In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, the Nurse Ratched (Big Nurse) holds the highest level of authority and has jurisdiction over everything in the ward. The chronics and acutes are expected to follow the rules of the ward regardless of whether they want to or not. One acute in particular, McMurphy, makes his best effort to change some of these rules to benefit the acutes, chonics, and himself. Although his requests are reasonable, they’re often shut down by the Big Nurse because they inherently violate ward policy, intended to keep the patient’s best interest in mind. It can be easy to see the Big Nurse as a villain because it might seem like she intentionally trying to make life in the ward less enjoyable for patients. However, it’s important to remind ourselves that the Big Nurse is committed to her job, and being a strict enforcer of ward policy is a by-product of that. Ken Kesey’s novel has encouraged me to put myself in the shoes of authority figures and not instantly view them in a negative light. The Big Nurse may seem like a villainous character, but in reality, she’s just an employee of the ward doing her job. On the contrary, I sometimes get frustrated at my parents who may seem like they are being harsh on me and want to restrict my freedom, but in reality, have my best interest at heart and only want what’s good for me.  In middle school, arguments with my parents became frequent as I wanted to become more independent. I remember getting angry at my parents whenever they’d say I couldn’t hang out with friends or had to come home at an earlier time. One Friday, my middle school buddies and I decided to hang out at one of our houses. We initially planned to just hang out for a couple hours, but as time passed we all thought it would be smart to ask if we could hang out for a bit longer. One by one each of us asked our parents if we could stay a few more hours. I called my mom and asked for a sleepover but was met with a stern, no. Frustrated, I pleaded with my mom telling her that I’d only stay a few more hours. She responded by telling me that our car was in the shop so I would need to get home via public transportation, which she refused because the neighborhood my friends and I were in wasn’t very safe. Caught in my emotions, I wasn’t able to understand why she said no and immediately got sour. However, when I put myself in my mom’s shoes I can see that there’s no good reason to be frustrated at my mom because all she wanted was for her son to be safe.   Similarly, the Big Nurse holds jurisdiction over McMurphy who often challenges her judgment. On page 125, McMurphy turns on the TV in the ward to watch the World Series game. Knowing that this violates the ward schedule he continues to watch TV along with other acutes and chronics. Nurse Ratched comes over to the TV and exclaims to McMurphy, “You are supposed to be working during these hours… Mr. McMurphy, I’m warning you!”(125). This line of dialogue from Nurse Ratched sheds a bad light on her because she’s objecting to a leisure pastime for the ward members that isn’t causing any harm. In addition to this, her manner in responding to McMurphy is aggressive, which can further solidify the idea that she has a negative persona. However, knowing that McMurphy should be following the ward schedule instead of watching TV puts him in the wrong. The Big Nurse may seem like the antagonist, but her stern personality is only present to reinforce the ward policy and maintain order. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has encouraged me to sympathize more with authority figures by putting myself in their shoes. It’s easy to let emotions get in the way of understanding why you can’t get what you want, no matter how reasonable it may be. In the past, this often caused me to hold onto negative feelings, which did nothing good. But taking a step back to understand the context and reasoning behind why you’re being denied can help you make better decisions and improve relationships with authority figures. Even though it might seem like my mom and Nurse Ratched are being harsh, they only want the best for who they have authority over. 

Lit Log #2: Reader Response

The wall scene in The Handmaid’s Tale struck me as the most shocking and revealing moment in the book. The red-brick Wall is introduced in chapter 6 when Offred and Ofglen return home from a grocery run. They both pass this wall on their way home and are fixated on what they see: “Six more bodies hanging, by the necks, their heads tied in front of them. (32)” The red-brick Wall separates Gilead from the outside world. Citizens of Gilead who break the laws of this society are hung from the wall with a white bag around their heads, as described. On each body, a sign is hung around their neck indicating the reason for their execution.

My initial reaction to this scene was shock. Even though it was already inferred throughout the book that Gilead is a strict and harshly governed society, I didn’t expect a public showcase of dead bodies on a brick wall. These bodies represent a disturbing symbol for enforcing the laws of Gilead. The body’s identities were concealed and the only explicit message associated with each body was the crime they committed. This draws a direct correlation to why they were executed. Anyone who values their life in Gilead is inclined to follow the rules because the bodies are examples of what happens when you don’t: “They have committed atrocities and must be made into examples for the rest. (33)” In addition to this, seeing a dead body can be traumatizing, making the whole experience hard to forget. Covering the faces of the dead takes attention away from their identity, reducing them to figures of defiance. The bodies hanging from the wall symbolize the repercussions of not following the laws of Gilead

The consequences of not following the rules can vary. Sometimes they result in death or serious injuries. One day, in middle school, I was walking to my bus stop and saw a car totaled into a brick wall, about waist high. I asked a man nearby what happened and he told me that the man in the car was on his phone and wasn't paying attention to the road. The same man told me the driver was also arrested. When I saw the crash I was shocked and a bit scared. I remember thinking the driver was an idiot and that I didn't ever want to be in his position. It’s moments like these that stick with me. Before seeing the crash, I knew that nobody should be on their phone while driving but never saw the direct consequences. Following this day, I would more often call out my sister, mother, or brother if I saw them on their phones while driving. Seeing the crash in person made me take driving safety more seriously.

I resonate with the wall scene in The Handmaid's Tale because Margret Atwood's narration is closely connected to how I felt when I saw the car crash. Both moments depicted the consequences of breaking the law. I felt shocked by seeing the car crash but didn't feel bad for the man who crashed into the wall. On page 33, Atwood writes, “What we are supposed to feel towards these bodies is hatred and scorn.” Atwood explains that the people of Gilead should feel hatred towards those who don't abide by the laws. I wouldn't say that I felt hatred towards the driver but anger towards him because of his recklessness. I wasn't worried about the driver at all. The society we live in and Gilead punish those who disobey the laws and as citizens, it's our responsibility to know what they are. The driver was arrested and the citizens of Gilead were executed. If you decide to not follow the law, as the driver did, you may face the consequences of your actions. I initially struggled to accept why I felt no remorse for the driver but I quickly understood it was no one else but his fault. Everyone is in control of their actions and by choosing to challenge or disobey the rules, whether you think it's correct or not, you're putting yourself at risk.

A tale of adventure and mystery.