Big Nurse vs. Mr. McMurphy!!

There are two main dominant characters in Ken Kessey's novel, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". These characters are Mr. McMurphy and the Big Nurse. Big Nurse is in charge of the ward, she oversees everything that is done there. She even controls the volume of the music that is played over the loudspeaker. Big Nurse's commands are obeyed and her wishes are turned into reality. She has her workers at her heels and she acts as if she owns the place. This all changes once Mr. McMurphy enters the ward, though.

Mr. McMurphy is described as, "broad across the jaw and shoulders and chest, a broad white devilish grin" (Kessey, 16) From the moment McMurphy enters the ward, there is a shift of power. He challenges Big Nurse, something no one has ever even dreamed of doing. He sings, whistles, laughs, dances around. None of these actions are ever seen in the ward. He makes a lot of great changes to the ward.

I am not exactly sure if either of these characters "win". I feel as if they both win in a different way. Big Nurse wins in the sense that McMurphy got a lobotomy and was a vegetable, and then Chief smothers him. But McMurphy has gotten the other patients to stand up for themselves, he even got Chief to talk!! Therefore, in my opinion, both Big Nurse and McMurphy win.