Cuckoo's Nest Part 4

The fourth section of this novel depicts the final feud between Randle Patrick McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. This part begins with Chief telling the reader that Ratched began planning a counterattack on McMurphy while he and the group were on their fishing excursion. Chief somewhat omnisciently relates that Ratched knows that people eventually grow suspicious of individuals who seemingly operate selflessly on behalf of others. 

She plants the seeds of dissent in the group while McMurphy takes a phone call. She prompts the group to question McMurphy's motive when she tells them he has won more than $300 from the other patients. While the patients enjoy the additional benefits that McMurphy has provided, they suspect that he may be motivated by more than philanthropic impulses.

 Ratched manipulates the conversation by asking if any member of the group considers McMurphy a saint. She continues that McMurphy is taking credit for giving the patients items and freedoms that were not his to give. She climaxes her attack on McMurphy by revealing to the patients that McMurphy made money off the patients when he arranged the fishing trip. Ratched tells Billy Bibbit, McMurphy's most staunch defender, that she doesn't disapprove of McMurphy's actions, but that she feels the patients shouldn't delude themselves that McMurphy's actions are selfless.

Cuckoo's Nest Part 3

The third section of this novel begins with Chief recognizing that McMurphy's behavior also has infected Doctor Spivey. Spivey stands up to Ratched when she questions the wisdom of allowing the patients to play basketball on the ward.

 The relationship between Ratched and McMurphy has become marked by a strained politeness until Ratched denies McMurphy an Accompanied Pass with a woman named Candy Starr. In response, McMurphy puts his hand through the glass of the nurses' station again, pretending it was an accident.

McMurphy coaches a game pitting the patients against the African-American aides that soon turns unruly. McMurphy bloodies the nose of the aide named Washington, which will impact future events in the novel.

The patients' behavior is changed because of McMurphy's influence. Harding flirts with the student nurses, Billy Bibbit stops writing about other patients in Ratched's log book, and Scanlon throws the basketball through the recently replaced glass in the nurses' station.

Cuckoo's Nest Part 2

The second section of this novel begins with the patients still watching the blank television screen. All except McMurphy, however, are completely aware of Ratched's anger. Even the orderlies and aides watch Ratched to see how she will react to the insubordinate behavior. Chief remarks that "there's no more fog anyplace," indicating that he believes McMurphy's rebellious behavior has removed it.

  Chief is led to the staff room, where Nurse Ratched will conduct a staff meeting. Chief tells the reader that cleaning the staff room is a frightening chore because the staff emits poisonous and acidic gases and fluids. At times, Chief says, the staff is able to make a patient materialize on the table, "vulnerable to any fiendish notion they took."

The staff room is tense, and Nurse Ratched reacts suspiciously to Chief's presence. In a humorously and satirically written discussion, the staff debates what they should do with the impertinent McMurphy. The staff, described by Chief as "boys," attempts to anticipate Ratched's wishes by recommending that he be sent to the Disturbed Ward. Ratched disagrees, telling the staff that McMurphy is her responsibility and that she isn't prepared to admit failure this soon. She declares that McMurphy resembles Charles Cheswick, a man she says backs down when challenged. She reminds the staff that the length of McMurphy's stay at the hospital is entirely dependent on the determination of the staff based upon his ability to conform.

Cuckoo's Nest Part 1

The conclusion of Part 1 begins with a stream of consciousness passage by Chief Bromden that details the extent of his paranoia and some of his mental condition's causes. He first experiences the fog while serving in the military during World War II. He believes the fog machine used on the ward is Army Surplus. He senses that the Combine is increasing the output of the fog machine until it can find a way to control McMurphy. 

At a group meeting, McMurphy tells Nurse Ratched that he'd like another vote to change the television viewing schedule. Nurse Ratched realizes that McMurphy will never win a vote because she counts the votes of the Chronics as well as the Acutes, and the Chronics are not cognizant enough to understand what they're voting for. Ratched ends the meeting before a final vote is tallied; a tally that favors McMurphy and the Acutes. While the other patients are disillusioned, McMurphy denies Ratched her victory by placing himself in front of the television. When she shuts off the power, he and the other Acutes stay fixed to the television while Ratched yells at them to resume their duties. McMurphy has won another battle.

