1. How would you describe your main character? Become his ?voice? and write about who he believes they are.
I might frighten some of you at first, and others may think of me as some crazy man who has no business living in a normal society. Well, if you thought any of those, you?re wrong. I, Randle McMurphy, might have gotten in four or five fights and have been in jail and the work farm for sometime, but I feel that it is necessary to get certain ideas across to people and violence is usually the only way to do that. However, speaking about the crazy part, I do not feel that I?m crazy. I don?t sit and daze out in the middle of nowhere; I don?t walk up and down a hallway; I talk and listen and I am able to think on my own. Now, by explaining myself to you, I ask you why I am in this dumb mental hospital talking to people who have no sense about life. In fact, I could not even answer the question but I know that I have no voice in the decision of my presence hear. I am probably the biggest rebel you will ever see and I do not take dictation very well. When I first came to the hospital, the other patients knew I was different because I did not listen to the black workers and especially Ms. Ratched, the Big Nurse who had control over the patients. My biggest conflict was with the nurse.
Everyday day we had therapy meetings, where Nurse Ratched tried to help the mental patients cope with their problems. While in the circle, I noticed that when asked to talk by the nurse, the patients stood silent because they were scared of the nurse. To me, she was nothing but a ruthless woman who took advantage of her position as the head nurse. But for me, being the rebel that I am, I did not want this lady to control me or the other boys. So I started to talk to these people and try to make them comfortable with me in order to get them on my side. This conflict was my drive that kept me interested in the mental hospital. One guy, Chief Bromden, was supposedly deaf and never spoke. After being the only one who tried to get through to him, he finally spoke to me and became my ?sidekick.? I didn?t pay attention to the others? ideas about the chief so I taught him things through examples, and it paid off in the end. Also, I taught the boys how to gamble and I tried to make everything in the ward fun and enjoyable because to me, the mental hospital seemed worse than a jail. After a while of communicating to the patients, they began to have fun and enjoyed being in the ward.
The Essay on Nurse-patient Ratio
Is this legislative effective to support a positive nursing work environment? To provide safe and efficient patient care, the staffing ratios has been mandated. In 1999, California developed into the first state to mandate minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals. The California legislature passed Assembly Bill ( AB 394) after years of comprehensive press for political action enforced by the ...
Also, I had to make a few bets in order to get the patients to trust and respect me, and it worked. I questioned the ideas of the authorities and I tried to ratify the rules in order to make it a pleasing environment for the patients, and I succeeded. The Nurse began to lose control over the patients and the patients followed my lead by fighting for what they wanted rather than going over the same routine. By following my footsteps, the patients finally found the light within society, and stepped into it with open arms and wishful smiles. No longer were they under the control of the system and its rules; I had broken free from the routine, and in the end, changed the world as they knew it. As I look back at what I had done, I am pleased that I was able to change such a system that was detrimental to the patient?s desires to see what life is really about. Even though I did gamble with them in order to make a few bucks, over time I felt that my presence in the mental hospital was really big in the minds of the patients. I was like Christ to them, in that I brought them this new light about life and showed them how to be happy and independent. Also, I consider myself a hero in that I was able to influence the lives of at least twelve patients and I changed their entire perception about life.
The Term Paper on Moving To Virginia Changed My Life
Who knew, changing environments could have a vast effect on my life and the lives of my four children. Changing environments changed our lives socially, economically and spiritually. All I had to do was want it bad enough, dream it big enough and prepare for the best life I had always envisioned for us. Positive changes occurred within all of us, just by changing our environment. Who knew a better ...
In doing so, I might have crossed the line a little bit, especially in my last stunt. By bringing prostitutes and alcohol into the hospital, I was sentenced to a lobotomy, which ultimately resulted in my death. Also, I forced Billy to have sex with the prostitute and by doing so, Billy committed suicide because Nurse Ratched threatened him by telling his mother about Billy?s incident. In this case I felt very weak and I noticed that as more and more time was spent in the hospital, my mentality became weaker and I was not as emotionally strong. However, that is one thing I sacrificed in order to help the others become more powerful and I have no regrets in my actions. 2. What does this character do to demonstrate his character? Use three quotes. Give an explanation of each one. ?She tried to get her ward back into shape, but it was difficult with McMurphy?s presence still tromping up and down the halls and laughing out loud in the meetings and singing in the latrines. She couldn?t rule with her old power any more?? P. 269 McMurphy relates to Martin Luther King Jr. and Newton and many others in that he changed a system into an idea that benefits others. His revolutionist characteristics emphasize the idea of questioning the authority power, which defined his ability to change the system of the hospital.
