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Seminar: Seminar: Conformity vs Conformity vs Nonconformity Nonconformity (pages 1-14)(pages 1-14)Ms. BokpeMs. Bokpe

CharacterizationCharacterization

Chef Bromdon (Broom)Chef Bromdon (Broom) DeafDeaf The narratorThe narrator

Randle McMurphy (RPM)Randle McMurphy (RPM) Size imagery -Larger than life (laughter)Size imagery -Larger than life (laughter)

Nurse Ratched (Big Nurse)Nurse Ratched (Big Nurse) Holds all the powerHolds all the power Size and mechanical imagery introducedSize and mechanical imagery introduced

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Sybols/MotifsSybols/Motifs

FogFog LaughterLaughter CombineCombine SizeSize

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Gender RolesGender Roles

Women hold the power in the asylumWomen hold the power in the asylum Nurse Ratched vs McMurphy conflict Nurse Ratched vs McMurphy conflict

introducedintroduced

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ThemesThemes

Conformity vs nonconformityConformity vs nonconformity Human vs the machineHuman vs the machine The struggle of the sane individual The struggle of the sane individual

against a crazy institution/societyagainst a crazy institution/society

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Big (Guiding) Big (Guiding) Question(s)Question(s)

How does society maintain power over How does society maintain power over nonconformists?nonconformists? How are mental patients portrayed in the How are mental patients portrayed in the

first two chapters? Why? Who do they first two chapters? Why? Who do they represent?represent?

What does the mental institution represent?What does the mental institution represent? What does the Big Nurse (Ratched) What does the Big Nurse (Ratched)

represent?represent? What happens to individuals who defy What happens to individuals who defy

authority?authority?

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Big Idea(s): Central Big Idea(s): Central Issue(s)Issue(s)

Cruelty in mental institutionsCruelty in mental institutions The plight of American native The plight of American native

IndiansIndians Conformity vs non-conformityConformity vs non-conformity

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Cruelty in mental Cruelty in mental institutionsinstitutions

Orderlies sexually abuse inmatesOrderlies sexually abuse inmates ““Black boys in white suits up before me Black boys in white suits up before me

to commit sex acts in the hall and get it to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them” (3).mopped up before I can catch them” (3).

““One swats the backs of my legs with a One swats the backs of my legs with a broom handle to hurry me past” (3).broom handle to hurry me past” (3).

““They laugh and then I hear them They laugh and then I hear them mumbling behind me, heads close mumbling behind me, heads close together. Hum of black machinery, together. Hum of black machinery, humming hate and death and other humming hate and death and other hospital secrets” (3) - metaphorhospital secrets” (3) - metaphor

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Plight of IndiansPlight of Indians

““. . .I’m nearby because they think I’m . . .I’m nearby because they think I’m deaf an dumb. Everybody thinks so. I’m deaf an dumb. Everybody thinks so. I’m cagey enough to fool them that much. If cagey enough to fool them that much. If my being half Indian ever helped me in my being half Indian ever helped me in any way in this dirty life, it helped me any way in this dirty life, it helped me being being cageycagey, helped me all these years” , helped me all these years” (4)(4)

(reluctant to give information owing to caution or suspicion).

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Cruelty of the Big NurseCruelty of the Big Nurse

Metaphor: compared to big Metaphor: compared to big machinery (a metaphor for society at machinery (a metaphor for society at large – power of the government and large – power of the government and corporations)corporations) ““She’s swelling up. . .” (5)She’s swelling up. . .” (5) ““. . . And she blows up bigger and . . . And she blows up bigger and

bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can smell the machinery inside the way you smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load” (5)smell a motor pulling too big a load” (5)

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Cruelty of mental Cruelty of mental institutionsinstitutions

““And since it is Monday, boys, why don’t we And since it is Monday, boys, why don’t we get a good head start on the week by shaving get a good head start on the week by shaving poor Mr. Bromden first this morning” (6)poor Mr. Bromden first this morning” (6)

““. . . While she jams wicker bag and all into . . . While she jams wicker bag and all into my mouth and shoves it down with a mop my mouth and shoves it down with a mop handle” (7).handle” (7).

““. . . And locked me in Seclusion. . .” (9). . . And locked me in Seclusion. . .” (9) ““They got enough of those things they call They got enough of those things they call

pills down me so I don’s know a thing till I pills down me so I don’s know a thing till I hear the ward door open” (9).hear the ward door open” (9).

-BM (Before Medication)-BM (Before Medication)

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Cruelty of mental Cruelty of mental institutionsinstitutions

““Then I see two, maybe all three of Then I see two, maybe all three of them in there, in that shower room them in there, in that shower room with the Admission, running that with the Admission, running that thermometer. . .” (10).thermometer. . .” (10).

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SatireSatire

Author uses satire to target the institutions Author uses satire to target the institutions of the 1960sof the 1960s

““. . . Led on a tour by that fool Public . . . Led on a tour by that fool Public Relation man who’s always clapping his wet Relation man who’s always clapping his wet hands together and saying how overjoyed hands together and saying how overjoyed he is that mental hospitals have eliminated he is that mental hospitals have eliminated all the old-fashioned cruelty” (10)all the old-fashioned cruelty” (10) ““Oh, when I think back on the old days, on the Oh, when I think back on the old days, on the

filfth, the bad food, even, yes, brutality, oh, I filfth, the bad food, even, yes, brutality, oh, I realize, ladies, that we have come a long way in realize, ladies, that we have come a long way in our campaign!” (10)our campaign!” (10)

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Conformity vs non-Conformity vs non-conformityconformity

Randle McMurphyRandle McMurphy ““Still, even though I can’t see him, I know Still, even though I can’t see him, I know

he’s no ordinary Admission. . . He tells he’s no ordinary Admission. . . He tells them right back in a loud, brassy voice them right back in a loud, brassy voice that he’s already plenty damn clean, thank that he’s already plenty damn clean, thank you” (11).you” (11).

““He sounds like he’s way above them, He sounds like he’s way above them, talking down, like he’s sailing fifty yards talking down, like he’s sailing fifty yards overhead, hollering at those below on the overhead, hollering at those below on the ground. He sounds big. I hear him coming ground. He sounds big. I hear him coming down the hall, and he sounds big . . .” (11).down the hall, and he sounds big . . .” (11).

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Conformity vs non-Conformity vs non-conformityconformity

““. . . He commences to laugh. But . . . He commences to laugh. But it’s not the way that Public Relations it’s not the way that Public Relations laughs, it’s free and loud and it laughs, it’s free and loud and it comes out of his wide grinning comes out of his wide grinning mouth and spreads in rings bigger mouth and spreads in rings bigger and bigger till it’s lapping against and bigger till it’s lapping against the walls all over the ward” (12).the walls all over the ward” (12).

The institution (Public Relations The institution (Public Relations man) vs the individual (McMurphy)man) vs the individual (McMurphy)

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Big Question(s)Big Question(s)

What are inpatients in mental What are inpatients in mental institutions really like?institutions really like? Are they really insane or are they Are they really insane or are they

merely different from main stream merely different from main stream society?society?

Do they represent the counterculture of Do they represent the counterculture of the 1960s?the 1960s?