One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Part II Spoilers

[Jennifer]

So I finished reading Part II last night and the war between Ratched and McMurphy is escalating. I first read this book many years ago and am enjoying this book even more this time around. For some reason the characters just seem so much more vivid to me.

I can see why some people may be offended by the portrayal of women in this novel. Nurse Ratched successfully emasculates any male she has contact with.

What I find interesting is just how manipulative both McMurphy and Ratched are. Unfortunately, despite Murphy's skills at manipulation, I cannot help but think that Ratched has all the power.

[Amanda]

I haven't read this before or seen the movie and I am really enjoying the dynamics of the characters. I like that McMurphy is the wild card. Someone who maybe does and maybe doesn't belong and is finding out just how fine the line between sane and not is and how quick it can be crossed by choice or the whim of another.

[Alana]

This whole battle between McMurphy and Ratched is quite fascinating. I found the scene where they are discussing how McMurphy must be dangerous because he went into a rage over the vote for the TV watching quite chilling, actually. I think anyone would be rather livid if someone played them like that and didn't give them a fair chance just to show they had all the power. But because he's locked up, it's a sign of his insanity, where as out in the world, it would be a sign of a man sticking up for himself.

[Irene]

I loved the staff meeting discussing McMurphy's diagnosis, the possibilities are comical. But, Rachid recognizes that McMurphy is not crazy. She realizes that he is rationally working for his own self-interest. She does nothing so far to retaliate against McMurphy. He is not crazy. He knows, just like any school kid or hospital patient or military personal or... tat institutions have rules that may not make sense to the individual cog, but that work for the larger institution. He may need to put up with it for a time, but he can comply. The "acutes" can not accommodate their situation. Maybe that is insanity. I thought the comments of Harding toward the end of this part, as they are waiting for their chest x-ray, very insightful. These guys are voluntarily there because they know they can't handle the outside world. Yes, they may want the fast car and the cute girl and the rest of the popular dream, but they could no more have it on their own outside those walls than inside them. At least in that institution, they are safe.