Throughout this week in class, we focused on how the narrator affects the story. Seeing as our story is told from the perspective of Chief Bromden, a mentally ill patient who pretends to be deaf and hallucinates, the truth is possibly going to be altered. Chief hears things that people think he can't which gives him an advantage over the other patients. However, due to his recent interest in McMurphy, Chief is beginning to give out hints that he isn't as hindered by hearing as he'd like to seem. When McMurphy illustrates one of his first big rebellious moves when wishing to view the World Series, Chief raises his hand for the vote. I wonder how this might influence the staff's suspicion about him. Will they continue to talk about secret information around him or might he start being treated differently?
Chief has been a reliable narrator when focusing in on details and making intricate comparisons. I specifically enjoy the way he compares Harding and McMurphy, seeing as they've began to strike up conflict more and more. He specifically shows their contrasts when he states, "Harding had hands that looked like they should have done paintings thought they never did," and "McMurphy wasn't like that. he hadn't let what he looked like run his life one way or another" (Kesey 162). Chief has given very wise and remarkable statements regarding his observations of the other patients. He pays great attention to each or their quirks and habits that make them the people hey are, not just patients. So even though we might not be reading the whole truth, our observant narrator provides insight into the gritty, remarkable functions of the ward and its inhabitants.
Zach Torbett
ReplyDeleteChief definitely affects the story due to his hallucinations and the fact that he is narrating from a patient point of view. He has a bias unlike other stories where the P.O.V. is third person and unbiased. I happen to like the biased point of view because it really makes you understand how much of an antagonist nurse Ratched is.