1. Discuss McMurphy. Why does he arrive in the ward? Is he guilty of a crime? Is he insane? Why does he choose to battle Nurse Ratched and help the patients? is McMurphy the hero of this story? Use
examples from the story to support your answers.
2. Analyze Nurse Ratched. Is she simply a cold hearted villain? How does she maintain power over the
patients? What is the meaning of her nickname? Does she change over the course of the story? Explain.
3. What is the best treatment for people with mental illnesses? Is it possible to cure therm? Should they be
isolated or incorporated into society? Why or why not?
4. Describe how mental illness is viewed in modern times. How has it changed over the past 20-30 years?
How does that differ from the 1960s, which is when this story was written? Have our views really
changed or does mental illness still have a negative stigitia?
5. Is it right to confine men and women? What about in the case of criminal activity? What about in the
case of mental illness? What negative consequences arise when a man or woman is confined long-term?
6. How does McMurphy attempt to defeat Nurse Ratched? How does she attempt to defeat him? Who
wins in the end? Explain.
7. How does Nurse Ratched manipulate the men in the ward? Is the ward designed to keep men insane?
Use specific examples from the story to support your answer.
8. Compare the atmosphere of the ward before and after McMurphy arrives. What is his reaction to how
the ward is run? In what ways does he change the atmosphere? Are these positive changes or negative
ones?
9. Discuss all the instances of gambling and bets at the ward. What is McMurphy's motivation for all of
this? Is he just looking for personal gain? Or is there another purpose? Explain.
10. Analyze the group therapy sessions. What is discussed there? Does it help the patients? Does it harm
the patients? Use examples to prove your opinion.
11. What role does electroshock therapy play in the story? Is it a helpful treatment? What about
lobotomies? What is the modern view on these types of therapies? Why do you think these methods