His belief seems to be that even if you are not successful in changing the system in its entirety, the effects of a person trying can still be very effective. In fact, if you manage to accomplish a small change in the system, it will still be worth the fight. As seen in the novel, the effects of a minor victory ripple into much larger victories in the battles to come. As a revolutionist, you set an example for others to follow and in essence pave the way for others to follow. In this case, McMurphy is considered a revolutionist in the minds of the patients as well as the doctors. ?? Who?s got five bucks they want to lose? You hit or you sit?? ?I don?t know what he?s driving at; broad and big as he is, it?d take three of him to move that panel??And suddenly nobody?s hooting him anymore. His whole body shakes with the strain as he tries to lift something he knows he can?t life, something everybody knows he can?t lift? ?But I tried goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn?t I??? P. 110 In this scene, McMurphy bets that he can pull this cement panel out of the floor, which will be used to break the glass for his escape. He tries to build the patients? trust for him and his attempt had failed; however, his last remark shows his character in that he attempted to do something that went against the policy but failed.
The Term Paper on Assisted Suicide Patient Life Suffering
In the world today there are arguments for everything, ranging from matters of great importance to things that may seem ridiculously trivial. However, there are always different sides to every case and right and wrong is in the eyes of the person involved in the dispute. This argumentative essay is based upon a very serious situation that faces our medical community. The topic of assisted suicide ...
McMurphy tried to emphasize the fact that people do fail but the ones that do become successful in the future, and the patients respected McMurphy for his attempt. Also, it was a way to give all of the IOU?s back to the patients that he had won from poker. “It’s my cross, thank you Lord, it’s all I got, thank you Lord.” P. 269 In the quote above, McMurphy makes a reference to Pontius Pilate before he was put to the electro-shock. Pontius Pilate who was a Roman military governor was connected to the execution of Christ. In the novel, McMurphy is often compared to Christ. For instance, the electro-shock therapy is used as a symbol of Christ’s crucifixion and later McMurphy is forced to face this punishment. Also, the number of men (twelve) that McMurphy leads to the ocean is the same as the number of Christ’s disciples. One might ask the question of how McMurphy could possibly resemble Christ, with his drinking, gambling, and prior criminal activities hardly saint-like. However, like Christ, McMurphy spreads hope throughout a hopeless environment and fights for the freedom of others, before being forced to sacrifice himself. In conclusion, McMurphy is an extremely complex character.
At the same time he displays the terrible qualities of greed and selfishness, as well as the characteristics of courage and benevolence. He acts out of neither personal gain nor the “greater good”, but more a combination of both. Also, often compared to Christ, McMurphy is truly shown as a savior to the patients at the ward, despite his frequent efforts to gain money. 3. What do other characters say about this character? Use three quotes. Give an explanation of each one. ?I was seeing him different than when he first came in; I was seeing more to him than just big hands and red sideburns and a broken-nosed grin?He (McMurphy) hadn?t let what he looked like run his life one way or the other?? P. 140 The Chief knew there was more to McMurphy than what he was made out to be: a strong, arrogant, and rebellious. Yet, after being with McMurphy and seeing how he cared to help the other patients, the Chief grew closer to McMurphy and was astonished at his ability to stand up for what he believed in, which was to allow people happiness and freedom. By thinking so, McMurphy showed that his character is more than just standing up for what he believed but is geared toward helping the other patients enjoy life.
The Essay on Nurse Ratched Mcmurphy Patients Forman
... the audience can easily narrate to. Nurse Ratched can be easily recognized as a bad character and McMurphy as the gallant rogue that ... to rebel against the doctors. He cannot lead the patients in a rebellion. Chief Bromden sees that McMurphy's future has been stolen, ... do it himself. The arrangement has beaten Randall McMurphy at the game of life. He lies like a vegetable in bed, unaware ...
