Sunday, October 31, 2010

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest



What keeps a perfectly sane person in a mental hospital? Randle Patrick McMurphy asked to be sent to a mental hospital instead of laboring at a work farm. He quickly learns that the patients are either Acutes or Chronics. Acutes are patients that are there not because they are insane, but because they are different. These patients are there voluntarily and can leave at any time. The Chronics are patients that will never leave. Some Acutes become Chronics due to conflicts in the hospital that turn them insane or because the inhumane treatments in the hospital turn them into vegetables.
McMurphy quickly begins creating chaos at the hospital for the staff. The staff keeps the patients drugged so they are controllable. But with McMurphy's arrival, they begin to come out of their "fog" and think for themselves. At one point McMurphy tries to get Nurse Ratched to change the cleaning times in the ward so they could watch the World Series. She did not let them, so when it came time for the World Series, McMurphy pulled up a chair in front of the tv. Nurse Ratched turns off the power and McMurphy continues to "watch" the blank tv and cheers for the game he can't see. As the patients sit around him and do the same, Nurse Ratched becomes furious.
As McMurphy continues to give patients confidence, he gets himself in more and more trouble with the staff. As punishment he is told to clean toilets. McMurphy responds by leaving notes in the rim of the toilet. McMurphy knows how to push everything to the limit. Eventually he learns that the staff is who controls when he is set free. At first he backs down with his games, but eventually he begins challenging them again.
What do you think happens to McMurphy? Would you voluntarily check yourself into a mental hospital when you know there is nothing wrong with you?

12 comments:

Madi Y 7-8 said...

I would never put myself into a mental hospital unless I was positive that something was wrong. Hospitals cost money, and unless something is really wrong then it' s just a waste of money and time that you can not get back. If you waste your time at a hospital for no reason then you just might have something wrong with you.

Josie D 7/8 said...

1. I think McMurphy will be able to cause great change in the hospital and get to leave.

2. I would probably not check myself into a hospital if I did not need it. Espeically if I knew it was a hospital where people were treated cruelly. Also I would not want to mak my family worry over me being in a hospital, all of them thinking there was something wrong with me.

Sarah N. 7-8 said...

1.I think that McMurphy will change the staff and the patients in the hospital. He will help them overcome their illnesses and he will be able to leave at anytime.

2. As far as checking myself into a mental hospital when nothing was wrong I wouldn't do that. The only time I would is if I found out there was something wrong with me or maybe if I didn't have another choice (there was war, I had no place to live, I had no loved ones etc...)

Sevgim A.1-2 said...

1. I think McMurphy eventually gets out of the hospital. I think he also changes the attitude of the nurses; the nurses treat the patients better.

2. Probably not. I can see if someone was doing an experiment about mental hosiptals then I would check myself into the hospital but other than that I would not.

Miranda R. 7-8 said...

I would not check myself into a hospital because it is a waste of money and reasources for those who actually need help. If a person were to pretend to be insane when they weren't then they could be forced aganist their will to stay so it would be a bad idea to check yourself into a mental hospital.

Mia G. 1-2 said...

i absolutely would check myself into a mental hospital even iuf there was nothing wrong! i think it would be ultra fly to see what goes down and and learn about everything there. maybe thats just because i want to be a psychiatirist.

Natesa W. 7-8 said...

I would probably check myself into a mental hospital for a learning experience, to see what it would be like. I would write down observations, and try to help the other patients. But I would not stay very long.

Freddy B. 7-8 said...

1. I think the doctors kick McMurphy out of the hospital to eliminate his influence on the patients.
2. I would never check myself into a mental hospital.

Unknown said...

I think McMurphy will begin to cause a great deal of trouble in the hospital and I think that the nurses will make him leave. I would never voluntarily check myself into a mental hospital if I knew there was nothing wrong with me. If there was nothing wrong with McMurphy I don't understand why we went to the hospital in the first place. All he caused was trouble.

Sarah H 1-2 said...

i also think McMurphy will start causing trouble in the hospital and be forced to leave. I would be very curious to see what goes on in a mental hospital but i would never check myself into one while being perfectly healthy.

mike f. 1-2 said...

there is a movie called "the jacket." watch it and tell me if you still want to go into a mental hospital...

Mrs. Sherwood said...

Graded