One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey
The Finale
Respond to the conclusion of the novel.
1. What happened?
2. How do you feel at the end?
3. How does Kesey want you to feel at the end of the novel?
4. Do you feel like it is too open ended?
5. Is this the best way to set McMurphy free? To set Chief free?
6. Who holds the power at the conclusion of the novel?
OMG!:O! In these last two chapters ALOT happened. In the second to last chapter the girls, Candy and Sandy come to the ward. They all get drunk and fool around and go through the medications and mix alcohol with the medications. Billy and Candy go into a room alone and we all know whats gonna happen there. Sandy and McMurphy fall asleep together and Mr.Turkle was supposed to wake them in one hour but didn't so at 6:30 when the orderlies came in they saw the two of them in bed. Then all the patients are called into the day room and they do a role call and find out Billy is missing. They also see the window that the girls crawled through was unlocked. Billy and Candy are founding their private room and Big Nurse tells Billy how his mother will find out about this. Billy can't take the thought of that and begs her not to tell his mother and even says that the guys made him do what he did with Candy. Next we find out Billy has just killed himself! Nurse Ratched is freaking out and McMurphy rips her shirt down so her breasts are out and everyone knows she is definitely a woman. Things try to get back to a routine. Big Nurse is in the hospital for a week and when she comes out everyone goes out to ask her about McMurphy. She writes (because after McMurphy choking her she can't talk) that he will be back. Three weeks later he does come back but he has had a LOBOTOMY! One night Chief smothers McMurphy to death with a pillow and escaped the ward!
ReplyDeleteAt the end I feel sad and let down. I real was hoping that they would have things turn their way and McMurphy would leave the hospital. I think Kesey wants the readers to feel sad but happy about Chief getting out which I am. I dont feel like it was too open ended at all. I actually like the way it ended with a little mystery. I dont think the best way to set McMurphy free is by setting Chief free but I think that does help. I think at the end of the novel Big Nurse still holds power but the patients hold a lot of power because they either got away or no longer have to live under her rule.