Overpowering Women

Do women really have power, or is it just the patients that make it seem that way? This is a question that was constantly coming through my mind as I was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  by Ken Kesey. The only women that truly take part of the story line are either "cruel" or prostitutes. These women seem to have complete control over men, and seem to be able to get done what they want to get done. 

Nurse Ratched has complete power in the ward, all the patients are terrified of her, including some of the doctors and other nurses in the combine. Her power is real. She has somehow manipulated all the patients to think that if they don't behave with her there will be severe consequences. She uses fear for her personal benefit. It serves as a reminder to all of what will happen if they don't to as they are told. She treats the patients as children. She is their mother. Its not until McMurphy arrives that this unfair over rule of Nurse Ratched is challenged. McMurphy teaches the patients that Ratched is not their boss and they should not obey her every order. The patients are beginning to realize that Nurse Ratched's power is strictly mental. If the patients choose to fear her they do, and if they refuse to fear her they have no reason to feel intimidated by her presence. 

Unlike Nurse Ratched, the prostitutes McMurphy brings into the ward have a physical control over men. They use their bodies to persuade men into doing what they order. The prostitutes simple request is money and in exchange they will give the male patients something they are deprived of in the ward. This control I believe is not as powerful as Nurse Ratched's but it definitely lasts longer. Their is no risk for the prostitutes to loose control over the male patients because they have something "positive" to give. Nurse Ratched just cause fear and pain and as we all know that won't last very long because someone like McMurphy will come and create a just as strong opposition towards the oppressing power. 

Changing Chief

Everybody goes through changes. They can be both physically and mentally. In Ken Kesey's book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  all the characters develop both negatively and positively with the arrival of the new patient McMurphy. The character that is mostly affected by McMurphy's arrival is Chief Bromden, who goes from a weak and insecure person to a powerful one. 

From the very beginning of the text the reader thinks Chief is completely insane. Kesey tricks us into believing that he is deaf and dumb just like everyone else does in the ward. In fact, it is all an act. Chief only fakes being deaf and dumb to be able to ease drop on the private conversations that take place in the ward. Being so insecure about himself and his abilities, Bromden is terrified to show his true self. He feels the only way to keep safe from Nurse Ratched and the wicked ways of the ward is by keeping out of everyones way. Bromden's fictional character allows him to get information about the ward and know exactly what to do, to not get in trouble. This is his life. Just coasting on by, avoiding all interaction with other patients and doctors. 

Then, McMurhy arrives. His arrival brings a sort of freedom from Nurse Ratched's oppressing power on the ward. When McMurphy wants to watch the baseball game, he convinces Bromden to vote in favor. Instead of being his normal quiet self and not interfering with anybody and definitely not voting against Nurse Ratched, he does something for his own benefit. This is the first time we see Bromden take a step for himself and come out from his hiding spot. This is all because the sense that Nurse watched is the boss is gone because of McMurphy's powerful opposition. 

When Chief Bromden feels acting deaf and dumb isn't keeping him safe enough he see's a sort of fog roll in that blinds everyones sight. At the beginning of the novel there were many more encounters with Bromden's imaginary fog. Towards the end its almost as if he stops seeing it, because he feels much more comfortable and in control of the situations he is put into in the ward. Nurse Ratched does not look like a ferocious monster anymore but just a regular women with the title "nurse" front of her name. 

When McMurphy comes back a chronic after nearly chocking Nurse watched to death, McMurphy realizes how he has been changing and how much more he can change if he leaves the ward. He now is making his own decisions and he smothers McMurphy with a pillow to put him out of his misery. Then he uses his size and strength to rip the control panel and throw it through the window, allowing him to escape. Free at last. He is back to the original Chief Bromden that doesn't have to hide and can be himself and is now strong enough to protect himself using both physical and mental power and not have to hide to stay safe. 

Ironic Newman

Randy Newman's song "Great nations of Europe" is a satirical piece about the European nations conquering the "world". Newman uses irony to express his true feelings about the the great nations of europe. Even the title is ironic. "Great Nations of Europe". This line was repeated constantly throughout the song. Great doesn't just mean an above average ability and eminence, but also an above average quality. What above average quality, is it to tear people a part by dogs? This is an example of what we know v. what the character knows, because "we know" that one can not consider the Europeans great in quality for what they did to the native americans, while the characters truly believe that European countries are great for their victorious conquers. 

Another example of irony is when Balboa was told that the Indians were gay, "soooo he had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say

the great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way". This is an example what is said v. what is meant irony. Newman say "holy" but is clearly implying that pulling people apart with dogs is an abomination act.

While there was a lot of irony in the texts there were also other components that make s piece satirical, including exaggeration. In the song Newman sings "Now they're gone, they're gone, they're really gone. You never seen anyone so gone.". This an extreme exaggeration, because not all the native americans died. Even though this is stating the opposite it is still not irony. 

FOG INTRO

Fog commonly symbolizes danger or lack of clarity. It is a mysterious formation of clouds that block one's sight. The "fog" is Chief's way of escaping reality, and it serves as a symbol in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  When he feels uncomfortable,  fog, like slim milk that "rolls in," envelopes him.      Ken Kesey uses "fog" as a symbol to express Chief Bromden's emotional instability and his way of "hiding" through life in the ward.