One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Questions

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.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog #2

In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy and the Big Nurse have established a rivalry. By the end of part 1 it seems that McMurphy is by far getting the best of it. McMurphy always remains unfazed by the Big Nurse and what she has to say and he even causes her to lose her temper during the scene with the game going on. Also, McMurphy seems to even be enjoying himself. He riles up Acutes and manipulates people to seem like they're against Big Nurse. Then, when the Big Nurse gets really aggravated and frustrated, McMurphy remains completely unbothered by her attempts to slash back at him. For example, when the Big Nurse turns off the tv, McMurphy just continues to pretend as if he's still watching it. He ignores Nurse Ratched's attempts to make him mad where as Nurse Ratched is very easily provoked.

Even though our narrator is a patient in a mental institution, I think he's reliable. The reason I say this is because everyone else thinks he's deaf and overlooks him. This gives us clear insight into how people behave and act in their most vulnerable state, when they let their guard down. For example, through the Chief's narration, we knew that Nurse Ratched was capable of loosing her temper and blowing up even before any of the other patients because nobody bothers hiding anything around the Chief. Also, our narrator is capable of interpreting and picking up on minute details of other characters. He describes the conditions of the other patients and even interprets the actions of McMurphy. This shows us that the Chief is pretty intelligent and capable of being a reliable narrator.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blog #1

In the first half of part one in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest we're introduced to multiple characters. Through the eyes of the Chief, the Big Nurse (Nurse Ratched) seems to be the villain. She establishes all the rules in the ward and she seems to be the reason behind Bromden's fear. Nurse Ratched also commands the three black boys who enforce all her orders. Nurse Ratched and the three black boys are the ones who shave the patients and cause them to fall into a "fog". The Chief fears both of these things and because Nurse Ratched is the instigator of both, she appears to be the villain. Also, so far McMurphy is the antihero because he resists Nurse Ratched. He's the only one that doesn't seem to have fear of the black boys. McMurphy's confidence and superiority give a sense of hope to readers that things might not be so bad for Bromden in the future. Also, the reason McMurphy is an antihero and not just a hero is because he's in a mental hospital and some of his actions don't seem to be acceptable in society (gambling) and yet he's also friendly and rebellious of the regulations in the ward.

The Great Gatsby #3

Interpretive Questions:
1. How does the death of Gatsby help to convey a message about society in East Egg?
Gatsby's death and the events surrounding it show that in East Egg, people will put aside their emotions and the truth in order to maintain an image. Daisy is a prominent example of this. Gatsby's entire life revolved around Daisy and she also loved him deeply. However, when the rumors she heard about Gatsby seemed a little more substantial, she was hesitant. And then, when Gatsby's death was linked to Myrtle's death, instead of telling the truth (that she had hit Myrtle) she left with Tom. Daisy, even though she had once loved Gatsby, went on with her life as if she never knew him so she could keep her image free of scandal.

2. How is Nick's relationship with Jordan significant to the story?
Nick's relationship with Jordan is parallel to his outlook on society in East Egg. At first, he is captivated by Jordan similarly to how he was intrigued with the lives of Tom and Daisy. He knew from the very start that Jordan and the lives of the people in East Egg were filled with lying, scandals, and cheating, however he still accepted it. As the story line goes on, Nick discovers more about Jordan as does he with Tom and Daisy. When he learns the true rot underneath the facade Daisy and Tom put on (through the story of Gatsby's life and Myrtle's death), he's disgusted with the both of them. Towards the end of the book, Jordan also appears to be significantly less attractive and his relationship with her eventually dies out. By the very end of the book, Nick could not care less about Tom, Daisy, and Jordan.

Evaluative Questions:
1. Why is Nick a static/dynamic character?
Nick is a dynamic character. Throughout the story, Nick's outlook on society changes significantly. At the very beginning of the story, Nick (even though he knows of the lying and cheating that goes on) is fascinated by Daisy and Tom. He frequently visits them and builds strong relationships to both of them. However, as he learns more about them from their actions, he grows to realize the horrors of living to appeal society and eventually develops a strong distaste for their lifestyles. In contrast to the very beginning, Nick undergoes a change that causes his opinion on East Egg society to almost be the opposite of what it was in the beginning.

