One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog Post #2

The conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy is in full swing at the end of "Part One." Who is getting the best of their rivalry at this point? Why do you say that (specific evidence)?
Of the conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy I would have to say that by the end of Part One, McMurphy is getting the best of their rivalry at this point because he has achieved what he set out to accomplish. The source of the conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy was over watching the World Series upon which a vote was taken among the patients and it was split down the middle; despite McMurphy convincing a patient to raise his had Big Nurse said the vote was closed. Later when the game was on McMurphy went to the television and turned it on at which point Big Nurse immediately turns it off from her control room; however McMurphy pretends like the game is still on. In doing so he convinces several other patients to do the same until the patients are not working, but rather watching a blank screen as though the game was clearly displayed on the television. Despite Big Nurse ranting and screaming behind them, the patients payed no attention and McMurphy ended up coming on to; as a result, McMurphy was in full swing at the end of Part One.  


What is your perception of the Chief at this point in the story? Why? And how has the presence of McMurphy changed the Chief's character or his narration (be specific)?                 Currently we can see that the 'Fog' that has affected the Chief has become more severe; however Chief is still able to narrate accordingly. From what we can collect at our position in the book, Chief's mental state has worsened; however, the presence of McMurphy has changed this slightly. McMurphy's presence has allowed the Chief to see some things more clearly as proven true by the Chief voting. As for his narration, the 'Fog' does not seem to inhibit his narration skills or perception of dialogue. 



Who are you rooting for at this point in the story and why?
At this point in the story, like most everyone else, I am rooting for McMurphy as he portrays the most interesting character in the story currently. His anti-heroism complemented by his past allows for an intriguing character whose constant conflicts with Big Nurse only adds to the meat of the story. 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog Post #1

Identify the Main Characters as Hero, Antihero, or Villain. 

Chief Bromden

Chief Bromden, narrates One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Although he says that he is telling the story about “the hospital, and her, and the guys—and about McMurphy,” he is also telling the story of his own journey toward sanity. The reason for Bromden’s hospitalization is cloaked in ambiguity. He may have had a breakdown from witnessing the decline of his father or from the horrors of fighting in World War II. Both of these possible scenarios involve an emasculating and controlling authority—in the first case the government officials, in the second the army. It is also possible that, like McMurphy, Bromden was sane when he entered the hospital but that his sanity slipped when he received what is rumored to be 200 electroshock treatments. The paranoia and hallucinations he suffers from, which center on hidden machines in the hospital that physically and psychologically control the patients, can be read as metaphors for the dehumanization he has experienced in his life. In any case, Chief Bromden is easily characterizable as an Antihero. Although Bromden has an unstable state of mind, it is obvious that he is trust worthy because of his position as narrator of the story. As a result he is put in the position of antihero, because though he may be a trustworthy hero, he does not take the path of a normal hero, and therefore must be characterized as an Antihero. 

Randle McMurphy

Randle McMurphy—big, loud, sexual, dirty, and confident—is an obvious foil for the quiet and repressed Bromden and the sterile and mechanical Nurse Ratched. His loud, free laughter stuns the other patients, who have grown accustomed to repressed emotions. Throughout the entire moment of his introduction, not a single voice rises to meet his.McMurphy represents sexuality, freedom, and self-determination—characteristics that clash with the oppressed ward, which is controlled by Nurse Ratched. Through Chief Bromden’s narration, the novel establishes that McMurphy is not, in fact, crazy, but rather that he is trying to manipulate the system to his advantage. His belief that the hospital would be more comfortable than the Pendleton Work Farm, where he was serving a six-month sentence, haunts McMurphy later when he discovers the power Nurse Ratched wields over him—that she can send him for electroshock treatments and keep him committed as long as she likes. McMurphy’s sanity contrasts with what Kesey implies is an insane institution. McMurphy take on the role of a hero because of his outlandish characteristics that are used to propel the story line. However; because of McMurphy's background - much like that of Bromden - he is not characterizable as a true hero, and therefore must be thrust into the class of an Antihero. 

Nurse Ratched

A former army nurse, Nurse Ratched represents the oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and emasculation of modern society—in Bromden’s words, the Combine. Her nickname is “Big Nurse,” which sounds like Big Brother - The name used in the book 1984 we read to show the menacing force of the government. Bromden describes Ratched as being like a machine, and her behavior fits this description: even her name is reminiscent of a mechanical tool, sounding like both “ratchet” and “wretched.” She enters the novel, and the ward, “with a gust of cold.” Ratched has complete control over every aspect of the ward, as well as almost complete control over her own emotions. In the first few pages we see her show her “hideous self” to Bromden and the aides, only to regain her doll-like composure before any of the patients catch a glimpse. Nurse Ratchet's techniques for keeping McMurphy hospitalized and her menacing characteristics makes her easily recognizable as a Villain. 

