Analyze Kesey's use of the fog in Chiefs narration.
The fog allows the reader an insight into Chiefs beliefs and his vulnerabilities. It seemingly casts him as psychotic within the beginning of the novel. The fog also demonstrates the ward, and ultimately Nurse Ratched's, control over every aspect of Chief, even within his mind and his dreams. His belief that the ward holds a "fog machine" depicts him acknowledging and recognizing that the power is held by the ward.
Evaluate Kesey's choice of using Cheif as the narrator versus a different patient of one of the staff.
Chief is ultimately the best narrator for this novel because of his background, his admiration of McMurphy, and his access to the most information. However, his narration is questionable at the beginning of the novel because of the constant fog of medication he is under. The fact that he had a troubled childhood with the American government taking away his home allows the reader to pity him as well as sympathizing for him. Although this doesn't build Chief's credibility, it builds the willingness to understand him and accept his story. His admiration of McMurphy is key to us liking and identifying with McMurphy, the proclaimed anti-hero of the novel. If it were to be a staff member narrating the novel, there would be a distinct difference in the view of McMurphy. Another patient would be able to describe McMurphy positively, however, McMurphy has the most positive impact on Chief by bringing him out of his introverted shell and breaking his silence, thus making the reader see McMurphy more positively. His access to the most information, both from being one of the longest patients in the ward and from his facade of being deaf and dumb, gives the reader an insight into the ward that no other patient would be able to provide.
Is Chief a reliable or unreliable narrator? Why or why not?
Chief, though unreliable at the beginning of the novel due to the constant state of medication, becomes more and more reliable as the novel continues and his confidence is increased by McMurphy's defiance of authority. Chief ultimately is the most reliable because of the length of his hospitalization and his access to information otherwise withheld. In addition to this, Chief's cognitive ability isn't compromised by his choice to pretend to be deaf and dumb and the medication he takes. The medication simply confuses him for the time being, however, he always regains consciousness despite the paranoia the medication brings him.
What is the role of women within this novel?
The role of women is very interesting and extreme in this novel. There is first Nurse Ratched who is the Big Nurse of the psychiatric hospital. During the 1960s in America, more and more women were entering the work force and it is interesting to a woman in such a high place of power. Nurse Ratched has ultimate control over the men's lives in a world where men generally held the power. The choice of Harding's wife constantly emasculating him and Harding feeling powerless against her is also one that is out of the norm for the patriarchal society that was before the 60's. However, Kesey also introduces women considered dirty and undesirable: prostitutes. These prostitutes submit to the demands of McMurphy, even sneaking into the ward at 2 in the morning. The other women mentioned within this novel is also quite overbearing, with Chief's father taking on his mother's last name and Billy's overprotective mother. Within this novel, Kesey paints women in a negative light, with the exception of the ever submissive prostitutes.
