At the end of Part One, McMurphy clearly has the upper hand due to the fact that he is the first to disturb the supposed peace that Big Nurse set forth with her "reign". This is best exemplified when McMurphy moves to allow the men to have a game room of sorts and to allow them to watch the World Series game on TV as well as ending the section with "men watching a blank TV, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations" (Kesey 145). This shows the patients dominance over the nurses, especially because they all defied the nurses orders in order to do so.
At this point, I personally pity Chief more after learning more of the prosecution his people went through and the haze he is always in. For example in his foggy state he states "A furnace got its mouth open somewhere, licks up somebody" believing that to be real whereas he had a nightmare under the potential influence of drugs (Kesey 88). This also gives insight to his twisted thoughts, which evokes pity from the audience as well as being tied up to his bed and unable to move (Kesey 90).
I believe that the presence of McMurphy drew Chief out of his isolation. Before, everybody believed that Chief was deaf and dumb, however McMurphy discovers that that is all an act (Kesey 84). Chief also slowly interacts more and more with the patients with "lift[ing] [his hand]" to vote in order to watch the World Series on TV (Kesey 142).
After reading Part One, I am most definitely rooting for McMurphy. Chief does not seem to play an integral part of the story with the exception of his narration of events and the nurse seems too straitlaced to be liked. McMurphy, on the other hand, seems very fun and outgoing, especially with his prank about not having any clothes issued to him. He also seems to be more of a protagonist due to his daring ways and his charm.
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