Vergil in Hamlet; Act II, scene ii

Throughout the play I am noticing a parallel trend between the two families (hamlet’s and ophelia’s).  Their parents are both strict and demanding. They both check upon their kids more then often and make sure they are doing what their told. For example, Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to question Laertes' friends and acquaintances in order to discover how his son is living.  He wants to be sure that Laertes hasn't returned to the wild, youthful behavior that marked his past. Polonius does the same thing with his daughter Ophelia by making sure she avoids Hamlet after he fears that Hamlet is mad for her love.  I find it strange and unnecessary for their parents to control their kids especially when they are both over 18 and they are adults now. Ophelia should be allowed to make her decisions on her own. And Laertes should not have to be checked upon while he is in Paris.  

Also, in Act II King Claudius sends Rosencratz and Guildenstern to check upon Hamlet because he is acting so strange. Hamlet is an adult and he should be trusted with making his own decisions and whatever he feels he needs to do. 

It just seems that in each family there is a missing trust factor and they feel the need to be overprotective of their children that are already grown up. 

Vision, Perception, and Belief in Act I, scenes i and ii of Hamlet

In the first Act, Shakespeare reveals some background information, which includes different character’s feelings and their relationship between each other. Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet) recently passed away and he represents his depression through black mourning attire. Apparently it is strange for Hamlet to still be mourning; as his uncle, now known as King Claudius, asks him why “the clouds still hang upon him.” I personally feel it is normal behavior for Hamlet to act this way because a lot is changing in his life; his father is deceased, his mother is now married to his uncle, and he will not be attending the Wittenberg school anymore.
Hamlet’s excessive mourning can also represent a strong, close relationship with his father. But it seems as if Claudius finds Hamlet’s behavior bizarre and “unmanly” of him. This is a little ridiculous seeing that it was Hamlet’s father and Claudius’s brother who died. The whole conversation between Claudius and Hamlet is kind of awkward and it represents hostility between the two, well at least for Hamlet towards his uncle.
I also find it ridiculous that Queen Gertrude only abides by Claudius’s feelings and she fails to give any sympathy for her son or even for herself. Gertrude’s husband, the man she was in love with, did pass away and she is not really showing any signs of sorrow. Gertrude is failing at her duties of being a mother because she is not giving her son any affection and she seems to be acting like nothing is wrong.
It also boggles my mind as to why King Claudius and Queen Gertrude do not want Hamlet to attend the school he had been going to before his father died. If anything this would help Hamlet get his mind off of things instead of sitting at home and mourning with his pitiless mother and uncle.
Hamlet expresses his feelings in is monologue towards the end of scene ii. Hamlet describes his desire to die and grieves over his father’s death. He also describes his hatred towards his mother and uncle’s quick marriage right after King Hamlet’s death. I feel deep sympathy for Hamlet and couldn’t agree with him anymore then I do.

Coleridge and Shelley - Imagination and Narrative Voice

"Kubla Khan" is a poem of mixed feelings. I believe it celebrates imagination and then takes a turn to caution against its indulgence. According to the background information (pg. 758) Coleridge was describing a dream until it was interrupted when he awoke. As the first stanza starts off Coleridge describes a "pleasure-dome" with a sacred river that runs "through caverns measureless to man." This by all means seems to be a creative possibilty of paradise. In the second stanza is where the poem ventures off in to an opposite (negative) direction as he says "then reached the caverns endless to man." "Prophesying war" leads me to believe his dream was interuppted and he awoke to a reality, "with caves of ice." The caution of indugence is revealed when Coleridge says "and all should cry, beware! beware!" Coleridge seems to be setting in a theme to draw the line between the imaginative mind and reality.

In the sonnet “Ozymandias,” there are 4 speakers: the narrator, the traveler, the sculptor, and King Ozymandias.” The narrator is obviously just narrating the story that he is discovering from the traveler. The traveler is like a messenger between the sculptor and the narrator. His main purpose is to describe the sculptor’s thoughts of the king’s personality which are hostility and arrogance (“cold sneer”). Under the sculpture is a quote from King Ozymandias that says “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" it reflects his conceded personality and the irony of that statement since the statue is surrounded by nothing and it just sunken in to the sand. This represents King Ozymandias’ pride and how it backfired on him.