And that is one of his best characteristics. ?First Cheswick and now William Bibbit! I hope you?re satisfied. Playing with human lives ? gambling with human lives ? as if you thought yourself to be a God!? P. 266 Again, McMurphy is thought of as being a heavenly figure like Christ. However, in this quote, the Nurse says it in a bad tone. She makes him out to be more like the devil in that his rebellious acts in order to make the patients happier ended up killing two of the patients. Also in this quote, the nurse attempts to make McMurphy feel remorse for those that had supposedly died because of his actions. Overall, the Nurse believes that McMurphy was na?ve in that he mainly rebelled for his own interest rather than thinking about how his actions would effect the others. “As I think about it now, you’ve had more than your share of victories,” P.
The above quote is said by Nurse Ratched who views McMurphy as a dishonest trickster. For a while, the Nurse’s approach works, as many of the patients on the ward are convinced that McMurphy was acting solely on the basis of greed. However, I believe there is more to his actions. Far from perfect, McMurphy does act out of greed on multiple occasions, however it doesn’t seem to be his only motivation. McMurphy fights the Nurse not only for himself, but for the other patients to benefit as well. In the end, McMurphy sacrifices his life in order to make the other patients happy and comfortable with their conditions. 4. What does the author say about the character, speaking as the storyteller or observer? Use three quotes. Give an explanation of each one. ?His relaxed, good-natured voice dolled out his life for us to live, a rollicking past?for all of us to dream ourselves into,? p. 218 After coming back from the boat trip, the Chief realizes the importance of McMurphy?s actions in doing what he has done. The Chief says that McMurphy wanted the others to experience life and know what it is like to enjoy it. His sacrificing of his life made McMurphy a hero and one to be remembered. In a sense, he gave the other patients life because he was able to show them how to live by doing other things besides playing cards.
The Term Paper on Explain How Important the Nurse Patient Relationship
Peplau (1952) observed the nurse as a fundamental tool for change whilst explaining how powerful the nurse-patient relationship is. The nurse approaches the relationship with understanding and experience obtained personally through their lives but also through their training and work. Generally, it is considered the more training and work experience a nurse has, the more therapeutically effective ...
“Even when he is not laughing, that laughing sound hovers around him, it’s in his eyes, in the way he smiles and swaggers, in the way he talks.” P. 11 The Chief notices that there is more to McMurphy. He realizes his humor and believes that McMurphy is enjoying life even if he has to spend it in the mental hospital. McMurphy also had an interest in the Chief despite what other people said about him. Thus, the chief respected McMurphy for trying to help him rather than being influenced by the others. “I don’t hear him slide scared along the wall, when they tell him about the shower, he tells them right back in a loud brassy voice that he’s already plenty damn clean, thank you.” P. 10 One of the major characteristics of McMurphy is his independence and rebellious attitude. He did not take authority very well and it showed throughout the novel. He did not respect the authority either because several times he talked back and even fought the workers at the mental hospital, including Nurse Ratched. In the quote above, the Chief?s first perspective about McMurphy is accurate and he sees this characteristic through his time at the hospital. Although the Chief and the others respected McMurphy for standing up to his own rights and privileges. 5. How did the setting of this story ad to the plot and overall tone of the story? Use three samples of description and discuss what action took place there.
?She?s got the fog machine switched on?and the more I think about how nothing can be helped, the faster the fog rolls in,? P. 101 In the novel, the author, Ken Kesey builds such an effective tone that the shifts in the attitudes of the characters can be easily detected. In the first half of the novel, Kesey shows the oppression that makes the reader feel as if they themselves are going insane. The fog mentioned above is not literally there, but instead appears when Kesey wants to create an atmosphere that is disparaging. By doing so, the plot was enhanced in that the craziness of the hospital is heightened. ?A furnace got its mouth open somewhere, licks up somebody.? P. 81 The above quotation is from one of the Chief?s nightmares. The hospital turns into a hot industrial factory where the noise of cold, hard, unyielding machinery is almost deafening. During the dream, one of the old Chronics, Blastic, is hung on a hook and sent away into the machines. The strange thing is that he actually does die. Bromden?s dream is actually a metaphor for the quick disposal of those who do not survive the nurse?s treatment. It is as if she does not want any evidence that her patients are not recovering.
