One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Free Test Answers – Flashcards

Flashcard maker : Patrick Turner
(P1)Nurse Ratched plays the role of the __________ in the novel.
Antagonist

(P1)How did living during the 60’s effect Ken Kesey?
He was influenced to do drugs, such as LSD which had an impact on his writing style.

(P6) Where did Ken Kesey study at to major in creative writing?
Stanford University

(P6) What was the program Kesey volunteered for and which organization did it belong to?
Ken Kesey volunteered for the CIA’s MKUltra project which included experiments were volunteers given psychoactive drugs, including LSD.

(P6) Before his fame of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, what musical group was Kesey part of?
Ken Kesey used to play in a band called the “Merry Pranksters” and continued to tour after the publishment of his famed book.

(P6) What were Ken Kesey and the “Merry Pranksters” known for while touring on the road?
Ken Kesey and the “Merry Pranksters” were known for open use of psychoactive drugs, outrageous attire, and street theater.

(P6) Chief reoccuringly sees the Fog Machiene throughout the novel, what does the Fog Machine symbolize?
The Fog Machine symbolizes lack of clarity, false security and opression. For Chief it represents his escape from reality either from his medication or out fear

(P6) Who holds the role of the Christ figure in the Ward/the Combine and why?
Randle McMurphy represents a Christ figure because during their trip to the sea, McMurphy takes twelve men to fish just like Christ did when he had twelve disciples. This was a mission to take the patients out of the hospital.

(P6) What is Chief’s view on the Combine and the “system”?
Chief’s view of the Combine is a way to trap people who are not “suited” for society. It is a system that is in place to help the patients “conform” to the ideals of the society in that time. To him, it is a machine created by man in order to produce and “fix” anything wrong with people who do not have the same normal capacity as others.

(P6) This motif is represented throughout the novel, it first appeared when McMurphy was admitted to the Ward. This is the first time any of the original patients has ever felt or have done this motif or action in the Ward. This motif also shows the signs of psychological recovery and physical recovery for the patients when they were on the fishing trip.
Laughter

(P6) Other than laughter, what other activity did McMurphy bring to the Ward that is shown throughout the novel?
McMurphy also brought gambling as a motif throughout the novel. Gambling is something that brings the men closer together and a sense of doing activities that they are not told to do. To add, gambling is also a battle between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy because each time these two people would up their war against each other, raising the stakes higher and higher.

(P1)While being a part of the Military’s Drug project, where did Kesey Work?(P1)
A psychiatric ward.

(P1)How did Kesey’s experiences at the psychiatric ward influence him?
He was influenced to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s, where he used his experiences as a basis for his novel.

(P1)What state is the psychiatric ward in?
The ward is in the state of Oregon.

(P1)When was the novel published ?
1962

(P1) The time period in which the story takes place is the 19___.
The 1950’s

(P1)What did Kesey use to go on a cross country acid trip? (P1)
An old bus covered with psychedelic graffiti while being a member of the “Merry Pranksters”.

(P6) What effect did WWII have on the 1950s-60s?
Women became more prevalent in the workforce and after the war, the economy went through a depression.

(P6) What Act was passed a year after the novel was published?
The Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 which provided funding for mental health programs.

(P6) What cultural movement did the novel influence?
The novel influenced counter culture which emphasized rebelling against societal expectations.

(P6) Who arrives at the ward that rebels against Nurse Ratched?
A. Billy Bibbit
B. Randle McMurphy
C. Chief Bromden
D. Dale Harding
Randle McMurphy

(P6) McMurphy tries to get the men to laugh troughout the novel. When do the inmates finally laugh out loud?
The Fishing Trip

(P6) How does Nurse Ratched weaken the inmates?
By having meetings that expose embarrassing and incriminating personal details.

(P6) What is the first act of sexual harassment on Nurse Ratched by McMurphy?
He takes off his towel and reveals his undergarment

(P6) How does McMurphy win the bet with all the other Acutes?
He makes Ratched really angry by watching the World Series.

(P6) How does McMurphy respond to latrine duties that were assigned to him by Nurse Ratched?
Every time McMurphy goes to do that duty, he goes up to Nurse Ratched’s glass window and thanks her unnecessarily.

