1. What is the effect of McMurphy choking the Big Nurse and ripping off her dress, exposing her? What does it contribute to the story?
Kesey has repeatedly emphasized in Cuckoo's Nest how Ratched attempts to conceal her femininity through her "sexless" uniform. She views the sexual instinct as weak, primal, and uncontrollable, which puts it at ends with her deeply controlling and manipulative nature. Therefore, she attempts to physically conceal all signs of sexuality by covering up her breasts and revealing very little skin. By concealing her sex instinct, she hides any sign of human vulnerability that might maker her appear weak, and establishes herself above the "primality" of other people. Another reason she makes an effort to conceal herself is that her breasts and figure as a whole are the most obvious indicators of her gender. As Harding says, a man can have "power" over a woman, so to speak, by being sexually dominant over her. By hiding all signs of her gender, Nurse Ratched is able to protect herself from potentially being subjugated by the typical hierarchy of male over female and keep herself in control over the men. However, at the end of the book when McMurphy tears off her clothing and exposes her, he undermines both of the barriers that Ratched has created. Revealing her sexuality makes her seem human, thereby making her susceptible to the vulnerabilities that come with being human. It also made her femininity obvious and took away the power she had over the men before.

2. What is the effect of Bromden suffocating McMurphy?
Bromden suffocating McMurphy at the end of the novel isn't done out of maliciousness, but rather to solidify him as the Christ figure whose sacrifice allowed the ward patients to live again. McMurphy's willingness to sacrifice his own freedom to undo the ward's oppressive order makes him as a sort of martyr, and both his "spiritual" death and physical death serve to cement his martyrdom and almost make him like a messiah to the ward.

3. What purpose do Candy and Sandy serve in the novel?
Candy and Sandy are notably the only two women in the story that are not depicted as oppressive and controlling. This is because they are the only women not viewed as "demasculating" by suppressing the men's sexuality and trying to control it. Ratched, Harding's wife, Billy's mother, and the nurse with the birthmark all suppressed male sexuality, shamed it, or tried to control it. Candy, however, openly had relations with Billy, which gave him confidence until Ratched shamed him for it and threatened to tell his mother. The both of them worked as prostitutes, signifying an openness about sexuality that the other women in the story lacked. Candy and Sandy being depicted as "good" ties in with Kesey's theme that sexuality should not be suppressed and that male dominance should not be undermined in favor of female dominance.

4. What is the significance of Bromden's ability to finally resist the fog?
Bromden noted that the fog, induced by his schizophrenia, allowed him to hide from not only the other ward members, but also the aides and the Big Nurse. After being shamed, ignored, and oppressed for much of his life and "shrunk" by Ratched's overwhelming domination of the ward, he attempted to hide himself away from society and take refuge from being hidden within the fog. The fog conceals Bromden's identity and protects him from the oppressive eyes of society. As Bromden becomes more emboldened by McMurphy throughout the story, however, he no longer needs the fog to cling to and hide in. He is free to exist under the observation of others, now that he realizes he is not truly crazy and need not be ashamed of who he is.

Cuckoo's Nest ~ #2

At the end of Part 1, despite a long, arduous struggle for the upper hand, McMurphy has managed to get ahead of the Big Nurse. His breaking of the glass symbolizes his ability to cut through the Nurse's facade, although she has admittedly worn him down considerably by this point. His failure to lift the control panel demonstrates that McMurphy is not invincible and comes with his own vulnerabilities that make him susceptible to Ratched's control. Outside of the ECT room, where Harding and McMurphy are conversing, McMurphy expresses a certain degree of defeat and hopelessness in the face of the seemingly unshakeable Nurse's regime. He reveals fear at the thought that the Nurse has the potential to increase his stay at the ward by however long she wishes and finally acknowledges the true power that she wields. However, McMurphy has also proved on several occasions that the Nurse is indeed fallible and her kindly demeanor not as pliant as once thought. By breaking the glass at the end of Part 1, McMurphy declares his overall triumph over Nurse Ratched - at least thus far in the book.

The entrance of McMurphy in Chief Bromden's life has allowed him to challenge the idea that the totalitarian ward regime is indestructible. He is united with the other patients in their desire for the Nurse's oppressive rule to collapse under McMurphy's constant pressure. He more openly expresses his own views and personal wishes (still in the context of his mind only, however; he has not yet ventured out enough to dare speak). Still, part of him resists change, as seen in his attempt to "hide" within his own schizophrenia-induced fog during a group therapy session. He is not yet totally on board with the idea of revolution within the ward and still clutches onto his fear of the larger regime at hand. The Chief almost seems to have submitted to the unyielding rule of the Combine both within and outside of the hospital, and his still-provincial mind keeps him from embracing the idea of radical change just yet.

