1. Who was responsible for Billy Bibbit's death?
Even though McMurphy introduced Candy to Billy Bibbit and encouraged him in his behavior towards her, Nurse Ratched was actually responsible for his suicide. Nurse Ratched knew that Billy's mother was his weak point and when she saw him misbehave, she threatened him with the idea of telling his mother despite his begging and crying. Billy Bibbit was obviously mentally unstable and Nurse Ratched took advantage of his misconduct to push him to his limit. Billy had a long history for being self conscious and having little confidence. After seeing his bad behavior, Nurse Ratched tore down what little self esteem he had by forcing him to imagine humiliation from his mother and this was too much for him. Because of Nurse Ratched's threats, Billy killed himself.
2. What was the purpose of Chief being "deaf" to the story?
In this story, it was very necessary for others to believe that Chief was deaf and dumb. Because of these false beliefs, people showed unexpected sides of themselves and revealed important information. Nurse Ratched blew up on the blacks in front of the Chief because she didn't think it mattered if he saw. If it had been anyone else, Nurse Ratched would have controlled herself and readers would have lost a valuable piece of information. Also, because people think the Chief is deaf, they allowed him in the staff meetings. The Chief's condition is crucial for the information we receive and also it enhances our trust for him. As the audience, through the Chief's eyes, we know things that the other characters don't understand. This helps us to trust in our narrator.
3. How was the fog effective in conveying the mood?
Many scenes in this story involve government/society controlling individuals and oppressive power. The fog helps to emphasize the individuals and their defenseless condition. Nurse Ratched and the staff put the Chief in the fog and he can't seem to control everything. He imagines things and can't get a grasp on reality. The fog is a symbol of the Nurse's power and authority. The mood that the fog creates is confusion. This helps the story because it allows readers to feel the effect of the fog rather than have it be explained. A lot of the time when our narrator is in the fog, we can't completely understand the situation because the mood is confusion, this helps us to realize on our own the effects of Nurse Ratched's actions.
4. How effective is the shattering of the glass in the conflict between McMurphy and the Big Nurse?
When McMurphy repeatedly shatters the glass window in the ward, it not only is an act of defiance but it is also a symbol for order in society. On the ward, McMurphy shatters the window simply to annoy the staff and prove that he isn't easy to mess with. If you look more in depth, his actions also show that in society, it only takes one individual to destroy order. However, the glass window is also easily replaced. This shows that society/government always has a way to counteract trouble and restore order. The shattering of the glass is very effective because it is a small act of defiance on McMurphy's part that annoys the Big Nurse and serves as a symbol for a greater conflict.
