Human connections in cuckoo's nest

McMurphy is a kind or representative to a savior in an oppressed land. The men follow him as disciples. When he is exasperated, McMurphy frequently invokes Jesus. He takes the patients fishing on the sea, in a literal representation of Jesus with his followers. He performs the “miracles” of getting the Chief to speak and Billy Bibbit to stop stuttering. He joins the men in the pool, dunking as if baptized. Because of his rebellion against authority, he suffers for them on the electroshock table. Finally, he sacrifices his own flight to freedom to help Billy Bibbit. Sefelt tells legends about McMurphy's mythic escape just as the disciples spread word of Jesus' resurrection in the Bible. When the Chief kills McMurphy out of mercy, the scene echoes the death, the tomb, and the resurrection that leads to eternal life.



Many of the film's scenes reflect upon the sense of hearing as a means of understanding and connection among the characters. The Chief pretends to be deaf in order to withdraw from his surroundings, but McMurphy talks to him anyway as a means of establishing a human connection. His affectionate chatter begins to engage the Chief in life once again. On the other hand, the numbing music that Nurse Ratched plays is so loud that McMurphy complains he can't hear himself think. He tells her the men wouldn't have to shout if she would turn the volume down. Nurse Ratched, however, opposes thinking, understanding, and any other activity that would lead to healthy human relationships between the patients.

Nurse Ratched is the Authority

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a bookwith specific political undertones, which are powerfully presented. When society conforms to authoritarian rule, they put into question their freedom they are owed as humans. McMurphy learns that the prison where he was held previously offered greater personal freedom than Nurse Ratched's ward. In prison, he could have watched the World Series, served out his sixty-eight days, and then been free to go. Nurse Ratched's authority, however, extends from the television to the term of McMurphy's commitment, and her authority will not bear rebellion. Under her totalitarian control, McMurphy cannot even be sure what the rules are, for she rigs them to achieve the results she wants. When the men side unanimously with McMurphy the second time they vote on watching the World Series, Nurse Ratched announces calmly that the nine men with their hands up represent only half the ward and therefore are not a majority. The unresponsive patients, the “chronics,” do not threaten her control. When the Chief surprises everyone by raising his hand, she tells the jubilant McMurphy that his vote does not count, because the meeting is adjourned. Under authoritarian rule, even the appearance of democracy is subverted to maintain the status quo.



As head nurse in a mental institution, Nurse Ratched should be promoting her patients' sanity, but instead her tyranny directly subverts their mental health. She keeps the patients docile, medicated, dependent, and childlike. McMurphy tells the patients they are not loonies but men, and he encourages their manhood through fishing and basketball. The men then begin to ask reasonable questions about Nurse Ratched's authority. Scanlon wants to know why the dormitory is locked during the day. She explains, insidiously, that time spent in the company of others is therapeutic. Cheswick demands the cigarettes she has confiscated and informs her that he is not a little child. Nurse Ratched's oppression, however, causes Cheswick to lose control, and she keeps him in place with electroshock therapy. The men do not improve under her domination but rather disintegrate like Billy Bibbit. Nurse Ratched's reason for keeping McMurphy on the ward, she tells the doctor, is to help him. Instead, she robs him of his vivacity and his sanity.

Symbols in Cuckoo's nest

The cigarettes in this story represent freedom. The men use cigarettes as money in blackjack, and whoever wins can spend money like in the outside world. Betting and gambling is a mans game and the men feel more mature and not alone when they bond over these games. Cheswick gets rightfully angry when Nurse Ratched steals his stash because it reminds him that he has a caretaker like a child. She says it it McMurphys fault to try and and get people against him. She must do anything she can to keep their feeling of independace to keep from coming through. Cheswick says what everyone is dying to say; that he deserves his cigarettes and isnt a child. His courage leads McMurphy to get his cigarettes by breaking through into the nurse's station and finally peforming an act of true defiance.

McMurphy is Cuckoo

WE are intoduced to the character of McMurphy in Part one. McMurphy storms into the lifeless institution from the outside world. He is a reincarnation of freedom, life, joy, and the power to rebel againsta authority no matter how much you matter. One isnt supposed to like his personality but simply what he represents. He is in custody for statutory rape of an underage girl whom he says didnt try to fight him off, and he proves to be a true rebel, commanding a fishing boat without any worries about what may happen to him in the end. McMurphylives on the edge so that he feels a sense of importance and he wants to give the patiens the same sense that they have something to live for. His fishing trip is a celebration rather than a serious attempt to escape. He ignores any warings and says he diesnt care to go back to the ward.



