... . I believe that the turning point for Chief in the novel is when he begins to contemplate whether or not he wants to be portrayed as "deaf and dumb". For instance, on page 178, "I lay in bed the night before the fishing trip and thought it over, about my being ... on I heard what was said, and I wondered if I could ever act any other way again. But I remembered one thing: it wasn't me that started acting deaf; it was people that first started acting like I was too dumb to hear or see or say anything at all." Chief, for the first time in fifteen years, wants to talk. ... McMurphy. For in...

• Word Count: 1176
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... outside world: Harding's bitter marriage, Billy's domination by his mother, and the Chiefs years of abuse as an Indian. And they suffer a variety of symptoms: Billy's stuttering, the Chief's apparent deaf-muteness, and Harding's uncontrollable hands. Yet it seems that the men are not so much victims of mental illness as they are of fear instilled in them by society. Unlike ... they remain sane. The insanity in the book differs from character to character. The chief is a man who has for years pretended to be a deaf-mute; his mind is a jumble of seemingly random, terrifying sights and sou...

• Word Count: 1132
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... mental asylum, where he ultimately ends up "saving" the inmates from an oppressive society. Of the many inmates is the Chief Bromden who is supposedly "deaf" and delusional which can be seen through his narrations. What make the characters so interesting are the continual parallels with the characters in THE CUCKOO"S NEST ... amounts of fish. Like in the Bible where he turned 1 basket of fish and bread too many baskets, so that he could feed all his people. It is clear that almost all his acts parallel Jesus Christ completely, taking into matter how the shock treatments are performed as w...

• Word Count: 887
• Approx Pages: 4

... lost and hidden when conforming to society. This is then supported with the motif of invisibility. Chief becomes invisible right from the start of the novel, he believes that "[people] can't tell so much about you if you got your eye's closed."(pg 4). Chief's lack of sight depicts that society influence's individuals so much until they are unable to ... . Individuals are literally forced to go where society wants them to, as society has taken away their ability to see their own way forward. Chief also uses his act as deaf and dumb to become invisible. Kesey uses Chiefs invisibility as a ...

• Word Count: 1128
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... other hand he could be a little unreliable because he hallucinates quite a bit. Many important facts are hidden throughout the book. For example Brodmen tries to act deaf and dumb so he can hear everything going on and so nobody bothers him. This book has many motifs and different symbolic meanings. A few of them include ... know the better. We know we are being used and lied to but we are too afraid of knowing the truth, sometimes it hurts too badly. People are ignorant and a lot of it is our fault for not asking more questions and wanting to know more. The combine is showing how humans...

• Word Count: 1279
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... mental hospital would be insane. As Kesey introduces you to the patients, and you see the institution in their eyes, you believe that they are really normal people, and society is insane. The main character, Chief Bromden is a half Indian man, who is considered schizophrenic. Randall McMurray, the newest patient in the ... my head an' he mine me like a baby." Chief Bromden is in the hospital because he is schizophrenic, and is considered deaf and dumb, because he never talks or acknowledges people. At the end of the novel, McMurray becomes a vegetable because of all of the shock treatmen...

• Word Count: 1466
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... shocked to hear him laugh and joke around. As the men begin to learn from McMurphy how to lighten up, they become stronger and better people. Kesey is saying not to be afraid of expressing sexuality or humor just because society deems it inappropriate, because in his ideal view of society, ... it should be accepted. Kesey challenges people to break free of the oppressiveness of society. We see this rebellion in the characters. McMurphy, who does not conform, is seen in a favorable ... light and helps the other characters to escape from control. As they become less and less submissive, t...

• Word Count: 1000
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School