(P6) What reason did McMurphy have to break through Nurse Ratched’s glass window?
McMurphy states he’s in need of a smoke from the carton of cigarettes he brought which was confiscated from him by Nurse Ratched.

(P6) What trip does McMurphy get a request for the patients to go on?
A. Sightseeing
B. Hunting
C. Fishing trip
D. Opera
C. Fishing Trip

(P6) How does McMurphy persuade George to go on the fishing trip?
McMurphy talks of how they need George to ensure their safety against storms and only he was experienced for the job of captain.

(P6) Why does McMurphy attack Washington?
A. Washington called McMurphy an offensive slur in front of him.
B. McMurphy does it to defend George against traumatizing cleansing.
C. Washington took McMurphy’s cigarettes away from him.
D. McMurphy did it to show he was superior over Washington.
D. McMurphy did it to show he was superior over Washington

(P6) What causes Billy Bibbit to slit his throat and commit suicide?
The fear of Billy Bibbit’s mother finding out what happened between him and Candy.

(P6) How does Chief escape the Combine and in the same scene fulfill a promise to McMurphy.
Chief lifts the control panel which McMurphy set as a challenge for Chief, Chief throws the control panel at the window and escapes through it.

(P6) Why are antagonistic women described as prudish while women that are allies are sexual?
Kesey conveys the idea that expressing sexuality is healthy and sane and suppressing sexuality is harmful. Ratched is prudish and harms the patients while prostitutes are sexual and are written in a positive light.

(P6) Why is size important to Bromden and how does he perceive it?
To Bromden, size equates to self-esteem, sexuality, and freedom. When someone is severely oppressed, they are small and when they are themselves, they are big.

(P6) Why is McMurphy thought of as insane when he laughs and smiles?
Kesey conveys the idea that insanity is defined by society. McMurphy isn’t insane, but he differs from the social norm, giving him a false diagnosis of insanity.

(P1)What is the implication of Cheif Bromden not talking in chapter 1?
Plot: He shows that chief Bromden really can talk but decides to fake deafness.

(P6) Why is the hospital compared to machinery?
The society the hospital represents is unnatural and harmful. Patients suffer more around literal and figurative machinery and are pressured to be unnatural versions of themselves.

(P1)During the time period of the story individuals with mental disabilities were treated as______.
Outsiders/undesirables/broken down

(P1)What does the quote “While McMurphy laughs. Rocking farther and farther backward against the cabin top, spreading his laugh out across the water..Because he knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy” explain about the motif of laughter?
The act of laughing is a powerful tool in the story. It’s is through this act that McMurphy is able to protest against the ward and other institutions that may try to oppress him and the other patients.

Ken Kesey’s style was influenced by ___. (P.1)
The psychedelic nature of the 1960s and his use of LSD

What did the Electric Shock Therapy table represent?(P.1)
The EST table was a symbol of crucifixion. Jesus was crucified with his hands and feet nailed just like McMurphy had his his hands and feet tied down.

(P1)Why does McMurphy call the Group meeting a “peckin’ party”
Plot: Because during these group meeting Nurse ratchet gets everyone to turn against once another, demonstrating her manipulative control.

Does Ken Kesey conform to an ordinary writing pattern? If not describe the characteristics of his style. (P.1)
Ken Kesey does not conform to an ordinary writing style. His work can be described as “dreamlike” and made of unnatural connections.

What does the McMurphy’s “crown of thorns” represent?(p.1)
This is a biblical allusion to Jesus’ crown of thorns. McMurphy is being compared to Jesus. He sacrifices himself for the patients in the ward just like Jesus did for all people

(P1)What motif, and significance does the quote”Of course, the very nature of this plan could indicate that he [McMurphy] is simply a shrewd con man, and not mentally ill at all.” imply?
The quote implies the motif of rebellion against an institution faking an illness in order to get away with doing mischievous things. The residents of the ward are beginning to realize that McMurphy may not be truly mentally ill at all. He may be simply fooling everyone and in the process of doing so, he is making a fool out of the mental ward as a whole.

