Through your reading select and include here two quotations that you stood out to you. Type out the quotation and include the page number. Then explain why the line stood out to you and what is the significance to the plot, character, or setting, etc.
Then find two other student blogs and comment on what lines they chose.
14 comments:
The first line that stood out to me was on page 32. "All of them black as telephones. The blacker they are, she learned form that long dark row that came before them the more time they are likley to devote to cleaning and scrubbing and keeping the ward in order." This line stood out to me because, today not all telephones are black. Were they all black in the sixties? Why is it so important that the boys are black? Everytime it mentions them it always describes them as the black boys in the cold white suits. What makes them so special? They get to go around picking on everybody is what it sounds like to me. Is it becasue they are black that they will work harder on keeping the ward cleaner? Is there the idea of slavery still in their minds?
The next line that stood out to me is "maybe after that take him to the electroencephalograph and check his head-- we may find evidence of a need for brain work"(37). They are in a mental institution. Is there not brain work that needs to be done on everybody? What is an electroencephalograph anyway? Or is that just something they are trying to say to scare him?
The first line that stood out to me was when the doctor is reading over McMurphy’s file, and reads the part where his previous doctor wrote, “Don’t overlook the possibility that this man might be feigning psychosis to escape the drudgery of the work farm”(46). So far in the novel, McMurphy has not shown any signs of being mentally unstable. Later, the patients even refer to him as being a “wolf” rather than a “rabbit.” It just surprises me that the staff is seeming to overlook this “possibility,” and allowing him to stay. I know it is still early, but it seems kind of obvious that he is sane, and a bit peculiar that they are doing nothing about it.
The next line that stood out to me was on page 68 when McMurphy say’s, “Here’s what I’m thinkin’. You birds seem to think you got quite the champ in there, don’t you? Quite the—what did you call her?—sure, impregnable woman. What I wan to know is how many of you are dead sure enough to put a little money on her?” This stood out to me because during his whole conversation with Harding and then the other patients, he really seems like he is wanting and trying to help them, and help them realize what they are being put through. But then he just turns it around into a gambling game. I mean, I know that is what he said he came there to do, but he actually had me fooled for a while thinking that he was really concerned for the others. Maybe he still is, but just wants to make a bit of money off of it.
The first comment I would like to reply to is Jessica’s first quote about the black boys. I agree with the oddity in how the narrator describes them. Several times in the book I am lead to believe that there is a hint of racism there.
When more people post I guess I will finish the assignment.
I would have to agree with tiffany and her first quote. McMurphy does not seem to me like he belongs in a mental institution. However, he could be putting on a front and just playing with the minds of everybody there.
The first lines that stood out to me were on page 42 and read “The Big Nurse watches all this through her window. She hasn’t moved from her spot in front of that one window for three solid hours, not even for lunch.” I find this line to show just how power-hungry and determined Ratched seems to be. She also does not seem to settle for anything short of perfection.
The second lines that held my interest are on the top of page 65 and read, “You are touched on each side of the head with wires. Zap! Five cents’ worth of electricity through the brain and you are jointly administered therapy and a punishment for your hostile go-to-hell behavior, on top of being put out of everyone’s way for six hours to three days, depending on the individual.” That seems to me like it does much more damage to an individual than it does good, not to mention it could be the source for some of the problems the patients are having in the facility.
Jesse’s line on page 32 “All of them black as telephones. The blacker they are, she learned form that long dark row that came before them the more time they are likely to devote to cleaning and scrubbing and keeping the ward in order." This line shows some racism but is slightly understandable given the time period that this novel takes place. I would also have to agree with Jesse when she said that the “black boys” are still higher up in the pecking order over all of the “white” patients.
Tiffany’s line on page 46 about McMurphy, “Don’t overlook the possibility that this man might be feigning psychosis to escape the drudgery of the work farm” may hold some truth because he seems to be one of the sanest people in that ward.
I agree with Nick's comment about how the electroshock therapy may be doing more bad than good, and possibly causing many of the problems the mental patients had. It seems to me that most mental hospitals back in those days were like this. They believed that shock therapy and lobotomies were the cure to everything and ended up doing a lot of permanent damage to people who really were not that bad and could have been fixed.
