1.

According to the podcast, how does Cuckoo's Nest represent American normalcy

breaking apart?
a. In Cuckoo’s Nest it is difficult to differentiate who is sane and insane. The
book is told through a mentally ill patient’s, Chief Bromden’s, perspective
and therefore it is hard to understand the true events and whether his
view is accurate. This is similar to in real life America. It is hard to
distinguish who is crazy and who isn’t. Insane people can seem so normal
and act completely sane but you never know the truth.

2. What surprised you about Ken Kesey's background that influenced the novel?

a. Kesey’s background in volunteering and working as an aid in a mental

hospital surprised me a bit. However, I can understand more in depth why
he wrote the book condemning the system and empathizing with patients
since he had experience. Additionally, his interest/empathy for Native
American culture surprised me as well.

3. What arguments does the podcast raise about how women are represented?  Did
you see the novel this way?

a. Women in power were seen as evil because of their positions in power.

On the other hand, women with no authority, for example the prostitutes,
were depicted as friendly and caring. While the podcast addressed Kesey’s
misogynistic way of writing, at times they tried to view Kesey’s writing
from a gender role perspective and how the gender with power was
portrayed as evil. I think that Kesey was misogynistic and vulgar in the
way he depicted women. He described Ratched in gross detail and
focused on her body too much in my opinion.

4. What challenges would Kesey have faced when adapting this novel to a
screenplay?

a. The narrator’s prospective was from Bromden’s point of view. While Kesey
wanted to keep it this way, producers who created the film version were
unable to do this. Kesey was not happy about this. The filmmakers hated
Kesey’s original screenplay which was too wild and surreal. They decided
to create their own rendition and took the spotlight off the Chief and
focused it on McMurphy. They changed it to a third person point of view
which took away from some scenes that were in the book which had
influence from Bromden’s mental illnesses and Native American influence.

5. Do you agree with the criticism that the film is "twice removed" by putting
McMurphy as the protagonist?  Do you agree or disagree with the idea that in
doing so, the filmmakers were engaging in "Hollywood colonialism"?
 a. Yes, the film was made from a third person perspective and the main
focus was shifted to McMurphy instead the chief. They took away chief’s
Native American backstory by removing his internal monologue which was
a big difference from the book. Additionally, the Native American Chief’s
story was taken away and instead McMurphy, “a charismatic white male”
was given the spotlight.

6. What were your impressions of Louise Fletcher's interpretation of Nurse Ratchet?

a. Louise thought of Ratched as a real person with human motives. To make

a frightening villain, Fletcher said, you have to be a real person. She
thought Ratched was completely in control of her life until someone shook
her world (McMurphy). She thought of Ratched to be well-intentioned
which is scarier than a villain who knows they are in the wrong. Ratched
doesn’t realize her own evilness or flaws which is more terrifying.

7. How have people who have experience with hospitals/institutions reacted to the
film?

a. Dean Brooks, an American physician, experienced mental hospitals

firsthand. He decided to play the doctor, Spivey, because he wanted the
movie to have accurate representation of a doctor at a mental hospital.
He initially didn’t like the screenplay for accuracy reasons and wanted to
assist in portraying an accurate institution.