(P1) What do the quotes “I hide in the mop closet and listen, my heart beating in the dark, and I try from getting scared” and “Mostly, I’d just like to look over the country around the gorge again, just to bring some of it clear in my mind again” imply about the change in chief Bromden’s character?
Throughout the course of the novel Bromden has gone from being a timid and scared individual into being a self confident man that is ready to take in the world and explore at his leisure. He is quite ready to move on from the confines of the ward both physically and mentally. The whole ordeal with McMurphy has mad him a man that is ready to take on life and the world outside of the ward.

(P1) What does the quote “we ain’t ordinary nuts;we’re every bloody one of us hot off the criminal-insane ward..” Imply about Mcmurphy’s change in character with respect to the residents of the ward?
McMurphy is beginning to change his outlook on the residents of the ward. No these poor individuals aren’t merely tools for him to make a quick buck. He is actually protecting them and he is transforming into the savior they wholly crave for.

(P1)Chief Bromden’s quote”It’s still hard for me to have a clear mind thinking on it. But it’s the truth even if it didn’t happen” helps explain the motif of invisibility by implying that_____________.
Bromden did his best to hide himself throughout the story. His role was that of a silent observer and only through this role was he able to record all of the occurrences within the ward. Bromden’s invisibility allowed him to witness things not easily available to the other patients. With his invisibility he was able to provide a detailed but somewhat unreliable narrative of the events in the story.

What does laughter symbolize in the ward?(P.1)
The patient’s laughter symbolizes defiance. Nurse Ratched wants the patients to be miserable but their laughter shows their defiance to be happy.

What is a combine and what does it symbolize? (P.1)
It is an agricultural machine. Chief calls the mental institution a combine to describe its mechanical nature and ultimately the mechanized nature of the world.

Does Ken Kesey’s style include staying in reality?(p.1)
No, it does not. Ken Kesey drifts off into dream like comparisons of how he sees the world and how it really is.

What does McMurphy’s boxer shorts symbolize?
(P.1)
A. Sexuality
B. Nurse Ratched’s obsession with McMurphy
C. A congrats between nature and the mechanical nature of the ward
D. All of the above
D. The whales on McMurphy’s boxers allude to Moby-Dick. The phallic representation of the whale represents McMurphy’s strong sexuality. Nurse Ratched is obsessed with crushing McMurphy’s spirit just like Ahab was obsessed with killing the whale. Nature is represented through having an animal on his boxers and contrasts the mechanical nature of the ward.

Kesey describes women as ______. What does this mean for the work as a whole? (P.1)
Castrators. Women are characterized as threatening and inhibiting. The women in this novel take away the manhood of the patients and inhibit them from being their true natural selves.

(P1) What theme and significance is demonstrated through the quote”So you see my friend, it is somewhat as you stated: man has but one truly effective weapon against the juggernaut of modern matriarchy..”
The theme of women being oppressive towards man and taking away their manhood is expressed. Throughout most of the story women are seen as dominating and repressive even to the point of forming a type of matriarchal society under nurse Ratched. Many characters in the novel see women such as Harding’s wife and nurse Ratched as the true villains.

(P1)What does the quote “The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin’ at it, see, till they rip the chicken to shreds” signify about the conflict in respect to nurse Ratched?
The quote signifies that nurse Ratched has such a tight hold upon the residents of her ward that she is able to get them to attack one another. She is able to get the ward’s residents to attack one another and shift the hate they have for her and their own flaws into attacks against each other

(P1)Who is the new “Admission” to the ward and why is he different.
Plot Point: Randall P. McMurphy is the new admission and instantly he shakes everyone’s hand and begins laughing which is a foreign practice in the ward.

(P6) What is significant in the attitudes of the patients in the beginning of the novel compared to the end of the novel?
In the beginning the patients abided by the authority of the authority of Nurse Ratched in McMurphy’s perspective when he notices the lack of laughter. It is at the end of the novel, the patients gained independence such as Bromden escaping the combine and Harding leaving the combine as well.

(P6) How does McMurphy’s character contrast from being introduced into the novel compared to his resolve at the end of the novel?
McMurphy looks to gain the trust of the patients for selfish purposes and then at the end of the novel, McMurphy selflessly helps patients despite consequences for him.

