Chief Bromden'S Escape

Chief Bromden's Escape

How can you be big and small at the same time? In Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief Bromden is one of the inmates in an insane asylum who escapes the Institution. Many of the other inmates are afraid of the Institution and cannot escape. How does Chief escape? McMurphy helps him break free. He teaches Chief how to be strong and independent again. He listens to Chief and helps him get back his self-confidence. McMurphy influences Chief to do things for himself. Having this help, Chief finds himself and his self-confidence. This leads to Chief escaping the Institution because he can face the world on his own without hiding under a false identity of being deaf.

Chief Bromden is a six foot seven tall Native American (half) who feels very small and weak even though by physical description, he is very big and strong. Chief does not have enough self-confidence and he is not independent. That is what makes him so small and weak. When Randle McMurphy, the new inmate in the asylum comes in, Chief is reminded of what his father used to be: strong, independent, confident and big. "He talks a little the way papa used to, voice loud and full of hell..." (16) McMurphy helps Chief gains back his self-confidence and teaches him to be independent.

In the control panel scene, McMurphy bets with the other men that he can lift the control panel even though it is too heavy for him. He is teaching Chief and the other inmates that even if you think you can't do something, you have to try. If you try and you fail that will be okay, but if you never try, you don't know what you can do. The other men and Chief have never tried to rebel against Nurse Ratched and the institution. They have watched others fail so they are afraid to try; but they are different. If they try, they might be able to defeat Nurse Ratched. They do not know about their own abilities. They lack the self-confidence and courage to do it for themselves. So McMurphy shows them how to try. "But I tried, though,' he says. 'Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?"(111)

During the second World Series vote, McMurphy gets Chief and twenty of the Acutes to raise their hands up. He helps the Acutes realize that they can group together and fight against the Institution. He helps Chief pull out of his fog and teaches him how to do things for himself so that he is independent. When Chief raised his hand, at first he thought that it was McMurphy's doing. But then, he realized that it was himself. "No. That's not the truth. I lifted it myself." (126) He has just done something for himself because he wanted to raise his hand. After this incident, Chief realizes that he doesn't see anymore fog. "There's no more fog anyplace." (130) This is because McMurphy has helped him get out of the fog. Chief also does something for himself when he decides not to take his sleeping pill. He is thinking for himself, deciding what he wants, and not just obeying the Institution like a robot. (Chief describes some of the patients in the ward as having machines installed into them.)

When Chief and the inmates go on the fishing trip with McMurphy, he teaches them how to face the outside world and its problems. He teaches them how to be independent by letting them do things for themselves. He sits back on the boat and just laughs while the men are trying to fish by themselves. They learn that they can actually do things independently without depending on someone else to help them. They begin to see themselves as stronger people and Chief starts having fun. McMurphy also shows the men that they don't have to look at the bad side of things. They can always look at the funny and good side. Chief and the inmates learn to let loose and laugh on the boat.

When the inmates get back to the asylum, the men have to go through cleaning. The black boys force George to clean even though he doesn't want to. McMurphy stands up for George and starts to fight with Washington. Chief