Chapter 11 of How To Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster discusses how violence in writing often has more meaning than just a way to hurt someone. In the story of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest however, it is not the act of violence that is concerning, but the threat of it.
The Big Nurse runs a very tight ship in the ward, with everyone playing their predefined roles perfectly. Once McMurphy shows up though, it starts to make pieces of the puzzle fall apart. His boisterous, loud behavior empowers the other inmates, causing them to follow his lead. However it is not only his rhetoric that makes him revered, but also his physical size and obvious strength. This is not lost on the staff of the ward, and his history of violence is discussed in the group meeting on page 45, and again in the staff meeting on page 154, going as far as to describe a scenario where a poor resident is trapped alone with him and is attacked.
McMuphy has created a deep fear in the community, not because he has hurt anyone, but simply because he seems to be the only person who could. The doctors know that he may just be a ticking time bomb waiting to blow a fuse and seriously hurt someone. We see some of this aggression when he does not get his way. On page 141 during the group meeting where his vote to watch the world series is turned down, he starts roaming around the room yelling at those who did not vote, cursing and screaming. He does not hurt anyone, but the tension of The Big Nurse attempting to restore order in vain and the massive beast of a man raging comes close. It is not the violence that means something here, but the lack thereof. McMurphy knows in the back of his mind that he needs to keep his cool in order to survive. He can only rebel so far, because The Big Nurse still runs the show no matter how hard he tries to fight it.
The Big Nurse runs a very tight ship in the ward, with everyone playing their predefined roles perfectly. Once McMurphy shows up though, it starts to make pieces of the puzzle fall apart. His boisterous, loud behavior empowers the other inmates, causing them to follow his lead. However it is not only his rhetoric that makes him revered, but also his physical size and obvious strength. This is not lost on the staff of the ward, and his history of violence is discussed in the group meeting on page 45, and again in the staff meeting on page 154, going as far as to describe a scenario where a poor resident is trapped alone with him and is attacked.
McMuphy has created a deep fear in the community, not because he has hurt anyone, but simply because he seems to be the only person who could. The doctors know that he may just be a ticking time bomb waiting to blow a fuse and seriously hurt someone. We see some of this aggression when he does not get his way. On page 141 during the group meeting where his vote to watch the world series is turned down, he starts roaming around the room yelling at those who did not vote, cursing and screaming. He does not hurt anyone, but the tension of The Big Nurse attempting to restore order in vain and the massive beast of a man raging comes close. It is not the violence that means something here, but the lack thereof. McMurphy knows in the back of his mind that he needs to keep his cool in order to survive. He can only rebel so far, because The Big Nurse still runs the show no matter how hard he tries to fight it.
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