Journey To Self-Destruction in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest

Journey To Self-Destruction in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest In One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, the character of Randle P. McMurphy undergoes a gradual journey towards self-destruction. His actions go from the minuscule, such as changing minor ward policies, to the act of trying to strangle Nurse Ratched. All of his actions, minor and major, lead to his self-destruction. He broadens this behavior take down after he discovers hes only hurting himself with his actions. McMurphy begins by protesting minor but significant defects of the ward policies. When he first arrives, he runs around in aught but a towel and provokes shock and anger from the Big Nurse. His actions let the nurses and patients know that he wont simply sit back and take the staffs cruel intervention to get the patients to conform quietly and without protest. He begins to gamble with the patients, first for cigarettes and eventually for IOUs, scorn the nurses rule of no gambling on the ward for money (Kesey 102). He also convinces the spineless Dr. Spivey to allow the patients to open up a separate day room for their card games. He uses the doctor to implement these changes, which aggravates the nurse because it takes out her power. The resentment between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched continues to build. McMurphy brings about all these changes before he realizes one vital fact Nurse Ratched is the sole determiner of how long he must stay in the ward. Hes watching television while everyone else is completing their chores. The nurse says to him, Youre committed, you realize. You are ... under the jurisdiction of me...the staff...Under jurisdiction and control- (138). The nurse also says, animation in mind that Mr. McMurphy is committed. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us (150). McMurphy relaxes slightly however, he eventually continues to harass the nurse, despite his knowledge that she dictates the length of his confinement (Waldmeir 425). He crosses the line a nd throws a party on the ward in the middle of the night, bringing in two prostitutes and excite the patients with a mixture of cherry flavored alcohol and codeine cough syrup. He does so knowing that he will face consequences for this event. However, he feels he must continue this self-destruction in order for the other patients to find themselves and their sense of freedom ( 427).