2. Of all places why would Fitzgerald have placed the eyes of TJ Eckleburg above the Valley of Ashes?
Fitzgerald placed the eyes of TJ Eckleburg above the Valley of Ashes to symbolize a god-like figure watching over the rotten and filthy sides of society. The Valley of Ashes is also the setting that is mentioned right before multiple events. A couple of them being when Tom takes Nick to meet Myrtle, when Myrtle dies, and right after Tom realizes the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. All these events are scandalous and by having TJ Eckleburg's eyes directly watching over when these events are happening, the unmoral values of the characters are effectively emphasized.

The Great Gatsby #2

1. What is the purpose of Meyer Wolfsheim as a character?
The purpose of Meyer Wolfsheim's character is to add more mystery to Gatsby's character. After reading about Mr. Wolfsheim, the audience starts to doubt Gatsby's virtues. All up until now, we assume that the rumors about Gatsby killing a man, being involved in crimes, and bootlegging is false, but now that he's associated with and doing business with a famous gambler, Nick (and thus the audience) starts to suspect the rumors to be true.

2. What does the backstory about Jay and Daisy's past do to our impressions of Gatsby?
Learning Gatsby's past with Daisy seems to help us understand Gatsby more. He also seems to be a bit more normal because now we know that there's something he yearns for and we also know the reasons behind his lavish parties. His backstory with Daisy makes us like Gatsby more because he seemed to be a romantic soldier and has waited for his love for 5 years.

3. What does the rest of Gatsby's past do to our impressions of him?
After finding out that he lost all of his family, we find sympathy for him. It helps us, as the audience, to understand a little better that he's strange and mysterious because of all the pain he had to endure. It also makes us feel sorry for him because he describes how he turned to jewels, gold, and rubies to try to forget the pain he was in.

4. How does your overall impression of Gatsby change over these three chapters- do you like him more, less, and why?
In the last three chapters, we find out a lot more about Gatsby. We find out that he's been waiting and longing for Daisy for the past five years and we also find out that he lost all of his family before the war. However, we also find out that he might be associated with shady business. I have grown to like Gatsby more over the past few chapters because he seems to be less of a figure and more an actual person.

Gatsby's Party Music

The music is lively and comfortable. I could imagine it at one of Gatsby's grand parties because it seems like it'd be very easy for people to socialize with this in the background. Also, it seems like fun and happy music that people could dance to. It's not too loud or disruptive and it's very upbeat. I could imagine this music playing at an event where everyone is dressed up and laughing or gossiping. The music would definitely work for one of Gatsby's parties.

The Great Gatsby #1

In the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we are introduced to several characters whom we can label as hero, antihero, or villain. So far in the book, I would say that Nick Carraway is both the hero and antihero. He shares similar morals and values as people in our society. He describes himself as "one of the few honest people..." and in the beginning he states that he does not judge others. This allows people in our society to generally like him. However, as we keep reading, he seems to shift almost towards being an anti-hero because he keeps saying that Jordan Baker is dishonest and the party Tom takes him to is unmoral however he is captivated by them and unable to pull himself away. I think Tom, so far, is the villain in the story. When we are first introduced to Tom, he seems arrogant and rude. Also, as we keep reading, we find out that Tom has a lover in New York who is also married. These characteristics of Tom cause us to view him in a negative way. I think Gatsby is also a hero in the story. Through the descriptions Nick gives us about Gatsby, he seems to be a remarkable and fascinating character. First off, Nick says (about Gatsby), "there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life". This quote shows that even though Gatsby is a mystery to Nick, there's something "gorgeous" and good about him. Later in the book, we also find that Gatsby served in the war. Because people in our society are naturally inclined to revere people who serve for our country, Gatsby seems even more of a hero.