One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Part 1
Vocabulary: Please look up the words in the first column. In the second column, record the word’s part of
speech. Lastly, in the third column, provide at least two synonyms for each word.
Vocabulary Word
apt
cagey
commences
concedes
culls
defunct
habitual
hovers
hullabaloo
libido
lore
ornery
permissive
sinewy
sulky
swaggers
Part of Speech
Synonyms
Questions
1. Describe Chief Bromden. What evidence is there that he mentally ill?
2. Describe Nurse Ratched.
3. What is “the Combine”? Why is it threatening to Chief?
4. When Chief is afraid, where does he retreat? (multiple answers)
5. What kinds of visitors do they normally get on the ward?
6. Chief describes the new patient as “no ordinary admission.” What makes this description true?
7. Describe Randle P. McMurphy.
8. What invisible boundaries separate the patients on the ward?
9. Describe the purpose/role of the log book.
10. Describe the Chronics.
11. Nurse Ratched describes McMurphy as being a manipulator. What could he be after?
12. What kind of ward does Nurse Ratched want?
13. Chief describes the way life is on the ward. What is this description intended to tell us?
14. Who is Max Taber? Why is he described if he is no longer on the ward?
15. Chief recalls visiting a cotton mill during his youth. What does this remembrance tell us?
16. What is the purpose of the ward / Nurse Ratched / ”the Combine”?
17. Describe the first group meeting McMurphy attends.
18. Describe Dr. Spivey and his concept of the therapeutic community.
19. Why won’t the therapeutic community work on the ward?
20. Why does Nurse Ratched call McMurphy by the wrong name?
21. McMurphy compares the group meeting to a bunch of chickens at a pecking party.
How is this an accurate comparison?
22. Harding and McMurphy discuss the role Nurse Ratched plays in the “curing of patients.”
What does this conversation reveal?
23. The notion of laughter is first introduced in this section. What does McMurphy say about laughter?
24. What is the bet McMurphy makes with the other patients regarding Nurse Ratched?
25. Describe McMurphy’s tactics while he plays cards.
26. Describe the events surrounding the results of Chief not taking his pills.
27. How does McMurphy continue to assert himself?
28. How does Nurse respond to McMurphy?
29. Explain the significance of “Everyone on the ward can feel that it’s started.”
30. What impact is McMurphy’s presence having on the ward?
31. What is Chief’s opinion regarding the battle between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy?
32. What does the Monopoly game reveal?
33. Explain the events and opinions surrounding the voting about the World Series.
34. Why does McMurphy try to lift the “control panel” even though he knows that he cannot succeed?
What effect does this attempt have?
35. What do we learn about the origin of Chief’s fog?
36. Why doesn’t Chief want McMurphy to pull him out of the fog?
37. What happens during the voting regarding the World Series?
38. What are the patients doing at the end of Part 1?
39. What is ironic about the last paragraph of this section?
40. How does Nurse Ratched retain control over her ward?
41-58. Provide a brief description of the following characters; record information that will help you keep
track of the many characters Kesey introduces in Part 1.
Harding:
Billy Bibbit:
The Black Boys:
Old Blastic:
Papa:
Pete Bancini:
Cheswick:
Geever:
Martini:
Mr. Turkle
Ellis:
Sefelt:
Ruckly:
Frederickson:
Colonel Matterson:
Old Rawler:
Public Relation:
Scanlon: