Journey to Self-Destruction in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... towards himself - destruction. His actions range from the minuscule, such as changing the policies of the minor wards, to attempting to strangle Nurse Ratched. All his actions, minor and major, lead to his self-destruction. He continues this behavior even after he discovers that his actions are only harming himself. McMurphy begins by protesting minor but significant flaws in the department's policies. When he first arrives, he runs around in nothing but a towel and causes shock and anger in the Big Nurse. His actions make it clear to nurses and patients that he will not just sit back and accept cruel treatment from staff to get patients to comply silently and without protest. He begins to gamble with patients, first with cigarettes and then with IOUs, despite the nurse's rule not to gamble on the ward with money (Kesey 102). He also convinces the spineless Dr. Spivey to allow the patients to open a separate room for their card games. She uses the doctor to implement these changes, which exasperates the nurse because it disempowers her. The resentment between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched continues to grow. McMurphy makes all these changes before realizing one vital fact: Nurse Ratched is the only one who determines how long he will stay in the ward. He is watching television while everyone else is completing their chores. The nurse tells him, "You're busy, you realize that. You're... under my jurisdiction... the staff... Under jurisdiction and control-" (138). The nurse also says, "Keep in mind that Mr. McMurphy is busy. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us" (150). McMurphy relaxes slightly; however, he ultimately continues to harass the nurse, despite knowing that she is the one dictating the length of his confinement (Waldmeir 425). He crosses the line and throws a ward party in the middle of the night, inviting two prostitutes and intoxicating the patients with a mixture of cherry-flavored alcohol and codeine cough syrup. He does this knowing that he will have to face the consequences of this event. However, he feels he must continue this self-destruction so that other patients find themselves and their sense of freedom ( 427).

Topic > Journey to Self-Destruction in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... towards himself - destruction. His actions range from the minuscule, such as changing the policies of the minor wards, to attempting to strangle Nurse Ratched. All his actions, minor and major, lead to his self-destruction. He continues this behavior even after he discovers that his actions are only harming himself. McMurphy begins by protesting minor but significant flaws in the department's policies. When he first arrives, he runs around in nothing but a towel and causes shock and anger in the Big Nurse. His actions make it clear to nurses and patients that he will not just sit back and accept cruel treatment from staff to get patients to comply silently and without protest. He begins to gamble with patients, first with cigarettes and then with IOUs, despite the nurse's rule not to gamble on the ward with money (Kesey 102). He also convinces the spineless Dr. Spivey to allow the patients to open a separate room for their card games. She uses the doctor to implement these changes, which exasperates the nurse because it disempowers her. The resentment between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched continues to grow. McMurphy makes all these changes before realizing one vital fact: Nurse Ratched is the only one who determines how long he will stay in the ward. He is watching television while everyone else is completing their chores. The nurse tells him, "You're busy, you realize that. You're... under my jurisdiction... the staff... Under jurisdiction and control-" (138). The nurse also says, "Keep in mind that Mr. McMurphy is busy. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us" (150). McMurphy relaxes slightly; however, he ultimately continues to harass the nurse, despite knowing that she is the one dictating the length of his confinement (Waldmeir 425). He crosses the line and throws a ward party in the middle of the night, inviting two prostitutes and intoxicating the patients with a mixture of cherry-flavored alcohol and codeine cough syrup. He does this knowing that he will have to face the consequences of this event. However, he feels he must continue this self-destruction so that other patients find themselves and their sense of freedom ( 427).