OFOTCN #2

At the end of part one McMurphy and Big Nurse are still slugging it out waiting to see who will come out on top. Right now, I would have to give the lead to Big Nurse because she has still maintained control of the ward and the power to destroy the patients is still hers. However, because he started from the bottom and has caught up a considerable amount I would say that McMurphy right now is the moral victor. It's one of those situations where you don't expect the other to team to do anything but instead they come out and not only make a game out of it but they out play you. At the end of part one McMurphy is outplaying Big Nurse and with a little more time could end up beating her. This is demonstrated on pg 117 when McMurphy forces a vote about the World Series and ties the votes that fall in line with Big Nurse, but Big Nurse still won't let them. This alone was a huge momentum swing. Then McMurphy takes it even farther and even after he has turned it on and Big Nurse has turned it off again he continues to act as if it is on. Slowly some of the patients begin to join him until everyone is staring at the blank screen; this makes Big Nurse lose her mind. After this incident McMurphy knows he has gained the full trust of almost everyone in the ward, and I believe he is poised to make a big run in the game between him and Ratched, so to speak.

My expectations of the book led me to side with McMurphy as soon as he entered the story and Kesey's writing hasn't let me slip from that position one bit. As a political fanatic I understand how horrible a totalitarian government can be so between my own personal bias and the slowly but surely getting stronger bias of Bromden toward McMurphy I am rooting heavily for McMurphy.

Bromden's bias brings me to my next point. As the narrator I feel Bromden is effectively demonstrating and progressing the theme of OFOTCN, Although I neglected to think about his own voice in the beginning of the story I believe he is coming along and his own, purposeful thoughts are becoming more intertwined with how he tells the story. I think that is in large part due to the presence of McMurphy. Although, Bromden has just now backed McMurphy fully, the effective of McMurphy has been evident since the very beginning. Starting the story sullen and hopeless sounding McMurphy has rejuvenated Bromden and this, I think, is only a sign of things to come,