"...also, you never can tell when just that certain one might come in who's free enough to foul things up right and left" (41). This line, for me, was foreshadowing of what is to come in the novel. With the arrival of McMurphy, the way the ward functions and the patients live will be altered by his presence.
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" Our dear Miss Ratched? Our sweet, smiling, tender angel of mercy, Mother Ratched, a ball-cutter? Why, friend, that's most unlikely" (57). This made me laugh because it showed that Harding and other patients alike are not hardly as daft and unaware to Big Nurses' want of control. They may be 'crazy' but they do know that she is playing them and that there is nothing they can do about it.
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Nick's comment on EST stood out to me as well. Its a pretty disturbing event to think about; how it is most likely administered for no reason at all.
Tiffany brought up the 'impregnable woman' line, speaking of Ratched's inability to lose control. I agree with Tiffany that McMurphy is probably trying to draw the other patients out and to test them to stand up for themselves.
Lydia~
I really found out about Chief's problem when he begins to explain the fog. Chief begins by saying "No tracks on the ground but the ones he's making, and he sniffs in every direction with his cold red-rubber nose and picks up no scent but his own fear, fear burning down into him like steam."(13) I think this fog is the reason Chief is in the ward, it resembles his insanity. However, once the fog clears, he will be cured. Another line that stood out to me was on page 44, when "She [Nurse Ratched] continues reading silently from the book for a while, then closes it." This quote exemplifies Ratched's total control over her patients.
“Catheters are second-hand condoms the ends clipped off and rubber-banded to tubes that run down pantlegs to a plastic sack marked DISPOSABLE NOT TO BE RE-USED, which it is my job to wash out at the end of each day.”(34) This quote stood out to me because the fact that a “DISPOSABLE” item that should not have been “RE-USED” in a good facility is constantly reused and changed by the narrator. This is one of the many blatantly obvious pieces of the story that shows that the patients are not being well cared for.
“You birds seem to think that you got quite the champ in there, don’t you?”(68) The idea that even though the patients are being very poorly treated, they seem to have a lot faith in the big nurse. She has them so brain washed that they can’t do anything but follow her rules and agree with her.
Nick’s line on page 42 about the Big Nurse watching through the window seemed to explain an event that happened very often at the facility. The Big Nurse is much more concentrated than the patients and seems to have a purpose for everything she does. His second quote on page 65 about the electrograph seemed to explain the common feeling toward people of mental disability at that time.
Tiffany’s line from page 46 about McMurphy also stood out to me as I am beginning to gain that same feeling. I think that he may be emotionally unstable but probably not to the point that he belongs in a mental facility. Her second comment was the same as mine, I think that probably right now all he wants to do is get a bit of money out of the deal and have an easy life for a while. Maybe later on in the story he will begin to get attached to the other characters and try to help them.
"Any analysis? Any time spent in any other institution?"
"Well, counting state and county coolers..."(46)
I liked this bit because it's McMurphy's typical personality. He's a smart ass and he likes to stand out and make trouble.
"You have a very wolfy roar."(63)Harding says this to McMurphy when he's talking about everyone being rabbits again. I think McMurphy is trying to achieve distinction, and he does that very well. If he didn't, then Harding wouldn't have called him a wolf and everyone else a rabbit.
I like Emily's second line. I agree with what she said about them not being able to handle things without the nurse, but they don't like what she does.
Jessica's first line interests me, too. He always makes sure to call them black.
"And you want to know somethin' else, buddy? You want to know who pecks that first peck? It's that old nurse, that's who." (55)This is Harding's first attempt at trying to tell the other patients, about the control Big Nurse has over them. I think he will have to remind them numerous times throughout his quest to change their mentality because they are so brainwashed into believing she's there to help them, and that there's no way to overcome her.
"The machinery in the walls whistles, sighs, drops into lower gear." (72) Chief says this just as Nurse Hatchet leaves. Although I'm still not quite sure what the "machinery" is this gives me an idea, and makes it the most clear it has so far in the story. It's something Chief is imagining, but is a huge symbol for the mechanical way things are run by the Nurse.
Emily's Line from page 68, about Big Nurse being a "champ" was quite humorous, because of McMurphy's sarcastic tone. And from the very beginning of the novel, I could tell she was obviously nothing close to a champ.