Final Great Gatsby Blog Post

How Effectively did Fitzgerald Convey his Theme through his Characters?

The ultimate theme of the Great Gatsby deals with the past in how the majority of the characters in the play have some connection to a past incident they are constantly dwelling upon. Fitzgerald himself has a special connection with the past that he conveys through Daisy in his girlfriend turning him down because of his lack of wealth. Such is conveyed through the rejection of Gatsby by Daisy in the book. As well, Fitzgerald finished the book in concluding that no good may arise from dwelling upon the past - the majority of the characters either ended up dead, in ruins, or no better then when they started.

Why Was the Book Written from the Perspective of Nick rather than a Birds Eye View Perspective like that of the Actual Author?

The Book is written from Nick' Perspective because he serves as an impartial eye to the story. Having Nick as the narrator of the story rather than some ambiguous one allows us to also switch from multiple events with ease. Furthermore, having a more down to earth narrator gives the book more subsistence. As well, through the use of Dramatic Irony, more drama is created throughout the book as we know just as much as Nick had known during that same point in the book.  

What did the Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Symbolize? 

The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are a pair of fading, bespectacled eyes painted on an old advertising billboard over the valley of ashes. They may represent God staring down upon and judging American society as a moral wasteland, though the novel never makes this point explicitly. Instead, throughout the novel, Fitzgerald suggests that symbols only have meaning because characters instill them with meaning. The connection between the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg and God exists only in George Wilson’s grief-stricken mind. This lack of concrete significance contributes to the unsettling nature of the image. Thus, the eyes also come to represent the essential meaninglessness of the world and the arbitrariness of the mental process by which people invest objects with meaning. Nick explores these ideas in Chapter 8, when he imagines Gatsby’s final thoughts as a depressed consideration of the emptiness of symbols and dreams.

Now that you Have Read all Possible Information on Gatsby, what would you Classify Gatsby as - Hero, Antihero, or Villain.

I would classify Gatsby as an Antihero. Simply going by the process of elimination, it becomes obvious that Gatsby is an Antihero  - We are originally suspicious of Gatsby's intent and purpose due to our lack of information on him so he could not classify as a Hero. We do hear significant enough information on him by Nick to know that he could not be a villain, so only one choice is left - Antihero. However, were we to go by solely his character, it would be obvious that he is an Antihero as we sympathize for his innocent qualities throughout the book. He is blinding love for Daisy causes the audience to crave their reunion. Furthermore, after Daisy's accidental murder of Myrtle, Gatsby takes responsibility and eventually dies as a result of it. This shows him as a selfless, caring human being who could only be classified as an Antihero through his actions. 

Great Gatsby Blog Post # 2

1) What is the Purpose of Meyer Wolfsheim as a Character? 
Meyer Wolfsheim serves to show Gatsby in a more positive light. Throughout the book Gatsby is portrayed as this mysterious character with little detail to be made of him - this complemented by suspicions of him murdering a man added to the ambiguity of Gatsby. Therefore, Wolfsheim serves the purpose to add suspicion to Gatsby's character.

 2) What Does the Backstory about Jay and Daisy's Past do to our Impressions of Gatsby? 
The Backstory allows us to sympathize with Gatsby. The actual love Gatsby had and the hardship he went through in the past added to the effect of Gatsby finally remeeting Daisy after so many years. This Backstory also asserts Gatsby as an antihero as proven through the fact that we may take pity on him. 

3) What does the Story of the Rest of Gatsby Past do to our impressions of him?
The rest of Gatsby's backstory allows us to sympathize with him further and shows him in a more positive, innoccent light. Gatsby worked as a janitor to pay off his tuition and worked for his money to get where he was. The fact that his reasoning behind doing so was for Daisy, sheds some innocence upon Gatsby as well as our sympathy, thus conveying him as an antivillian once more. 

 4) How Does your Overall Impression of Gatsby Change Over these Three Chapters - Do you Like Him More, Less, and Why? 
Knowing Gatsby's background and the harships he has endured has shed some positive light onto Gatsby for me. As a result, my impression of Gatsby has bettered in how I may now see him as a hardworking, innocent, hopeless romantic, lost in his love for Daisy.