The Essay on Nursing Nurses Nurse Hospital
Nursing I was in a hospital for my co-op placement, I chose this because I was considering nursing as my chosen career path. For this reason, I have researched the nursing career. I have spent many hours in this setting and feel that I have a pretty good understanding as to what goes on day to day. Before choosing to become a nurse, one must first examine themselves and look to see if they have ...
So, the effect the reader is left with is that of how abruptly a death is dealt with in the hospital. Later, the conflict of McMurphy is resolved by electro-shocking him, which is an example of the brutal deaths that occurred in the hospital. ?And then off down the slope I see them, other hands coming up out of the fog. It?s like?that big red hand of McMurphy?s is reaching into the fog and dropping down and dragging the men up by their hands, dragging them blinking into the open,? p. 124 Through Bromden?s hazy attitude, Kesey makes the reader feel the dark cloud of frustration and despair that hangs over the ward. Fortunately, this doesn?t last too long, because a new tone is started when McMurphy pledges that he will stop at nothing to crush the nurse?s tyranny. First, it is a tone that of hatred toward each other that is often seen in a heated battle, and it is displayed at its height when McMurphy and Miss Ratched face off at the meetings. The nurse and McMurphy square off while the other patients look on starry-eyed. Of course, the entire audience is rooting for McMurphy. This battle comes to a head when McMurphy holds a vote to change the daily schedule in order to watch the World Series.
The meeting starts out in the deepest ?fog? to date, but it begins to dissipate for good. In the above quote, the men side with McMurphy, which shows the dedication they have for him and the resentment, they have for the nurse. When Bromden himself raises his hand, and breaks the barrier that his false deafness has put on, the tone is completely changed. He still played deaf for a while, but the fact that he though about playing deaf showed that he and the tone have changed. After this, Kesey puts an almost nostalgic tone on the story. 6. Extra Credit: Describe one character flaw, which became an obstruction for the progress of the character. Use three examples from the story, which demonstrate the flaw of this character and describe each. “I gotta couple of hassles at the farm, and the court ruled a psychopath. Do you think I’m going to argue with that? If it gets me outta those damn pea fields I’ll be whatever their heart desires.” P.13 One negative thing about McMurray’s personality is that he is in denial of the fact that he is considered insane. Randall McMurray may be the sanest person in the whole institution; however his actions did go overboard several times and many would have thought that he was the craziest one because he was completely different than the rest of the patients.
Rather than being quite and listening to the Nurse?s commands, McMurphy fought for what he believed in and to others that might seem crazy considering his life was on the line. But McMurphy didn?t care what happened to him as long as he got what he wanted. To some, that might be crazy but to others it is just a sign of his mental and physical strength. ?After today no one can say this is an ordinary man were dealing with. No, certainly not. And he is a disturbing factor, which is obvious.? P. 130 After McMurphy fights with the black guard during the first major outbreak when McMurphy broke the glass to get Cheswick his cigarettes, the doctors and nurses meet to decide McMurphy?s future. To them, he is very crazy because he goes against all of the rules and is a lot more dangerous than the other patients. Even a doctor who has observed his behavior calls McMurphy a crazy man but McMurphy disagrees. This reoccurrence of McMurphy?s so-called stubbornness results in many of his ?crazy? actions that eventually get him in trouble. ?Of course, the very nature of this plan could indicate that he is simply a shrewd con man, and not mentally ill at all.? p. 134 In this quote a boy defends McMurphy in that he agrees he is wild but his behavior is not the cause of his mentality. Rather it is just who he is and McMurphy does these things in order to present himself crazy enough to get out of the work farm and into the mental hospital. At times, McMurphy does act mentally ill especially when he attacked Nurse Ratched. However, his actions are more of a result of who he was rather than the decisions he made. Overall, his biggest flaw was his inability to discern the fact that he might have been mentally ill in some cases.
