How effective was Kesey in characterizing McMurphy as an antihero?
The use of McMurphy as an antihero depicts the setting of the book. Considering it takes place in a psychiatric ward, no one is completely sane, including Big Nurse herself. I honestly don't think it would be possible for someone to go through that ward and not be even a little insane coming out of it. Even though McMurphy was just trying to escape the torture of working in a field and not insane, the way he is portrayed throughout the story leads us to believe that he might just be. He is a rebel, which contributes to the values we, as an audience, may not agree with. He is very hostile and drinks, sneaks in girls, breaks the rules, and completely disobeys Big Nurse. This is clearly not someone who is a pure hero, but then again, he's fighting against someone we see as the villain. She is mean and hateful and we despise her because of the horrible things she does. Even though he doesn't have good values or the best personality traits, we love him because he's fighting against someone we dislike and doing it for a good cause. This contributes to the big idea of the book because we see that Nurse Ratched is impossible to overthrow, but the fact that he is trying makes us like him and we are eager to see if it can actually be done. This keeps us on the edge of our seats and makes for an interesting plot and good storyline.
How does McMurphy relate to Christ?
We see when McMurphy first comes to the ward that he is against someone who is a dictator and doing something horrible. He fights for the people who can't fight for themselves, which is something Christ would definitely do. Later on, mcMurphy goes on a fishing trip and takes 10 men from the ward along with himself and a friend, Candy, which makes twelve. This could be considered a reference to the twelve disciples on the fishing trip. He seems to overcome everything and takes a hit for all the other patients, which is what Jesus does. He takes a toll for everyone else around him. In the end, McMurphy endures electoshock therapies and finally at the end, undergoes a lobotomy. He even asks if they will put a crown of thorn on his heads, which is a direct allusion to the Bible when Jesus is being sacrificed on the cross. Right before he is given the lobotomy, he knows that he is giving up himself for all the patients in the ward and is contributing to a good cause and reality. This is what Christ does when he gives himself to save everyone's sins. McMurphy sacrificed himself for the well-being of the patients.
What significance did the fog the Chief saw all the time have throughout the book?
The fog is what Chief sees when he is heavily medicated. As we know, Chief is somewhat of an unreliable narrator due to the fact that he is insane. He tells us what he sees, but sometimes what he sees is just his mind playing tricks on him and distorts reality. He is heavily medicated and during the first part of the book, we know Chief is taking all his pills regularly. We see that the fog is always with him and he can't see well. As the story progresses, however, and McMurphy presents himself, the fog seemingly fades away. This is a sign that the medication isn't affecting Chief as much because of the way he's overcome it, or he's rebelled and has stopped taking the medication. At one point, we see where Chief doesn't take his medicine and he lies in bed at night seeing and hearing everything going on around him. He walks to the window and we see him dive into his past by taking a glimpse outside at nature. We see this as part of Chief's growth and development. The fog represents how he grows as a person and starts to think and act for himself, rather than being completely brainwashed by Big Nurse.
What did the patients leaving the ward at the end of the book have to say about Nurse Ratched and McMurphy?
Even though we see that McMurphy is defeated by death, his spirit is still within the ward. After he is gone, the patients realize that they don't need the ward any longer and that they can be their own people. McMurphy has shown them that they are able to survive in the world by themselves and they don't have to be "bunnies" that are ruled by a wolf. They can be who they want to be, and Nurse Ratched's reign is finally over. She has been overthrown, whether we see this directly or not. Almost all the patients leave (or escape, in Chief's case), which shows their growth and how McMurphy has influenced them to be better people. Nurse Ratched may have been able to manipulate them at one point, but after McMurphy shows them what they can be and what all they can do, they realize how great life is and how they can finally think for themselves. Nurse Ratched's days are finally over and all the patients are free.
