Character Sketches of McMurphy

The focus on how Chief as well as society views McMurphy.

How the Chief views McMurphy

• Talks powerfully “He talks loud like papa used to, voice loud and full of hell…” (NE: p. 11; OE: p. 16)

• Broad “…and he’s broad as papa was tall, broad across the jaw shoulders and chest” (NE: p. 11; OE: p.16)

• Free and loud “he commences to laugh. Nobody can tell exactly why he laughs; there’s nothing funny going on. But its no the way the Public relation laughs, its free and loud..” (NE: p. 11; OE: p.16)

• “I remember the fingers were thick and strong closing over mine, and my hand commenced to feel peculiar and went to swelling up out there on my stick of an arm, like he was transmitting his own blood into it. It range with blood and power. It blowed up near as big as his, I remember……” (NE: p.21; OE: p. 27)

• One who deserves respect- Chief compares McMurphy to his father, who was a well respected Columbia Indian chief. (NE: p. 12; OE: pp. 10-11)

Artistic Interpretation

In this picture you see McMurphy very much like everyone else sees him, only we incorporated some of Chief’s views. Chief feels that McMurphy almost resembles his Indian chief father.

How a sane person would view McMurphy

• Inappropriate “I brought along my own deck, just in case, has something in it other then face cards- and check the pictures, huh? Every one different. Fifty two different positions.” – “Cheswick is pop-eyed already, and what he sees on those cards don’t help his condition.”(p.17)

• Rowdy/ Not scared to speak his mind at many times McMurphy speaks his mind no matter what the situation. Coming into the ward he tells the black boys off.

• Feels he’s superior he talks to the employees of the asylum as if they were below him.

• Psychopathic McMurphy’s actions alone provide enough evidence to prove the fact that he is psychopathic, however he does reveal that that indeed is the case- “and the court ruled that I’m a psychopath”(p.17- p.18)

Artistic InterpretationArtistic Interpretation

•Beat up “ a seam runs across his nose and one cheekbone where somebody laid him a good one in a fight”…..”I see how big and beat up his hands are” (NE: p.12; OE: p.16)