(P6) What changes in Chief are evident from the beginning of the novel to the end?
He goes from being quiet and pretending to be deaf, to being open to McMurphy and going against the authority of the combine

(P6) Kesey uses all of the following to portray the destructible effects of society’s inaccurate perfection EXCEPT
A. Personification
B. Foreshadowing
C. Allusions
D. Symbols
A. Personification

(P6) Kesey utilizes all of the following symbols EXCEPT
A.The fog machine
B. EST table
C. McMurphy’s boxers
D. A necklace
D. A necklace

(P1) Why does McMurphy call the Group Meeting a “peckin’ party”?
Plot Point: Nurse Ratched turns the patients against each other, causing them to attack one another like chickens.

(P1)During the time that the book was published, _______________ under went experiments that involved _____ , which influenced Ken Kesey’s novel.
University of Stanford / LSD

(P1) Before the novel was published what influenced Ken Kesey’s writing ?
Being under the influence of drugs.

(P1) What does Chief leave under his bed and who is the person who discovers and takes it away?
Gum / One of the boys that follows Nurse Ratched.

(P1) Who is the character that suffers from hallucinations and what is one of the recurring hallucinations ?
Chief Bromden. He suffers hallucinations of fog

(P1) Give two characteristics of Nurse Ratched’s appearances.
White clothing and red nails

(P1)Who is the character who is nailed to a wall in the daytime and urinates on himself?
Ellis

(P1) What are the names of the aides whom Nurse Ratched hired due to their hatred.
Warren, Washington, and Williams.

(P1) McMurphy suggests that all the patients should watch the _____ ______, but even after she says no they all rebel and watch it. Even after she turns off the power they just sit there. McMurphy wins his bet.
Plot point: World Series

(P1) Who are the Epileptic patients in the ward?
Sefelt and Fredrickson

(P1)When Chief thinks he’s being pulled into the fog, who is it that is trying to take them out?
A. Nurse Ratched
B. McMurphy
C. Harding
D. Cheswick
Plot Point: McMurphy

(P1) At the Group Meeting what does McMurphy suggest in order to fix the loud music problem?
Plot Point: He suggests that the patients be allowed into another room to be allowed to play games.

(P1)When chief can’t get toothpaste to brush his teeth he uses ____ instead?
Plot Point: Soap

(P1) Chief Bromden looks out the window and sees a ___ walking around and _____ flying around.
Plot point: Dog, Geese

(P1) What does McMurphy learn while at the pool?
Plot Point: He learns that he’s committed, so Ratched can keep him as long as she wants. So he decides to stop defending the patients

(P1)________’s fingers are stuck at the bottom of the pool and he dies.
Plot Point: Cheswick

(P1)Who has a seizure that causes McMurphy to see what’s really at stake?
A. Chief Bromden
B. Frederickson
C. Harding
D. Sefelt
Plot Point: D. Sefelt

(P1) Nurse Ratched punishes the men by banning ____________ which causes ________ to break the nurses glass to retrieve them.
Plot point: Cigarettes, McMurphy

(P1) Mc Murphy gets approval from Dr. Spivey to go on a _______ ____ with 9 other patients.
Plot Point: Fishing Trip

(P1) At the Gas Station the patients learn that their condition is a(n):
A. Disability
B. Curse
C. Advantage
D. Blessing
Plot Point: C. Advantage

(P1) What cause some of the patients to start questioning McMurphy’s motives?
Plot Point: Mrs. Ratched shows the patients that only the money in his account is going up while theirs is going down.

(P1) Why do McMurphy and Bromden get sent to Disturbed?
Plot Point: They fight with the aides in an attempt to protect George.

