Notes Day 1

The perspective is blunt at the beginning which shows how the reader is going to learn things that the other patients shouldn't know but because Bromden is "deaf and dumb" so he will see and hear things that he probably wouldn't be exposed to if he wasn't deaf and dumb. We are also learn that Chief Bromden will call things as he sees them whether or not they are accurate. McMurphy is important because he is slightly crazy but not insane which will change the course of the story because he will be disruptive to the system. When McMurphy laughs it is out of the ordinary because they live in such an oppressive culture, due in part to the white walls and Nurse Ratched that no one ever laughs so it is again another example of McMurphy disrupting the system The Big Nurse put in place. The separation of people in the ward shows that the asylum isn't trying to help the patients get along with other people or trying to help him (i.e. wouldn't tell Mr. Taber which pills he was taking) there is something wrong with this asylum and is our first hints that this isn't a helpful place.

Syllabus Day 1

Pages 1 - 42
Syllabus: Sara
Notes: Natalie

Today's Focus Question: What makes a person mentally insane?

Warm Up:  Discuss each person's ideas of a 'crazy person.' Are they similar to the patients in the mental institution in the book? How about currently?

Discussion Questions:
1.) What is the symbilance of the quote in the few pages before the story, "..One flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo's nest.." ?
2.) The very first few lines of the novel are very blunt; "They're out there. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them.." What does this tell us about Bromden and how does it set the tone right off the bat?
3.) Why is Bromden in there? Why does he have a front of 'dumb and deft'?
4.) What does the fog represent?
5.) What is your first impression of McMurphy?
6.) Why is it so important for him to be the 'bull goose loney'?
7.) Why is it so absurd when McMurphy laughs? What does this symbolize?
8.) Why is there a plague honoring everybody getting along when the chronics and acutes are clearly very seperate?
9.) Why are they so separate?
10.) Why is Nurse Ratched so strict?

Closing Activity: Research what ultimately sends a person to the psych ward. Compare with our definitions of 'crazy' from the Warm Up.