I believe that as the rivalry between the Nurse and McMurphy progresses, the Nurse is winning. Sure, McMurphy has some frequent and comedic victories, but the Nurse usually can withstand them. As Bromden says, "To beat her you don't have to whip her 2 out of 3, or 3 out of 5, but every time you meet." All McMurphy needs to do is show one sign of weakness, and she will win. The odds are definitely on the Nurses side, considering its nearly impossible to not slip at all.
The interesting thing I noticed is that McMurphy and Bromden almost seem to be friends, despite Bromden never speaking to him. At the beginning, Bromden was silent and emotionless and only cagey in a very animal way. Now he is still silent, but reacts more to things, such as when he gets excited at the Nurse losing her temper. Also, his caginess has sort of evolved. He positions himself near McMurphy, he acts smarter and more wary of the nurses and aids, and he begins to "rebellious" things, like not taking the red pill before bed. I don't think this is directly McMurphy's influence; its just that McMurphy's presence has brought out the younger, original side of Bromden that we see in flashbacks. I believe that McMurphy reminds Bromden of his former self.
I am definitely rooting for McMurphy. He is hilarious compared to the rest of the characters, I need to get me a pair of those whale boxers he has, and he makes life miserable for a really mean character, being the Nurse.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
First Cuckoo's Nest Blog
In many novels, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the roles of hero, anti-hero, and villain are largely based on the perceptions of the narrator. Since our narrator is a mental patient with skewed views of reality, it might not be as clear-cut later on. But for now, it actually makes it easier to identify these roles, since the narrator is quite blunt in his descriptions and emotions.
The villain is quite clearly Nurse Ratched. You can tell right off the bat that she is not a nice character. Her first action in the novel is to almost explode with rage at the aides. Bromden said she was going to "tear the black bastards limb from limb, she's so furious." Then later, he describes her as smooth, cold, and calculating. This women obviously controls the ward with an iron fist, and her inhumane treatment of the patients definitely goes against the reader's moral compass. Being the moral opposite of most readers, and being described negatively by the narrator, she is clearly the villain of this story.
I believe that this story has an anti-hero: McMurphy. He is certainly a positive character since the narrator reveres him almost with awe, and our very first impression of him is when he sees the ward and begins to spontaneously laugh heartily. According to Bromdem, "it's the first laugh I've heard in years." The audience immediately likes McMurphy, simply because he can manage to cheer up a soulless, laugh-less mental hospital full of mistreated patients. Throughout the rest of the first section, his odd sense of humor sticks around, and he even openly defies the "evil" Nurse Ratched. However, McMurphy is an anti-hero because he is not a good person. He was serving jail time, was once arrested (but not convicted) of rape, and has a tendency towards sex, fighting, and gambling. However, the audience still likes him because he is funny and can brighten up the ward.
The villain is quite clearly Nurse Ratched. You can tell right off the bat that she is not a nice character. Her first action in the novel is to almost explode with rage at the aides. Bromden said she was going to "tear the black bastards limb from limb, she's so furious." Then later, he describes her as smooth, cold, and calculating. This women obviously controls the ward with an iron fist, and her inhumane treatment of the patients definitely goes against the reader's moral compass. Being the moral opposite of most readers, and being described negatively by the narrator, she is clearly the villain of this story.
I believe that this story has an anti-hero: McMurphy. He is certainly a positive character since the narrator reveres him almost with awe, and our very first impression of him is when he sees the ward and begins to spontaneously laugh heartily. According to Bromdem, "it's the first laugh I've heard in years." The audience immediately likes McMurphy, simply because he can manage to cheer up a soulless, laugh-less mental hospital full of mistreated patients. Throughout the rest of the first section, his odd sense of humor sticks around, and he even openly defies the "evil" Nurse Ratched. However, McMurphy is an anti-hero because he is not a good person. He was serving jail time, was once arrested (but not convicted) of rape, and has a tendency towards sex, fighting, and gambling. However, the audience still likes him because he is funny and can brighten up the ward.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Final Gatsby Reading Journal
1) Many times in the story, Fitzgerald deliberately mentions the billboard of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. What is this supposed to represent?