Cuckoo's Nest Blog #1

Nurse Ratched is the villain of the novel. Bromden notes that Ratched has two natures; her sweet side that the patients see, and her "hideous true self" that comes out only when things don't go her way and no patients are around to witness her reversion back to her actual nature (5). Doctors who have worked with her often back out of the job after only a few weeks or months, saying, "'Since I started on that ward with that woman I feel like my veins are running ammonia, I shiver all the time, my kids won't sit in my lap, my wife won't sleep with me" (29). After only six hours of being admitted to the ward, McMurphy remarks to Harding that "she's big as a damn barn and tough as knife metal. She fooled me with that kindly little old mother bit for maybe three minutes when I came in this morning, but no longer" (60). Ratched is depicted as cold and calculating behind a mask of motherly sincerity, secretly possessing a strong need to be in control and to straighten out what she considers anomalies in her system. Ratched's uncaring and dismissive demeanor towards her patients prevents them from getting the adequate therapy they need, meaning that she acts as a force against "good" within the novel. This is what identifies Nurse Ratched as the most clear villain in the story thus far.

McMurphy would fall into the category of antihero. He is hard and crass in contrast to the softer, more diluted personalities of the other ward patients. His past appears shady; he is first introduced as a gambler, and during a group session is revealed to have a long string of past incarcerations for various crimes: "drunkenness, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, repeated gambling, and one arrest - for rape" (45). He is the first to openly say that Nurse Ratched is a "ball-pecker" and vocally question her motives toward the patients (60). His harsh demeanor and questionable history prevent him from playing the role of hero, but his clear opposition to the villain, the Big Nurse, combined with his brash nature, makes him the antihero. Despite that he doesn't quite personify the "good" nature of a traditional hero, the audience can clearly see that he is on the side of the ward patients and opposes the manipulative habits of the Big Nurse, which prevents him from being the villain.

The final role of hero is left to Chief Bromden, our deaf and muted narrator. Bromden's disabilities and caged-in attitude are revealed to simply be ploys that allow him to observe events broadly as well as inconspicuously (24). We have relatively little information about Bromden at this point, much like we lacked information about the hero in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway. What makes Bromden the hero, however, despite our lack of knowledge about him, is his silent but clear opposition to Nurse Ratched's tyrannical reign over the ward, and the fact that he lacks the more brusque qualities of the antihero, McMurphy. He displays acute awareness of how the hospital operates and the dark undercurrents that run within it. This knowledge, coupled with his softer personality, make him the most clear choice for hero at this point in the novel.

Gatsby Blog #3

Does Nick's arrival in West Egg act as a catalyst for what happens in the book or would the events have happened on their own?

There isn't much direct textual evidence to support it, but I believe that Nick Carraway's coming inadvertently led to what happened with Wilson's family, Gatsby's death, and Daisy's ultimate fate of being forced to remain with Tom. The reason is Nick interfered with the reconciliation of Gatsby and Daisy, and if their relationship had not been rekindled, then Tom Buchanan never would have gotten angry enough at Gatsby to tell George Wilson that it was Gatsby's car that killed his wife (178). Going back even further, Myrtle's death might not have even happened in the first place, because if Nick hadn't helped in getting Daisy and Gatsby together, then they wouldn't have been together that night with Daisy driving Gatsby's car (143). Of course, there is no way for the audience to know what could have happened in an alternate timeline, so whether or not Nick did indirectly set off the chain of events is purely speculative.

What do Nick's comments about the green light and the "boats against the current" at the end of the novel stand for?

Nick's final statements wrap up a central theme of the novel, which is that trying to recreate the past is a futile attempt that ultimately leads nowhere. Throughout the novel, the green light had symbolized Gatsby's struggle for Daisy, but really what he wanted was to recreate their relationship in the past. Nick compares this struggle to boats paddling against the current; no matter how hard Gatsby tried to "paddle" to a future that looked like his past, it was only dragging him backwards continually (180). 

Why does Jordan Baker pretend that she doesn't have feelings for Nick at the end of the novel?

When going to see Jordan for the last time, she remarks to Nick that she had been taken with him for a time, but now that she didn't "give a damn about [him]" (177). She is already engaged to someone else, and even treats Nick with mild contempt. The possible reasons for this are 1) she realizes Nick's partial responsibility for the tragic events that occurred and resents him for this, blocking out the desire she had to be with him, 2) is disappointed with how things turned out and wants to move on from it by hastily becoming engaged to another man, or 3) is angry with Nick for leaving her and not giving her the attention she thought she deserved. There is no concrete answer to this, but it is clear that Jordan does end things with Nick on a contemptuous note, evidenced by her mysterious comment that he is also a "bad driver" and her insinuation that he is not who she thought he was (177).