McMurphy proves to be wrong that the only thing anyone can do is bring him back for his short term left at the ward. He says he will try to drive the Nurse mad as revenge. He later learns thatshe controls how long he stays at the ward and she inevitbly says she will keep him there as long as she wants. Sacrficing his freedom is what makes McMurphy a symbol of Christ. He makes small mirackes happen like when Billy stops stuttering shotly and the Chief finallly speaks. McMurphy also hosts a kind of Last Supper party for the men before he says goodbye. In the end he would rather die with the honor of having been a force of opposing evil than leave a coward. His legacy lives on and his soul is in the chief when he gains courage to finally escape

hamlet act II

Hamlet poses many question about what causes someone to become "mad". In Act II there are many theorys as to why Hamlet is acting so strangely and one of them is his love for Ophelia. POlonius tries to confront Hamlet about their relationship and Hamlet just reasures Polonius of his thoughts that he is in fact insane. While it seems Hamlet is tallking alot of non-sense, he is in fact always onme steo ahead of everyone. He disguises his insults to Polonius with strange random questions. This plot to fake being crazy is all for the purpose of a smooth transition for Hamlet to prove the guilt of the new king. He wants to keep everyone unaware that he is on to the murderous plot of his uncle killing his father so he must act as if he doesn't know anything.
If Hamlet is merely pretending to be mad, as he suggests, he does almost too good a job of it. His portrayal is so convincing that it leaves one to think his already fragile sanity will shatter at the sight of his dead father’s ghost. However, the acute and cutting observations he makes while supposedly mad support the view that he is only pretending. Importantly, he declares, “I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” That is, he is only “mad” at certain calculated times, and the rest of the time he knows what is what. But he is certainly confused and upset, and his confusion translates into an extraordinarily intense state of mind suggestive of madness. .

Hamlet Act I

I find it extremely perceptive of Hamlet that even though he is in a state of grief he focuses more on the suspicion he has as to what causes his fathers death, not to dwell on it but to make sure he isn't taking things laying down like everyone else after this tragedy. It is not known for sure if Gertrude has any suspicions and is simply turning the other cheek to appear happily married for the sake of Denmark or if she really is ignorant and blinded by Claudius' love. Either way she wants Hamlet to put out any doubts in his mind that might hurt Claudius.

The ghost wouldn't come back to Hamlet without some sort of motive. At first Hamlet isn't convinced if it is the Devil in the shape of his deceased father who's trying to make Hamlet into some sort of murderer to sabotage his chance at ruling Denmark, or if it is really his father.

 Even if this apparition wasn't real, so to speak, and only in Hamlet's mind, it still didn't mean he was crazy. His mind was making him see the truth and he knew that even if he was going insane he had to test the ghost's words on Claudius.

Sometimes the minds perception of something isn't fully comprehendible to all, but for few, it can help insure justice and punish wrongdoing.

Hidden treasures & pleasures

1) The power of the imagination is often exalted in Romantic poetry. In your opinion, does “Kubla Khan” celebrate the imagination or caution against its indulgence? To whom might Coleridge be writing and for what purpose(s)?
Coleridge is saying anything is understandable to imagine but taking it to another level is simply crazy. Just as one might get too carried away in life's simple or ornate pleasures, imagination is difficult because it can drive one to belive somethinmg that isnt true. He is writing to any one who feels their real life isnt grand enough and like to think optimisticaly but wanrs them too not dream bigger than what you can accomplish. Even when ones life is as they would like it to be, it shouldnt go to your head.

2) Even in the brief space of a sonnet, Shelley suggests a number of narrative frames. How many speakers do you hear in "Ozymandias"? What does each of these voices seem to say to you (or to others) as listeners?

I hear the narrator whom desbribes himself in a sentance as "I" and he is the basis for the entire poem for he is taught about this work of art that tells the Kings decree on it. Then A traveler tell the narrator about these pieces that lie in the middle of the desert and they are so unique they tell the story of their sculptors and how they wanted to be remebered. The piece bores the words of the King Ozymandias on it, the third and final speaker. He claims to know his kingdom has fallen all around and yet his works will live on forever in the sand where he used to reign.

