run contrary to moral norms. The patients recognize this, exclaiming, "'Ball cutter? Oh, you underestimate her'" (64)!

McMurphy is, although imperfect, a hero. He enters the ward boisterously, looking to cause trouble and immediate butting heads with the sadistic nurse. And yet, his good is apparent: he was honored with a "Distinguished Service Cross in Korea," and seems committed to the asylum merely due to a lack of self control. Furthermore, the audience appreciates the compassion demonstrated as he comforts Harding with the analogy of a pecking party (57-61).

Chief, at present, is an antihero. The audience sympathizes with him, but cannot fully trust or rely upon him. He is calm, and pacifistic, as demonstrated as the staffer marvels that he "'mine me like a baby'" (3) but the audience feels something missing, epitomized when Cheif says, "it's the truth even if it didn't happen" (8).

Gatsby Three

Gatsby Three/ Socratic Seminar

Why does Tom display caring towards Wilson?

Tom displays caring because, although overall unpleasant, he is a human being with normal attendant emotions. Specifically, he is moved to console Wilson “with soothing gruffness” (140) because of a sense of guilt. Having cheated on his wife with Wilson’s wife, he feels a sense of guilt and pity for Wilson when his wife dies. Interestingly, a sort of compassion is revealed here that seems otherwise lacking in Tom’s character (and herein provides the best example of why Tom is round).

What does the book’s conclusion reveal about Daisy?

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy’s fundamental character trait is weakness. Although endowed with intelligence and class, Daisy displays a lack of resolve and decisiveness that ultimately characterizes her more than anything else. Her response to Gatsby’s confrontation of Tom demonstrates this weakness, as she attempts to avoid committing herself and is obviously quite uncomfortable with the situation as a whole. Even more acutely is this weakness demonstrated by her reaction to Gatsby’s death: she takes the path of least resistance, fleeing with Tom, and leaving no means of contact (164). As the funeral occurs, Nick notes that Daisy “hadn’t sent a message or a flower” (174). Fundamentally, Daisy is characterized through this action and throughout the book as weak and cowardly.

Why does Fitzgerald end Nick and Jordan’s relationship?

Fitzgerald chooses to end Nick and Jordan’s relationship as symptomatic of the breakdown of the normal social order. Although too late to be foreshadowing for the dramatic confrontation between Tom and Gatsby, the end of Nick and Jordan’s relationship in a matter-of-fact, relatively easy way shows the weakness of the social ties created in this society. Nick decides that he had “had enough of all of them for one day, and suddenly that included Jordan too” (142). Fitzgerald ends this relationship—albeit not a very important one—quickly and easily as a demonstration of its vacuity and weakness. He ends the relationship with a simple handshake (177) and although strong emotions remain, it is a testament to the failure of the social system that the relationship ends so simply and easily.

What is the purpose of Gatsby’s father for the book?

Gatsby’s father serves several purposes. Foremost, he posthumously characterizes Gatsby in several manners. He characterizes Gatsby directly as being “’bound to get ahead’”(173) and indirectly as a hardworking, ambitious individual who, despite an unimpressive family background, rose to great prominence. Additionally, Gatsby’s father shows Gatsby’s isolation from others, showing up only at his death and never having visited him before.

But I don’t really know the answer to this one.