Theme Discussion

Discussion questions for the fourth quarter

1. In what ways does the novel suggest that conspiracy theories are true, rather than a product of mental illness?

To the Chief's paranoid mind, the ward is run by an enormous, mechanized conspiracy called "the Combine," which pumps fog into the rooms so that he can't see. It makes him small, weak and unable to fight. The blurring of the line between fiction and reality seems to be the only way to deal with the soul-destroying methods of the mental ward that emasculates and disempowers its patients. In this world, Nurse Ratched, far from being the caring and consoling maternal figure she seems to the outside world, is actually the instrument of the patient's inability to be free of authority, and therefore the leader of this conspiracy.

2. Is it possible to cure people with mental illnesses? Is it possible to incorporate individuals with mental illnesses into modern society?

At this day in age it is very possible to manage mental illnesses in people and then to re-incorporate them into society, but it is not altogether possible to cure them. There is therapy and medication to help control mental illnesses now, rather than the old archaic practices used in the novel. There is no definitive cure for mental illness because they still aren’t completely understood or accepted and even with treatment they may never be ‘fixed’. There is a stigmatism around mental illnesses that still make it difficult for them to be accepted.

3. Does our modern system of insane asylums seek cures or does it simply keep people confined?

Now it seems that insane asylums tend to do both. While people are in asylums when their illnesses become too difficult to manage with medication, they are observed and these observations help doctors and psychologists determine the proper ways to manage and treat those illnesses in the future. Though if the patients were committed instead of checked in they do not have the ability to leave at will and so insane asylums are still a means of separating mentally ill people from the rest of society.

4. What does the book suggest is the consequence of confining men for years?

The book suggests that after being separated from society and confined for many years, the men lose their power and masculinity. They no longer have the ability or confidence to stand up for themselves and demanded better and fair treatment. They have been emasculated by Nurse Ratched who now olds all the power over them as the patients no longer know their place in society as men.

5. Why is the fishing trip therapeutic for the patients?

When the gas station attendant tries to intimidate the patients and the doctor into accepting services they do not want, McMurphy comes to their rescue by showing them how their identity as mental patients can be used to their advantage. Instead of being made to feel afraid, they can inspire fear in others by exaggerating their insanity. McMurphy tries to teach the other patients another way to cope with the outside world, without using an approach of total conformity. The acutes begin to see themselves as men, not as feeble mental patients.

6. In many ways throughout the novel, McMurphy is portrayed as a Christ-like figure. What specific details does Kesey use to create this parallel?

Several images contribute to the perception of McMurphy as a Christ figure. He is baptized with a shower upon entering the ward. He takes the patients on a fishing trip, like Jesus and his twelve disciples, to test and strengthen their faith in him and his rehabilitation methods. When McMurphy is taken to get electroshock treatment, he lies down voluntarily on the cross-shaped table and asks whether he will get his “crown of thorns.” Under the weighty pressure of the other patients’ expectations, McMurphy makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that Ratched cannot use Billy’s death to undo everything they have gained. He sacrifices his own hopes of personal salvation when he violently attacks her. McMurphy rips her uniform to reveal her femininity, the evidence that she is not an all-powerful machine but a flesh-and-blood person. His deed succeeds in destroying Ratched’s power. Although he himself dies as a result, his sacrifice becomes an inspiration to the other patients.

7. Why doesn't McMurphy escape from the ward the night that Billy has his "date" with Candy?

McMurphy doesn’t escape for two reasons. The first being that McMurphy is too drunk to realize the gravity of the situation he’s put them all in and isn’t in the right frame of mind to try and get himself out. The second reason being that in the end McMurphy has actually grown to care for the rest of the men in the ward and he doesn’t want thing to go back to being so difficult for them if he were to escape. McMurphy doesn’t want the Big Nurse to be able to regain all the power she had before and get to be able to have the final move in their game.

8. Ultimately, how does Ken Kensey challenge societal notions of sanity and insanity?

Ken Kesey seems to exhibit the opinion that there is no clear divide between sane and insane like many people seem to think and that it is actually sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between the two. This is shown through many of the men in the ward, specifically the acute patients. Bromden is the first example because as the narrator we see the story through his eyes and he recounts things very realistically with the exception of the fog. But anyone interacting with him when he was seeing things clearly mostly likely wouldn’t be able to guess he was ill. Another example is Billy, to whom Candy says that he is very normal compared to some of the others, his only visible issue being the stutter he has. One of the novel’s other suggestions is that the psych ward, Nurse Ratched, and all the other tools of “sanity” in the book are, in fact, insane. 

9. How Does Kesey exhibit the themes of rebellion and revolution in the novel?

The themes of rebellion and revolution come across strongly through the actions of McMurphy. He is constantly trying to change things in the ward be getting the men to revolt and fight for what they want and what is right. McMurphy’s encouragement slowly helps to change the way the men feel, behave and view themselves as people. It also helps change the balance of power and the way things happen in the hospital.

10. In what way does the theme of manipulation contribute to each character’s sense of power or powerlessness?

With the arrival of McMurphy, manipulation is used as a means to broker power. Before his arrival, Nurse Ratched controlled all. Her standard manipulation techniques held the men submissive and complacent to her demands. McMurphy changed this dynamic to a sort of brokerage of power through manipulation. McMurphy gains more power as he manipulates his fellow patients into thinking he wants to help them, while other patients gain power from helping him and getting onto his good side.

- Jonelle