Q: How Effective was the ending (specifically the part about turning McMurphy into a vegetable)?
A: I think that having this ending was extremely effective. It turned McMurphy into a martyr because it showed how he was willing to lose his life (his thoughts and personality) for the group in the ward. Changing McMurphy also aids to the Nurse's evil personality/character (clearly labeling her as the villain in the story).
Q: What did the backstory contribute to our knowledge of the Chief?
A: Knowing the Chief's backstory definitely helps the readers throughout the story. It makes us pity him, and therefore want to listen to him. Basically, it makes the readers trust him more so than if we didn't know his story.
Q: What was the purpose of the fog throughout the book?
A: The fog showed the readers just how observant the Chief was in the ward. For example, when he is under the fog and has a nightmare about the ward being an industrial combine, this shows how he realizes what the ward really does to people. He understands that the ward is cruelly treating the patients in order to make them "like everyone else."
Q: How effective was the use of an "insane" character as the narrator?
A: It was very effective to have the Chief as the narrator (even if he was "insane") for several reasons. The first is that he has been at the ward the longest, so he knows more about the place and the people in it than anyone else. Secondly, he depicts McMurphy as an idol. This helps the readers identify him as the hero (really, the antihero) of the story. Finally, the Chief pretends to be deaf and mute throughout the story. This enables him to hear or see things that any of the other patients probably wouldn't hear or see, such as the Nurse losing her temper. This also gives the readers more insight as to what goes on in the ward.
