OFOTCN Post 3

I've just had an interesting realization about the McMurphy's character and his effects on the members of the ward. To me, it seems like McMurphy actually represents society and reality, as he is so clearly unafraid to speak his thoughts. The chief demonstrates this when he asks the question "How can McMurphy be what he is?"(162). By this he means he is unaffected by how people treat him, and by what goes on around him. He simply is himself, and nothing else. The most interesting part is that McMurphy being himself and rebelling as he does seems to be some sort of cure to the rest of the patients, and the chief in particular.

As I said in my last post, I believe that this "fog" we hear so much about is simply a state of mind the chief experiences due to his illnesses. However, after McMurphy is with them for some time, he states that he figures the fog machine has broken down, since there has been no fog lately. Supposing that it is his mind he is referring to, McMurphy's presence is simply curing him of any illness. He even says that he is feeling the floor for the first time on his bare feet, and he goes and looks outside to realize its turning into fall, and has many average human experiences that we don't see coming from him at any other point in the novel. It seems as if he is suddenly seeing things clearly, and experiencing life for what it is.

However, when McMurphy finds out he is committed and cannot leave until the nurse gives the ok, he starts behaving and acting like someone other than himself. At this point the chief starts experiencing "fog" again, and he also gets a ringing in his head, which both bring him back down into his illness. But when McMurphy lashes out at Nurse Ratched in their meeting (201), Chief states that the ringing in his head has stopped. So, in a way McMurphy is the Chief's cure.

Since we cannot see into the heads of the other patients, we can only assume they are getting the same experience that the chief is, which emphasizes an overall message in the novel. Though I do think the idea of defining "crazy" is important to the novel, I am finding it less important with this new theory. Now, I feel it is more clear that the novel is simply making a comment about mental institutions, and how removal from reality only worsens illnesses, as these people need to be exposed to the real world to be able to heal.