I think that Eckleburg represents 1920's high society. He looms above the Valley of Ashes, watching over the place where industry happens and the poor people live, as if he controls it. The fact that most of his face is worn away represents that the rich aren't nearly as powerful as they think, but the watchful eyes still remain. It is also significant that Wilson mistakes Eckleburg's eyes for the Eyes of God, as sort of a literal jab at the reverence with which the working class see the rich.
2) Why did Gatsby always throw wild parties, even though he tended to be so anti-social?
He wanted for Daisy to show up to one of his semi-famous parties, so the parties sort of acted as a lure. The wildness and extravagance was so that if Daisy ever did show up, she would be impressed by the wealth and status of it all. His sole goal was Daisy's attraction and approval; he couldn't care less for the actual parties or his invitees.
3) Gatsby makes a point of befriending Nick, despite being a much richer, higher-class person with more acquaintances than he could count. Why is this?
Part of me wants to say that Gatsby could connect with Nick, both having served in the Great War and being from the West. However, it seems to me that Gatsby's motivation for everything he does in this book is Daisy. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Gatsby befriended Nick not to be friendly, but to get closer to Daisy, since Nick was her cousin. Which he did do, later in the book, convincing Nick to invite over Daisy so that Gatsby could reunite with her.
4) Right before Gatsby's death, Nick states that "I disapproved of him from the beginning to the end." Yet Nick spends the entire story idolizing him and painting him in a positive light. Why did he make this statement, which is so out of place?
I honestly have no idea what the answer to this is. Nick suddenly pulls a little flip-flop move after liking Gatsby the whole book, and says that he had always disapproved of him. Maybe this is because liking and approving of are not the same thing. While Nick clearly liked Gatsby, Gatsby was involved in some very shady business, and it seems that Nick didn't approve of this. He could have also disapproved of Gatsby's methods, like trying to further destroy Daisy's marriage. Other than that, I have no idea.
I think that Eckleburg represents 1920's high society. He looms above the Valley of Ashes, watching over the place where industry happens and the poor people live, as if he controls it. The fact that most of his face is worn away represents that the rich aren't nearly as powerful as they think, but the watchful eyes still remain. It is also significant that Wilson mistakes Eckleburg's eyes for the Eyes of God, as sort of a literal jab at the reverence with which the working class see the rich.
2) Why did Gatsby always throw wild parties, even though he tended to be so anti-social?
He wanted for Daisy to show up to one of his semi-famous parties, so the parties sort of acted as a lure. The wildness and extravagance was so that if Daisy ever did show up, she would be impressed by the wealth and status of it all. His sole goal was Daisy's attraction and approval; he couldn't care less for the actual parties or his invitees.
3) Gatsby makes a point of befriending Nick, despite being a much richer, higher-class person with more acquaintances than he could count. Why is this?
Part of me wants to say that Gatsby could connect with Nick, both having served in the Great War and being from the West. However, it seems to me that Gatsby's motivation for everything he does in this book is Daisy. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Gatsby befriended Nick not to be friendly, but to get closer to Daisy, since Nick was her cousin. Which he did do, later in the book, convincing Nick to invite over Daisy so that Gatsby could reunite with her.
4) Right before Gatsby's death, Nick states that "I disapproved of him from the beginning to the end." Yet Nick spends the entire story idolizing him and painting him in a positive light. Why did he make this statement, which is so out of place?
I honestly have no idea what the answer to this is. Nick suddenly pulls a little flip-flop move after liking Gatsby the whole book, and says that he had always disapproved of him. Maybe this is because liking and approving of are not the same thing. While Nick clearly liked Gatsby, Gatsby was involved in some very shady business, and it seems that Nick didn't approve of this. He could have also disapproved of Gatsby's methods, like trying to further destroy Daisy's marriage. Other than that, I have no idea.
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