Sweeping and Weeping (Not Cinderella)

The opposite of reason is usually emotion, but Blake uses vivid imagery in his poetry that create pictures in readers' minds mind making them use imagination to form a conclusion. Blake did have the power to enact social change by appealing to the sensitivity readers tend to have for situations involving peverty and child labor. Had he used reason, this poem would have still attracted peoples attention. An example of using reason instead of imagination would have been stating how many hours a day children had to work and what conditions they were in. Imagination is necessary to imagine a child’s cry of “‘weep ‘weep ‘weep” or a child’s resentment he has towards his parents who made him work. Blake was trying to write to all people of all social classes so he could create something that everyone could agree needed political recognition and change, such as child labor laws. Coming from the upper class himself, he tends to use many clichés to represent what he thinks a suffering child would feel. It isn’t a fault of his poetry because he at least had the knowledge to be aware these problems were occurring and needed to be fixed. The poems have two versions; one from the Songs of Innocence and one from the Songs of Experience. Innocence is usually associated with naivety and experience tends to gain wisdom. We can gather that the child chimney sweeper who is angry at his parents in the “Songs of Experience” is correct in his reasoning and the child who is “innocent” has a lot to learn about the real world for he isn’t angry with his parents. The innocent child however, could also be admired for being more hopeful even in a time of sorrow while the “experienced” child is more cynical and that doesn’t help in life either. Blake tried to make people feel sympathy for these children while still hoping they would realize hope can be found no matter what situation you’re in but don’t ever let your guard down too much and seem weak.


The Parliament transcript was included in the textbook as way to get the perspective of a child who really went through these tough times Blake tried to describe but never really lived. It was short and to the point but still got emotion out of its readers because the situation is upsetting no matter how it is presented. It was a bit too dry and emotionless and I didn’t understand why the child speaking didn’t express true sorrow. It changes the way I read both of Blake’s interpretations because the real children who went through this obviously coped with it by suppressing their emotions and the one from the transcript wouldn’t have agreed with Blake’s overly dramatized crying and angry sentiments. Maybe the child was shy due to the situation he was put in and didn’t want to show what he really felt. I believe all the texts get a reaction out of their audiences.

Little People, Big World

a) The way the government rules has many people that object to it. The "Rules", like breaking an egg at the convenient place, are up for individual interpretation. Laws today are still vague, which is why people are wrongfully accused and arrested today. There also is a question as to whether religion belongs in government because in this passage they go by the "Brundercral" which is like their version of a Quaran or Bible. It is ironic that a man with such physical strength over these little Lilliputians actually lets them rule him. He could take action and obtain his freedom but he doesn't try nor does he want to leave. Language isn't the only way to communicate. Certain gestures show that one means no harm, no matter how strong they look. Some questions to address are : Is language the only way to communicate? Why can't the more powerful in size Gulliver overthrow these little people? What is Swift saying about his society AND modern day? Is Gulliver only superior to these people in size? Is Gulliver dreaming or did he do something to deserve to be put into this world? Why were the Lilliputians so generous with their resources?

b) I thought this group work was similar to all the other work we do in groups. I prefer teaching to the class. Also people dont take it as seriously as they should when there aren't strict rules to it. I like the freedom to write anything but i think some people have a hard time with it. I learned that some texts aren't easy to address with different view points and this one was full of satire to be interpreted one way. Our group didn't have many conflicting ideas. There were things that some might have missed, such as the tight rope walker.

c) We split up our lesson into "questions" and "issues about society". The clear approach to teaching this excerpt was to pull out the many elements of satire and who they addressed i.e. government, culture, individuals. Swift thinks that his government is strong enough to rule anyone but then again the way they rule is up for debate because some things involve opinionated mind control.