(P1) What happens as a result of the fight between the aides, McMurphy, and Chief? (Specifically what treatment do they receive?)
Plot Point:They get Electroshock therapy

(P1) After the night of the party _____ commits suicide, and ________ refuses to escape.
Plot Point: Billy, McMurphy

(P1)_______ is given a lobotomy for attacking, _____ _______
Plot Point: McMurphy, Nurse Ratched

(P1) Who sufficates McMurphy after his Lobotomy, and escapes through a window ?
Plot Point: Chief Bromden

(P1)At the beginning of novel what word best describes the ward?
A. Monotonous
B. Fun
C. Polytheistic
D. Encouraging
A. Monotonous

(P1) At the end of the novel what do many people the patients do?
A. Listen to the nurse
B. Kill themselves
C. Leave the ward
D. Continue their lives on the ward
C. Leave the ward

(P1)At the end of the novel, is it evident that McMurphy did indeed help the patients? If so give 2 examples.
Possible answers:
Chief is sane
Many patients leave
The nurses power is lessened

(P6) “… eyes glittering out of the black faces like the hard glitter of radio tubes out of the back of an old radio.”
It shows how the asylum makes them into machines and they are all part of a mechanized world. The frustration and disappoint in their looks show show the asylum not just affects the inmates, it also affects those who work there.

(P6) “I realize all of a sudden it’s the first laugh I’ve heard in years.”
Laugh is a symbol for happiness, which is not associated with the asylum. Being that they haven’t heard someone laugh in years suggests the misery and depression that the inmates experience in the ward. McMurphy’s laugh is a sign for a new beginning that involves happiness.

(P6) “The ward is a factory for the Combine. It’s for fixing up mistakes.”
It shows the idea that there is only a narrow definition of “normal” or “acceptable” in society. Those who don’t seen to fit in are subject to isolation and considered to be a danger to the society. The ignorance of society is detailed with this quote and trying to make a perfect society that oppresses those who are different.

(P6) “I know already what will happen: somebody’s drag me out of the fog and we’ll be back on the ward and there won’t be a sign of what went on tonight.”
Chief is afraid of the fog disappearing because he feels a sense of safety. He fears that once the fog is gone, reality will set in that everything remains the same and nothing has changed. He is unable to accept the fact that change is not a bad thing and he is able to accept himself. The fog represents the lack of thought and accepting the facts. It is created by the mechanized world that society creates.

(P6) “He argues for the rest of the day with some of the other guys about why they didn’t vote, but they don’t want to talk about it.”
This shows how the inmates have been figuratively beaten into submission. Although McMurphy offers them an opportunity to revolt against the Nurse, their fear is overwhelmingly powerful than them. They are afraid of the harmful consequences that Nurse is known for.

(P6) “Now that McMurphy was around to back them up, the guys started letting fly at everything that had ever happened on the ward they didn’t like.”
This shows how convincing McMurphy is because he was able to make the characters stand up for what they believe is wrong. It takes a strong character to build weak men into determined men. Also, it shows how Nurse Ratched is losing control of the ward and how her lose of power is influencing the men to be fearless.

(P6) “As a matter of fact, there are only a few men on the ward who are committed. Not many commitments in the whole hospital.”
This shows the destructive power that society has on the inmates. They have been rejected and traumatized that they are reluctant to go back into society. They prefer the miserable treatment of the ward rather than the real world. The inmates continue to be in the ward and are reluctant to leave because of their own fears and not because of the Nurse. Although the ward has been portrayed as hell, it is seen as a safe haven to some of the inmates. It is also why they are

(P6) “… wire blier, limber lock, three geese in a flock… one flew east, one flew west, one flew over the cuckoo’s nest…”
This is a representation of McMurphy, Nurse Ratched, and Chief. The ones that flew east and west were Ratched and McMurphy. They went the opposite direction and were separated from the rest. It shows how McMurphy was separated from reality due to the lobotomy. It shows how Nurse was detached from her power in the ward. Chief is the one that flew over the cuckoo’s nest and was able to move forward since he was able to escape the ward. Ratched and McMurphy were unable to save themselves from the horrific ward.

(P6) What are the features of the mental hospital that represent oppression?
Possible Answers:
– The glass window at Ratched’s desk
– The Electro shock therapy
– The minimum amount of day rooms
– A strict schedule

(P6) What important event had recently happened in the U.S. that Chief constantly remembered?
Chief remembers World War 2 because it was in the late 1950s or early 1960s

What significance does the contrast between nature and the mechanical world have on the work as a whole?(p.1)
The world believes that the mental health patients need to be changed to be a part of society. They want to fix them like a machine. The patients represent nature because they are their natural selves instead of conforming to society’s standards.

