Nurse Ratched By Randle P Mcmurphy

Randle P. McMurphy; 35 years of age, loud, sexual and confident. They say he is a psychopath, but is he really insane or was he just pretending
Forman’s film explores an ethical battle between the two main characters; R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Throughout the film, director Forman uses aesthetic techniques, as well as sound and colour to help position
the audience how he wants.
The film is essentially about R.P McMurphy getting transferred to a mental institution from a prison farm from
evaluation. He assumes it will be a less restrictive environment; unfortunately for McMurphy, nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist. Keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication

and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward’s patients.
Before McMurphy was sent to the mental institution, the patients had gotten used to the repressed emotions and daily scheduled that nurse Ratched abides by. But it all changed at the arrival of McMurphy. His loud, free laughter stuns the patients when he first arrives. McMurphy exemplifies sexuality, freedom and self-determination.
During the film it is established that McMurphy is not, in fact crazy. Director Forman has showed McMurphy to use relativistic discourses to rationalize his criminal behaviour, this positions the audience to see him not so much as a criminal but a loveable rogue. He does the same thing to hide the fact that he was convicted of statutory rape.
At the beginning of the film, McMurphy starts of as self-serving; reaching out to the patients, not because he wants to, but to relieve the boredom. Despite this, it is shown that as the film progresses, it appears that McMurphy has advanced into a utilitarian, and has the best interest for the other patients. Because of this, it makes it harder for the audience to resist him as a decent person.
“You’re no crazier than the average asshole on the street, no more no less”
~ R.P. McMurphy
Whilst in the mental institution McMurphy escapes over the fence, but rather than fleeing, he takes his fellow patients on a fishing trip; introducing them to deep sea fishing. It becomes obvious to the audience at that point that, the fishing trip was better therapy than Ratched’s rules. By sharing his relativistic outlook, he is also raising the other patients’ self-esteem. He also helps their self-esteem by saying, “You’re no crazier than the average asshole on the street, no more no less”.
McMurphy tries escaping a second time, but in the best interest of the other patients, he stays to throw them a party after Nurse Ratched leaves the institution.

At this point in the film, director Milos Forman positions the audience to relate to the characters of the film.
Nurse Mildred Ratched; the nurse that every patient fears. Nurse Ratched was introduced into the film wearing a long black jacket and hat; this leaves the audience to ponder about her ethics as a Universalist. For a nurse to be seen wearing black is a very unusual sight; simply because nurses are seen to be representing purity by wearing white. Even her hair, noticeably styled as if she has two devil horns. Forman was very clear in the way he used symbolism to position the audience to disapprove of her.
When Nurse Ratched first enters, she is given very little textual space compared to McMurphy’s vibrant entrance. By doing this, it makes Ratched seem dehumanized. Throughout the film, nurse Ratched makes sure that all patients abide by the rules. Ratched presents herself as a Universalist when she wouldn’t let McMurphy into the nurses’ station to turn down the music because, ‘it is against ward

policy’.
During the film, McMurphy asked Ratched if she could put the ball game on the television, but she said no because it was against the wards’ policy. After thinking about this, she decided to let them have a vote on this, due to the fact that she knew the other patients wouldn’t vote because they are all scared of her. This itself is a trait of Universalism, which often manifests in compliance through an unspoken fear of consequence.
“When the meeting was closed, Mr McMurphy, the vote was 8-8.

That’s not enough to change ward policy”
~ Nurse Ratched
However after some time, McMurphy brings up the ball game situation again and asks for another vote after he has gained all of the other patients’ respect. She agrees to this; but when McMurphy gets his majority, she manipulates the parameters of the voting public to include patients who can’t think or speak. This positions the audience to dislike her and is reinforced when she reverts to Universalist discourses when McMurphy manages to get one of the ‘feebs’ to vote after the close.
“When the meeting was closed, Mr McMurphy, the vote was 8-8. That’s not enough to change ward policy”. This positions viewers to dislike her even more as it becomes obvious that she is not at all concerned about patient welfare, but rather maintaining her authority.
Like all great fictional tales, the nemesis eventually loses to the hero. Ultimately Nurse Ratched found a way to repair her power in the psychiatric ward of the mental institution. Ratched’s solution to reclaim her power in the ward resulted in the lobotomy of R.P. McMurphy. Ratched thought she had gained all power back; but what she didn’t realise was McMurphy is more like a hero than what she

thought.
McMurphy’s death represents a significant growth in his power; he has left behind a legacy for the other patients, a legacy capable of ending their miserable days in the ward. Through Forman’s communication of Ratched’s leadership in such a Utilitarian manner, how could our perspective be otherwise? Even though Ratched may not have had a huge head or red hair, we still believe in the virtuous ethics of McMurphy’s one-man revolution.