Is Tom truly evil at heart?

Despite the highly negative light he is portrayed in throughout the novel, we can see Tom display real emotion at Myrtle's death, despite that she may have been only a mistress to him (141). He also takes measures to comfort Wilson, who is in hysteria over his wife's death, possibly because he understands what it is like to "lose" his wife as well, even if only figuratively (140). Still, Nick retains an unfavorable opinion of Tom by the end of the novel, but it is up for debate whether or not Tom's negative impression throughout the book is caused partially by Nick or is a real representation of his character.

Jelly Roll Morton "Black Bottom Stomp"

This song makes me imagine an energetic jazz band playing on a stage in a densely filled room of partygoers in Gatsby's mansion, overlooking a wide sea of both dancing and mingling people. The music would give the room a permeating feel of lightheartedness and energy. The mood is upbeat and energized, which is why I envision people laughing, dancing, and drinking as it plays.

Gatsby Ch. 4-6 Reading

1) What is the purpose of Meyer Wolfsheim as a character? How does he affect the way we see Gatsby? 
Meyer Wolfsheim is Gatsby's business partner who claimed to have "fixed the 1919 World's Series", hinting at Gatsby's possible illicit business dealings behind the scenes. This revelation gives the reader a more sinister outlook on Gatsby, and helps us partially shed our view of him thus far as a merely docile and slightly eccentric man.


2) What does the backstory about Jay and Daisy's past do to our impressions of Gatsby? 
Gatsby's and Daisy's past relationship gives Gatsby a more human and less distant element. The reader can better relate to (and likes more easily) the Gatsby that has experience with what it feels like to be in love and pine for a relationship with another. It is not nearly as easy to relate to the more remote, businessman-type Gatsby, who presents an image of somewhat transparent sincerity and is far less "human".

3) What does the story of the rest of Gatsby past due to our impressions of him? 
Gatsby's history as "James Gatz" lowers him further from the position of a distant and unknowable being to someone who is much more raw and knows the real-life struggles of accomplishing the American dream. We know Gatsby's motivations now; that 1), he wants to recreate his past with Daisy, and 2), he no longer wants to be the same poor James Gatz he was before. Knowing Gatsby's motivation for his actions gives him more purpose in the story as a whole and helps the audience feel more open with his character.


4) How does your overall impression of Gatsby change over these three chapters - do you like him more, less, and why?
I like him more. His "mysteries" are revealed to be little more than common human struggles, which made me find him more endearing and more relatable as a character.

The Great Gatsby Reading Blog #1 (Ch. 1-3)

The hero of the story thus far is Nick, the protagonist. He is indirectly characterized as an honest, humble person by the fact that he is willing to settle in a less-than-glamorous house in the midst of an exceedingly wealthy neighborhood, not to mention that he lives in West Egg rather than East, which is characterized as the less "fashionable" of the two. He learns from his father at a young age to "reserve all judgments" in regards to other people (pg. 1), and says he is "one of the few honest people that [he has] ever known" (pg. 59). Because of these traits, the audience is inclined to view Nick in a favorable light, much more so than the other characters introduced thus far, thereby making him the hero.

Gatsby, a mysterious character, is the most likely antihero of the story. Along with his moments of extreme kindness and affability, he also carries a dubious aura, leading many characters to speculate about possible hidden secrets from his past, including rumors that he once "killed a man" and was a "German spy during the war" (pg. 44). Upon meeting Nick face-to-face for the first time, he is astoundingly friendly and earnest, almost so much that it is unbelievable: "He smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, one that you may come across four or five times in life...precisely at that point it vanished, and I was looking at an elegant young roughneck, whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd" (pg. 48). Even with his kindness, his strange behavior, such as when Nick sees him standing alone in his yard very late at night one day and his apparently secret meeting with Jordan Baker during the party, also manages to cast suspicion on him. His positive qualities mixed with his also shady character is what makes Gatsby the antihero.

The most obvious villain we can discern from the first three chapters is Tom Buchanan, who appears the most cross and disagreeable character of the story so far. More importantly, he is the only character who seems to stand in direct opposition of the hero, Nick. Fitzgerald assures a negative impression of Tom from the moment he is first introduced, writing, "'Now don't think my opinion on these matters is final,' he seemed to say, 'just because I'm stronger and more of a man than you are'" (pg. 7). Out of all the characters, he treats Nick the most contemptuously, and possesses a superior attitude towards others, as established by the following lines:

"'Nick, what you doing?'
'I'm a bond man.'
'Who with?'
I told him.
'Never heard of them,' he remarked decisively.
This annoyed me." (pg. 10).

Daisy confesses that Tom was not around for her daughter's birth, once again establishing his poor personality and further rooting him as the 'bad guy'.