Explain McMurphy’s sacrifice for the patients and what is means for the work as a whole. (P.1)
McMurphy shows the other patients that they deserve to be treated like a human being and not to tolerate the horrid conditions they are under. He fights for them so they can have some freedom. He gave Chief the courage to escape. McMurphy endured EST and a lobotomy for the patients and he died inside. The chief only killed his body because his spirit was already gone.

(P6) What year was Cuckoo’s Nest published?
1962

(P6) What war caused the economic depression in 1962?
World War 2

(P6) What is the importance of having Chief narrate the story?
Although Chief is not mentally stable, his state of mind provides an insight into the misery that is experienced in the ward and society. He is a reliable source because he pretends to be deaf and is able to find out the secrets of the ward.

(P6) Why does Chief mop the floors of the hospital and how does it help him?
He is believed to be deaf. He is not, and this allows him to gain information in hospital staff meetings that patients aren’t allowed to see.

(P6) Does Chief’s oppression motivate McMurphy to play the role of the savior? Why?
Yes, Chief is larger than McMurphy, but like the other patients, has a small identity that is a result of the Combine. Along with the patient’s Chief motivates McMurphy to free them from Ratched.

(P6) Which adjective does NOT describe Chief Bromden?
A.Subjugated
B.Surreptitious
C.Hysterical
D.Resigned
B.Surreptitious

(P6) How does Chief’s development through the novel convey one of Kesey’s themes?
Chief’s reclaiming of his identity from the Combine conveys the theme of liberation being destroyed by the society of Kesey’s time. By rebelling against the hospital, Chief reclaims his identity.

(P6) How does McMurphy act as a savior to the patients of the ward? How is he unlike a typical christ figure?
McMurphy sacrifices himself for the wellbeing of the patients, but unlike a Christ figure, McMurphy is vulgar, violent, and initially selfish.

(P6) Why does McMurphy’s personality contrast the demeanors of most of the patients in the ward?
McMurphy is boisterous and laughs, which is something the patients never do. He is confident in himself, so he doesn’t try to take up little space.

(P6) Which adjective is NOT applicable to McMurphy in ANY part of the novel?
A. Docile
B. Exuberated
C. Naive
D. Violent
C. Naive

(P6) What are three acts of rebellion McMurphy does to help the patients?
Acts include: Ripping Ratched’s shirt, breaking the glass window, organizing a fishing trip, sitting to watch TV, and sneaking prostitutes into the hospital.

(P6) Nurse Ratched contrasts all of the following characters EXCEPT
A. Candy Starr
B. The Public Relations officer of the hospital
C. Randle P McMurphy
D. The japanese nurse
B. The Public Relations officer of the hospital

(P6) Why is Nurse Ratched’s gender important to the message her character’s oppressive personality conveys?
One of Kesey’s themes is how prudish women are castrators. If Nurse Ratched was male, Kesey could not compare Ratched to Candy Starr and prove that sexuality is healthy

(P6) Which of the following adjectives does NOT describe how Nurse Ratched acts towards McMurphy?
A. Altruistic
B. Manipulative
C. Hostile
D. Passively Aggressive
A. Altruistic

(P6) Why is Nurse Ratched the main physical antagonist of the novel and what does she represent?
Nurse Ratched represents the strict society of the Combine that includes the oppression caused by women, loss of freedom, and loss of sexuality.

(P6) Which of the following describes Harding
I. He prefers to stay in the Ward
II. He is married
III. He is considered a/is a homosexual
IV. He has a child with his wife
A.) I only
B.) II and III only
C.) I, II, and III
D.) I, II, III and IV
C.) I, II, and III

(P6) What did Harding say to McMurphy that upset him during their conversation in the library about Vera?
A.) “What do you think….I don’t mean physically, my friend, I mean what do you…”
B.) “I hate Mrs. Harding Mack; why don’t you call me Vera?”
C.) “Enough of anything, my bright little child”
D.) “Honey”
A.) “What do you think….I don’t mean physically, my friend, I mean what do you…”

(P6) All of the following describes Billy Bibbit except…
A.) He stutters
B.) He is shameful
C.) His mom always visits him
D.) He was previously married before admitted to the Ward
D.) He was previously married before admitted to the Ward

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New