Nick's line about EST is also just quite disturbing, there's no way that does any good. It also seems to be one of the things that hinders the patients from acting out, their fear of punishments keeps them bottled up.
"Ya see, I can't help it, can't-don't ya see. I was born dead. Not you. You wasn't born dead. Ahhh, It's been hard..." (52). This line stood out to me because Mr. Bancini has the same mentality of McMurphy, he is just physically incapable of enduring Nurse Ratched. McMurphy has both the physical abilty and the will to fight Nurse Ratched's system.
"I simply need the nurse to make me happy with my role" (61) This quote shows how those who do not have a strong will are content with just getting by and not striving for more. They don't want to risk there safety, even if it means living under insane conditions.
Emily's line really was a great look into how messed up the insane asylums were. They don't truly care for the well being of the patients. If Nurse Ratched's ward runs smoothly, then she is happy, even if it is at the patients risk.
Jenna's second quote stands out because it completely describes McMurphy, he is "wolfy" and tenacious enough to buck the system.
One line that stood out to me was " she fixes these doctors with dry-ice eyes day in and day out, until they retreat with unnatural chills.'Since i started on that ward with that woman i feel like my veins are running ammonia. I shiver all the time, my kids wont' sit in my lap, my wife won't sleep with me. I insist on a transfer..."(31.)This quote got me because I found it peculuar how the nurse goes about picking her doctors.Why would she be so picky? What makes these doctors want to leave her ward even the ones with back bones? I mean how does she have so much control? What is going to make that woman break?
Another line was on page 59 " In this hospital," Harding says, "the4 doctor doesn;t hold the power of hiring and firing. That power goes to the supervisor, and the supervisor is a woman, a dear old friend of Miss Ratched's..." This line begins to shed some light as to how Mrs. Ratched is allowed to stay on that ward after the way she treats the patients. Her connections give her the total advantage to stay there as long as she wants and perfect her little system so that she continues to gain more power.
I liked Tiffany's quote about the "impregnable woman". I agree that it seems like McMurphy is truly concerned about the situation in the hospital and that he wants everyone to realize what Mrs. Ratched is doing to them.
I also agreed about Nick's quote on page 65 about the electric shocks they recieve. It seems very cruel and painful. By the effects it has on the patients the doctors should be more concerned about what kind of damage it may be causing. I thought it was really sad when i read that the patients had to undergo those procedures and the horrible sideeffects of the shocks.
The first line that stood out to me was on page 38 when he's talking about the Public Realations man. "Some times he'll be by himself and just stand in the middle of the day room and clap his hands..." It sounds to me as if this guy who's putting on a show to all the people that come to visit the hospital, needs to either be in the hospital himself if he's clapping to himself or he's just so proud of the institution and the ability they have to hide the truth. Honestly, I think he needs to be in there with Cheif and McMurphy.
The next line was on page 74, "I coul of watched McMurphy at that blackjack table all night, the way he dealt and talked and roped them in..." This shows just how determined McMurphy is to change things, but in a way I get a feeling he deep down, well at least at this point in the novel wants to take advantage of them.
The first quote Jesica wrote about I think is a representation of the racism in that day. The other quote that Tiffany wrote about is the evidence of how McMurphy sees woman and his view of them.
“The nurse closes up the folder and passes it across the doorway to the doctor. “Our new Admission, Doc Spivey,” just like she’s got a man folded up inside that yellow paper and can pass him on to be looked over.”. This line stood out to me because the analysis was over what paper said not the actual person. This shows the disinterest in the actual patient. (45).
“So that makes me the chicken with the spot of blood, Friend?”........ “And you wanna know somethin’ else, buddy? You want to know who pecks the first peck? It’s that old nurse, that's who.” (55) The comparison to a “pecking party” shows the cold and uncaring personality of Nurse Rachet. The patients are being torn down and no progress is being made towards a recovery.
Lisa’s first quote shows the basic perception of Nurse Rachets evil personality which has become an obvious trait. Emily’s second quote is what scares me the most in this book. The fact that these patients are being treated so poorly and yet they think it is ok. To take advantage of people who desperately need help is unfathomable.
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