The method behind the madness: Brainwashing (1984)

O’Brien’s proclamations near the end of the novel prove the true meaning of the entire Party’s point of view. It is a speech about what the party claims to be right. They not only want you to think like everybody else and according to their standards, but they make you believe that if you question the party, you are insane and need to be “fixed” and “re-learn”.
The Party’s oligarichal collectivism only works because they kill all others that disagree and leave no proof behind that those people ever existed. They also must make you “re-learn” what your perception of reality must be, even before they kill you. The Party claims that reality interchangeable according to ones mind but also that the individual mind isn’t capable of creating what the “correct” reality is, so the Party will always change peoples perceptions time and time again to fit to their own liking and political agenda. It is not merely enough for people to want to accept their alternate reality, they really must see it or else they are insane. They must not lie and say they see it because this would be a thought crime. Also, lying would put the party to shame because of their own followers doesn’t agree with their rules. In this situation “Stupidity was as necessary as intelligence, and as difficult to attain.” Winston uses his brain in a way that he has never done. It is just as hard, or more difficult perhaps, to try and change something simple that has been installed in your mind than it is to learn a brand new concept. This process makes you go insane when O’Brien claims it is negating Winston’s insanity for his own good. The Party uses ignorance to lead. This is how all dictatorships lead. They shut their followers out form other worlds. They are only allowed to be exposed to certain things the leader says are right. This Party is especially manipulative because not only do they take away forms of news and media to turn a blind eye to other societies, they want to change the worlds perception of reality so that they cant even question what else exists.
At the close of the novel we see the effects that the party’s interrogations and imprisonment have on Winston. He says he will always pretend he agrees with them until the second before that bullet goes through his brain and for that brief moment he will be a rebel. This extreme need to blend in is driven by fear yet hope in his heart that some day somebody will live to contradict the Party. Sadly, he is overcome by his own confusion and doesn’t understand what he used to think was right or real any longer. O’Brien’s tactics work because when one stars to doubt their lack of common sense, they can never bounce back. It was a form of hypnosis because once you believe you are insane among all others who disagree with you, your mind is gone. What is ironic is the fact that the Party’s entire leadership is based on insanity. The idea that facts aren’t accessible for proof of anything anymore is how they gain control of others. Winston has nothing to rely on when they tell him his perception of reality is wrong. How can he prove that two and two don’t add up to five? He couldn’t. He also gains a shorter attention span because he was now taught not to over think and just accepts what he is told. “A violent emotion, not fear exactly but a sort of undifferentiated excitement, flared up in him, then faded again. He stopped thinking about the war. In these days he could never fix his mind on any one subject for more than a few moments at a time.” This quote towards the end shows that the brainwashing finally reached its peak and Winston was changed. The last four words in the novel, when Winston in envisioning his death, are “He loved Big Brother”. This proves how strongly they provoked him. Even in his last dying thought, breaking his promise to himself, he succumbed to Big Brother. He didn’t think it was possible to doubt the righteousness of the Party any longer. The ending of the novel erased all hope the reader had for Winston throughout the story. Nobody has lived or died going against Big Brother, even in their mind.

Blinded by "Love" (1984)

The relationship between Winston and Julia is a focal point, aside from the total mind control, of 1984. These two are character foils. Their relationship is fascinating because they bring out each others unique traits. We realize that Julia is wiser and knows how to keep the fact that she hates Big Brother a secret. Winston is constantly scared he will be arrested for a “thought crime”. As I was reading I thought she might be smarter than Winston, but as the story went on, I realized I was wrong. His curiosity, although what did him in, was his best quality as a main character. Julia seemed to be oblivious to anything happening around her if it didn’t affect her achieving satisfying levels of pleasure. Winston shows us that all Julia cares about is breaking the party’s sexual rules. He doesn’t seem to mind. Julia brings out more of Winston’s curiosity and makes him wonder how she could be so un-fazed by Big Brother and hate him so much at the same time. Winston even calls her “only a rebel from the waist downward.” Julia thinks that he is too analytical and shouldn’t care about the reasoning behind their lives as long as they are getting away with breaking the rules. Their whole romance seemed forced to me. It seemed that Winston was just using Julia as a way to forget how miserable he was with his life alone. Julia seemed like a head case the entire story, starting from when she slipped Winston a note saying “I love you” before they ever even met. I wondered how she knew he could be trusted at all. She didn’t have any bad intentions but I don’t think what they really had was love. They simply found in each other what they longed for their whole lives: a companion. Their relationship was based on vulnerability and the need to feel needed and cared for. I’m glad the book included their story because it shows that no matter what the circumstances in life are, one can always find comfort in another for one short, sweet moment.