Aim: How does Nurse Ratched
manipulate the patients in ward?
Do Now: What are the different ways
in which people can gain power over
each other?
“…they think I’m deaf and dumb…I’m cagey
enough to fool them that much.” 4
• Why does Bromden
choose to play deaf
and dumb? What
does this indicate
about him? About
the ward?
“… there is no
compact or lipstick
or woman stuff…” 4
• Why do you think it’s important for Bromden to point out that
the Nurse does not contain any feminine items in her bag?
• Why does Bromden exaggerate her into a monster on p. 5?
• What do you make of the following line, “A mistake was made
somehow in manufacturing, putting those big womanly
breasts on what would of otherwise been a perfect work, and
you can see how bitter she is about it.”? 6
• What does Bromden mean by this?
Randle Patrick McMurphy
• “Nobody like him’s ever
been on the ward before.”
20 – In what ways is
McMurphy immediately
different from everyone
else in the ward?
• How has be been
introduced into the ward?
Refer to p. 24.
“She looks around to see if anybody else is about
to interrupt her, smiling steady as her head turned
in her collar. The guys won’t meet her look; they’re
all looking for hangnails. Except McMurphy….he’s
watching her every move.” p. 43
• Why won’t the patients meet Nurse Ratched’s
gaze?
• How does McMurphy begin to position
himself against Nurse Ratched?
“Mr. – ah – McMurry?” 39
• What is Nurse Ratched trying to do here?
Why?
• Does it work?
• How does these two interact with each other?
“Something strange is going on here,
he’s finding out. He can’t quite put his
finger on it. Like the way nobody will
laugh.” 43
• What is one way, McMurphy discovers, that
the patients are under Nurse Ratched’s
control?
• How does she accomplish her goals? How
does Nurse Ratched utilize the Therapeutic
Community?
Pete’s Outburst – p. 49
• What was he trying to tell the patients?
• “Pete never tried anything like that again, and
he never will.” How was he stopped?
Nurse Ratched’s Control
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Dr. Spivey – Opiate Addiction
Psychological Intimidation
Divide & Conquer Strategy
Physical Abuse – the 3 Orderlies, Sedation
Shots