One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest IV

In this final part of the novel the motive behind McMurphy's conniving ways are being questioned.  The truth behind his personality is beginning to come out.  It all started when Nurse Ratched posted a list of all of the patients financial statements.  Everyones showed a steady amount, where McMurphys showed a decline.  When a phone call kept McMurphy from a group meeting the questions started to fly.  Harding, being the only sensible one stated that it wasn't like McMurphy hid his con-man ways from them, they shouldn't be so surprised.  I personally agree with Harding.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest III

In part three of the novel the doctor approves a fishing trip for the acutes.  Bromden and McMurphy were two of the few picked to go on the trip.  They all pile up in a van and head to the lake where they will fish.  On this trip McMurphy acts out of course.  While stopping to get gas a man makes a comment that sets McMurphy off, so he begins to tell him how there from the ward. But it only gets worse when he starts to tell him that there really crazy people and makes up stories of all the things the Chief did to get in the ward.  Im sure the doctor and the nurse would have regretted sending McMurphy on the trip.   

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Part II

The tables begin to turn in part two of this novel, as the patients in the ward begin to watch and observe Nurse Ratched.  They all sit and stare at her through the glass window as she has her outbursts.  All of this mayhem is taking place in the ward because of a rather new and very smart patient, McMurphy.  In the beginning of part two Nurse Ratched, the aids, the doctors and the other staff at the ward hold a meeting to discuss what to do about this McMurphy character.  Chief Bromdom always sits in on the meetings and cleans the walls and baseboards with a bucket and sponge.  They allow him to do this being that they think he is “deaf and dumb”.  But Bromdom isn’t really deaf and he isn’t so “dumb” either.  In this meeting he listens and pays very close attention to their discussion about McMurphy.  They all feel that he is violent and a threat to the staff and other patients, and that he should be moved from the acute’s to the disturbed.  The big nurse does not respond to this and the rest of the staff takes he silence as a sign of approval, but they are oddly mistaken.  

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Part I

In part one of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest we are introduced to the characters in the hospital.  We also become aware of who our narrator is and how he came to be there, his name is Chief Bromden, a long-term patient in Nurse Ratched's psychiatric ward.  Nurse Ratched is steadily referred to as “The Big Nurse”, by Bromden. Bromden describes Ratched as having “skin like flesh-colored enamel” and lips and fingertips the strange orange color of polished steel. Her one feminine feature is her oversized chest, which she attempts to hide under her white nurses uniform. Bromden also describes he as “big as a tractor” when she gets angry with the aides, other wise known as the black boy.  Everyone in the ward seems to think Bromden is “deaf and dumb”, meaning he cant hear or speak.  With that said everyone in the ward, patients and staff included, walk all over him.  The patients like to mess around with him time and again, and the aids; or black boys like to make him do their dirty work like mop the floors and clean the ward.  Another thing we learn early on about Chief Bromden is how he begins to scream and hallucinate that he is being surrounded by machine-made fog until he is forcedly medicated.  This happens when they aids try to shave him.

Response to Lantern Theater performance of Hamlet

About a week ago we went to see the Lantern Theaters performance of Hamlet. As a person who grew up in the theater i was excited to see how the actors in this theater production would portrayed this play. I had never seen a production of Hamlet before, aside from a movie interpretation. When we first walked in the theater I was a bit concerned about the size and the odd set up of the set. After the play had started my feelings about the set changed, I thought it was very unique and it worked well with the play. Although the play was very good and very well portrayed I prefer to read the play myself so i can use my own imagination.

Hamlet act 2

In act two of Hamlet we continue to see more of a change in Hamlets personality, he’s beginning to become more and more focused on the demise of Claudius. He is also becoming distracted by love and selfishness. Also in act two I learned a lot about the character of Claudius. In act two we see that King Claudius's is more concerned with the well being and motives of Hamlet more that he is concerned with his own country. Even with Fortinbras on his tail he still manages to ignore all major conflicts and duties, dealing with things that could determine the countries future. Although incomparable to the play that takes place in Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer’s Night Dream", in act two we again see how Shakespeare uses a “play with in a play”. However the play that takes place in Hamlet has a motive behind it. Hamlet is presenting this play to put the word out to Claudius that he is aware of his father’s tragic death. He is also hoping to bring the tragic and ugly truth to his mother’s attention. I respect Hamlets creative prevention of a confrontation. He is aware that if he were to just come out with the truth it would cause much more of a crisis then he would prefer. All I feel that I learned a lot more about the story and the characters in act two, rather then in the previous act. Also the ending of the act left me excited to see what would develop in the following act.

Hamlet act 1

In act one of Shakespeare’s Hamlet we meet Hamlet and learn of the recently strange changes in his life. Hamlet’s father, the late King Hamlet, recently passed away leaving an empty thrown that has now been filled by Hamlets Uncle, now King Claudius. From this act I can already foresee Claudius having a very treacherous personality. I say this because naturally Hamlet is very distraught over the death of his father and so he shows his respects by mourning and wearing all black. Obviously Claudius isn’t too affected by the death of his brother because he asks why “the clouds still hang upon him”, as though it is strange that Hamlet is still upset. Hamlet’s excessive mourning also represents a strong, close relationship with his father. My feelings on Hamlets mother, Queen Gertrude, are also quite odd. To see how a woman who has just lost he husband can be remarried to his very own brother just weeks later. Also the Queen seems to abide by Claudius’ feelings on Hamlets mourning. It is quite puzzling to me how she fails to give any sympathy for her son or better yet, herself. The lack of sorrow and failure to sympathize with her son prove to me that Queen Gertrude is a very selfish woman. We also learn in this act that Hamlet will no longer be attending the Wittenberg school anymore. In my opinion going back to his school with his friends would do Hamlet more good then staying in the castle resenting his mother and uncle. In a monologue Hamlet describes his desire to die and grieves over his father’s death. I hope to learn more in the act to come and become more intrigued by the dramatics of this play.