Cuckoo's Nest 2

At this point in the story, it isn't hard to tell that the rivalry between Big Nurse and McMurphy is really heating up. I believe that both sides are giving each other a run for the money, if you will, but that McMurphy is getting the best of Big Nurse. A huge argument to watch the World Series takes place during a majority of this section, and after the initial refusal by Big Nurse, McMurphy seems mad and threatens to, "bust out of [the ward]" (103). However, when we think McMurphy has 'lost', he comes back and gets the patients to pretend like they are watching the game even after Big Nurse has shut it off. Soon, "Cheswick goes and gets him a chair, and then Billy Bibbit goes, and then Scanlon and then Fredrickson and Sefelt, and then we all put down our mops and brooms and scouring rags and we all go pull us chairs up...and we're all sitting there lined up in front of that blanked-out TV set, watching the gray screen just like we could see the baseball game clear as day, and she's ranting and screaming behind us." This causes Big Nurse to kind of lose her cool, and it seems like McMurphy has gotten under her skin.

It seems that Bromden has started to sway towards McMurphy. This is because of a sort of adoration he has for McMurphy, and you can tell that Bromden likes him. He is still a reliable narrator though, as evidenced by his clear-cut memories of specific events and conversations. The fact that he is viewed as a mute and not being able to understand has worked to his advantage in terms of narration. The only bad thing about Bromden is the fog, which he seems to go under at certain times. Also, I am rooting for McMurphy. I do not like the Big Nurse and I hope McMurphy gets under her skin enough to change things around the ward.

Cuckoo's Nest 1

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, he seems to have painted a clear picture of villain, hero, and antihero within the first few chapters (if you can call them that). The Big Nurse is a blatant villain. She is rude and somewhat mean to the patients, and "gets real put out if anything keeps her outfit from running smoothly" (37). The outfit is symbolized as the mental ward, described by Bromden, and if anything goes awry in the ward then the Big Nurse is unhappy and takes it out on the patients. This is part of her controlling and dominating personality that makes her such a villain.
Randle Patrick McMurphy enters the book and immediately the audience is taken to him. He is loud and boisterous and insists on being the "bull goose looney" around the ward (19). Yet, the think that is likable about him is that he is funny and upbeat, but also that he is against the villain of Big Nurse. He plans to conspire against her and that is what makes him such a hero-- the fact that he is directly opposing the villain.
Chief Bromden is the antihero for the sake of no other category that fits him better. He is a supposed mute Chronic who people think "mine me like a baby", showing that he doesn't speak or show signs of recognition but he picks up on things others don't (3). The audience doesn't really feel any sort of attachment to him, and he isn't doing anything to question the reign of Big Nurse, so he fits under the umbrella of antihero.

The Great Gatsby 3

1. What do the last three chapters reveal about Daisy?
A lot of action comes in the last three chapters, and although much of this focuses on Gatsby, Daisy is highlighted as well. We find out that Daisy's key characteristic flaw is that she is indecisive. She loves Gatsby and always has, but when confronted with it in the hotel room, she flip flops on what she says: "I never loved him," and then says, "I loved him once," speaking of Tom (132). Ultimately, her indecision gets her in trouble when the fiasco with Myrtle occurs, and unknowingly to many, it is her fault. Her indecisive nature is a major weakness and is exploited in these final chapter.
2. Why does Tom show sympathy for Wilson?

The real question is why does Tom, with the emotional range of cardboard, choose to help Wilson after he is so rude the rest of the book? Specifically, he is moved to console Wilson “with soothing gruffness” (140) because of a sense of guilt. Having cheated on his wife with Wilson’s wife, he feels guilty for Wilson when his wife dies. Interestingly, a sort of compassion is revealed here that seems otherwise lacking in Tom’s character.

3. What might the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg symbolize to various characters?

The eyes are mentioned more throughout this section, even stated blatantly that they are the eyes of God and always watching. The guess here is that it represents different things to different characters. When Tom and Daisy move away, it doesn't specifically mention it, but it seems as if they are out of the picture. Other than that, I don't know what the eyes mean.

4. Evaluate Daisy's love for Tom and Gatsby? Where does her heart stand with each?

Daisy clearly loves Gatsby. There is an undeniable connection between the two and no doubt that they could have spent their lives together. Yet, there is something between Tom and Daisy that throws a wrinkle in the plan. It says on page 145: "There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together." This is curious because Tom is such a jerk and it seems that Daisy loves Gatsby. There must be something between both, and Daisy must be somewhat content to live with Tom as long as he has money.