Guideline

The sea is the ultimate guideline and home for sailors. They revolve around the sea, and not the other way around. Something many seem to forget. As part one comes to an end, it seems as though many forget their lifeline; the sea.. The sea has been something that not only the sailors in the novel depend on, but also sailors world wide. In the film "Master and Commander" we can also see the importance of the sea and how their accomplishments depended on this.

"Marlow, unlike most of us, still lived by the sea."  In this quote we can see that he felt a great passion for the sea, and that his life revolved around it. Most men were only concentrated in reaching the treasures, whereas Marlow recognized that they were dependent on the sea. That depending on how the Sea takes them, they will obtain their success or failure.

Furthermore, in the movie "Master and Commander", where Her majesties men departed months at a time, to different destinations to  fight for there motherland or reach treasures, depended on one thing. The Sea. In this movie the sea can play as a villain or a hero, because the men's victories or failures depended on this. When the sea wasn't in their favor they would lose, when it was they obtained success. They lived by the sea, it was their guideline, and they had to have the will to follow it.

This relates to the novel, because the men in the movie and Marlow both shared the philosophy of "living by the sea", it was their home, not an obligation. Their victories depended on this, and they had to have the patience to obtain it. In both the novel and the film, highlight the importance of the sea and how it affects their outcomes. How although the sea may not be in their favor, they must have respect for it and patience until it does. They have to be able to read what the sea is telling them, and look at it in the right way, to reach success.

The Transformation

Chief Bromden, the narrator of  “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” has a surprising transformation throughout the novel.  At first he only speaks to the reader, but later he gains confidence from McMurphy and is able to talk. This reminds me of a boy in my 4^th grade class, his name was Elliot Donato. Insecurity took a hold of him, making him afraid of talking to anyone except the teacher, although this changed when we saw each other at the park.

In “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” Chief Bromden acts as if he was deaf. No one cared if he was around because he wouldn’t say anything. That is why he would be able to go to the meetings of the Acutes and secretly listen to their problems while he did his chores. He didn’t feel welcome by the members of the ward, no one would act if he existed and when they did it would be because they talked about his immense size or laugh about his ethnicity. He tells the reader what is going on in the ward and in his mind. McMurphy, being a revolutionary character makes actions that make an impact on the Chief. For example, in reference to the text, when McMurphy fails to lift the panel and then says, “At least I tried”, opened the eyes of all the men.  

The Chief seemed to live behind the fog at the beginning of the novel. For example, “But the fog’s clogged my throat to where I can’t make a sound.” (Pg. 117)  This shows how the fog limited the Chief in doing what he wanted, in this case to speak. Nevertheless, later on he stops wondering about how McMurphy can be what he is and instead concentrates on being the person that he wants to be. McMurphy turned out to be such an important person in his life that he idolized him making him brave. For example, when the Chief is scared to go into electric shock therapy he says, “I won’t cry or yell, not with McMurphy here.” (Pg. 243) Due to the admiration that the Chief felt for McMurphy he couldn’t bare letting McMurphy see him weak. Although this was hard for him, it made him stronger.  Also, McMurphy had promised the Chief that he would make him big again, and at the end of the novel we see that this is accomplished. The Chief is able to lift the pannel which was a way that demonstrated his strength was regained like the confidence he sprung out. After the Chief had the Electric Shock Therapy we can see how he gained strength in his mind. Normally after these therapies he would have a fog phase, but this time it didn't happen. Thanks to McMurphy, Chief Brombden started seeing beyond the fog and was able to fly away.

This is similar to the situation of Elliot Donato because he was a very insecure person that barely even talked. He was comfortable speaking only to Miss. Allen, like the Chief only speaking to the reader. One day I was in the park selling lemonade and I saw him alone at the swings. I went up to him to give him lemonade and he stared closely at me and only said “thank you” like the Chief said to McMurphy for the gum. Although I am not a revolutionary person I do like to talk like McMurphy. I sat with him and although he mostly listened he started talking to me. Little by little he would talk more and more, until the point that he was comfortable talking to people in school. He started to have friends and he became one of my best. We will always be special for each other like McMurphy with the Chief.

People will always change, some for good or for worse. But in these two cases it was for good. Both gained confidence in them thanks to the people around them that noticed their presence. People will always have an impact on each other and we must try to make that impact a positive one, so that the people around us and ourselves succeed, and we can make the fog fade away. 

The Authority

Women and men have always had their conflicts, like which is the superior sex. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, women are the authority, they hold the power. For example, Miss Ratched, is the one that has the power over the men.

Miss. Ratched is a nurse which is the one in charge to give them their medicine, but she should not be the one in charge of intimidating the patients and the whole staff. Even the doctor, who holds a higher position, fears her because she has the power of firing him. She has this power, not because of her work experience but because her friend is the supervisor. "The doctor doesn't hold the power of hiring and firing. That power goes to the supervisor, and the supervisor is a women, a dear old friend of Miss. Ratched." (Pg.56) Her power is so strong that the men are the ones that give the power to the Big Nurse uncontiously. Although she should be there to help them, she uses fear to threaten them so that everything goes the way she likes.

As said in the book, this hospital is a matriarchy. "We are victims of a matriarchy here" (Pg. 56) The people that have the authority and power are women. For example, the supervisor, Miss. Ratched and Harding's wife. They all have the power of making a difference in the hospital or in the lives of the people there. Miss Ratched contolls what goes on with the patientes, the supervisor is the head of the hospital, and Harding's wife has an impact on what happens in his life. For example Billy Bibbits mother has the power of taking her son out of the hospital but because she doesnt say so he is still there. At the beginning of the novel, McMurphy seemed to always win against the nurse but time started to pass and she began to win. "Some way she has regained all her old power in a few short minutes. Just sitting there, similing up at the ceiling and nos saying anything, she has taken control again and made everyone aware that she's the force in here to be dealt with." (Pg. 133)

This reminds me of how my everyday life is. My house is as if it was the ward. Although it is not full of "crazy" people, well I hope, it is a system in which my mother has the ultimate power over all of the people in the household. This being a sort of matriarchy.  Although she does not obtain that power because of fear, she is the one who is boss in the house. My father can be seen as the doctor, because although he does have an important roll in the house, my mother has the ultimate say. My father may be the head of the house, the same as the doctor, but my mother, like Miss. Ratched is the neck, and can turn the head anywhere she likes. This is surprising both in my home and in the novel because society has shaped men to be the ones with the authority. Most presidents are men, it is surprsing to see a women with such an important position. It is not common for men to follow a women's instructions, although today it is changing. Now women have important positions, and they are equally capable of being as succesful as any man.

In "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" women are portrayed as the authority, their actions have an effect on all of the men, regardless if they use their power for good or for worse. In this novel women are the neck.