Cukoo’s Nest Act 1, Scene 1 Study Guide

McMurphy

Physical/Personality Description: Shaggy, with long sideburns. Devilish grin. Face battered. Black motorcycle cap. Brown leather jacket. Steel heeled boots.

Lines from dialogue:

“Buddy you are so wrong. I don’t have to do this and I don’t have to do that”

“Well, buddy, I’m truly glad you’re next in luh-line for the job”

“Fifty-two position, boys, every one different. Easy now, don’t smudge ‘em, we got lotsa time, lotsa games.”

Chief Bromden

Physical/Personality Description: Bull muscled Indian who stands six feet and half. Everyone thinks he’s deaf, and he only talks when he is alone. He gets bullied by the Aids Warren and William. He is scared of the razor and runs away.

Lines of dialogue:

“You hear it Papa? The Black Machine”

“New admission, Papa, now they gotta fix him with controls”

Billy Bibbit

Physical/Personality Descriptions: Does self-harm, almost thirty years old but appears more like a boy (childish). He has a stuttering problem and looks like a child.

Lines of dialogue:

“(Pulls back his sleeve, revealing bandages on the wrist.) That you were very sorry and had promised not to try it again”

“Well, we’d sub-supposed to”

“Well, it’s not m-me, mister. I’m not the buh-buh-bull goose loony, although you could say I’m next in luh-line for the job.”

Dale Harding

Physical/Personality Descriptions: Wears glasses, middle-aged, handsome, effete. He is irritable, plays card games to pass time, President of the Patient’s Council.

Lines of dialogue:

“I’ll meet him in the main hall at high noon and we’ll settle this affair once and for all, libidos a’blazin”

“Dear Lord, for the tranquility we are bout to receive, we thank Thee.”

Cheswick

Physical/Personality Descriptions: He is short, chubby, with a crew cut; his manner alternately truculent and cringing. He has a funny sense of humor, he is very trust, and his real name is Charles.

Lines of dialogue:

“Don’t gimme that crap, all I want to know, for the luvva God - !”

“Sure, get a gold star by your name”

“Yeah, and I’m going to write down some things you did!”

“(Mimicking) ‘Behave yourself boys?’ What choice we got?”

Scanlon

Physical/Personality Descriptions: A man who is nearly bald and in his fifties. He keeps to himself a lot, likes to pretend that he is building bombs, doesn’t really interact with anyone, does not appreciate distractions from others while working on a project.

Lines of dialogue:

“(Darkly.” A bomb - to blow up the whole stink in’ world.”

“(Indignantly, shoving the tray away from his box.) Look out, there!”

“A man nearly bald, in his fifties, stalks across to a table without answering.”

Scanlon

Physical/Personality Descriptions: A man who is nearly bald and in his fifties. He keeps to himself a lot, likes to pretend that he is building bombs, doesn’t really interact with anyone, does not appreciate distractions from others while working on a project.

Lines of dialogue:

“(Darkly.” A bomb - to blow up the whole stink in’ world.”

“(Indignantly, shoving the tray away from his box.) Look out, there!”

“A man nearly bald, in his fifties, stalks across to a table without answering.”

Martini

Physical/Personality Descriptions: Seems like an old timer with his accent, hallucinated, disliked McMurphy. He is usually happy and likes to deal cards even though he is terrible at it.

Lines of dialogue:

“Mornin!”

“Hug? Oh yeah, here we go!” (He deals enthusiastically, sailing an extra set of cards off to his left to a player who isn’t there.)

“What’s a matter?”

Ruckly

Physical/Personality Descriptions: He wears an adult diaper, stands like he is crucified, a once strong and powerful man now blank faced and empty, he has a shaven skull. The only thing he said is “f-f-fuck em’ all!” And is permanently in the Memtal Institution.

Lines of dialogue:

“F-f-fuck em’ all”

He wears an adult diaper causing him to pee himself

Nurse Ratched

Physical/Personality Descriptions: Her age is hard to tell, has a brilliant warm smile, her body is ripe and womanly, and wears a white uniform. Moves if she was on “wheels,” greets every patient every morning in their own special way, bosses the Aides around, seemingly knows everything about the place, straight to the point but polite.

Lines of dialogue:

“There is an odd perfection about her…”

“Behave yourself boys?”

Aides Warren and Williams

Physical/Personality Descriptions: Both wear white uniforms, always traveling together, and speak in an urban dialect. They chase down the Chief with an electric razor, and end up tying him to a chair. They try their best to get McMurphy to shower. They go to Nurse Ratched immediately when a patient challenges them.

Lines of dialogue:

“What you want, baby? Yo’ broom? … Thassit. He sang his broom…. Thassa good loony.”

“Yeah, Miz Ratched.”

Definition of power

The ability to get something done, to get someone to do what you want or need them to do

Definition of idiom

A type of figurative language in which the literal meaning does not match the implied meaning

Definition of soliloquy

A dramatic device wherein a character speaks their innermost thoughts and feelings aloud, often while alone on stage or to the audience, revealing their true state of mind, intentions, or providing important exposition.

Bulk Goose Looney

the leader; the head of ”crazy” person

Defunct

No longer existing or functioning

Effete

Having feminine qualities; not manly in appearance or manner.

Pinochle

A card game

Shebang

An informal matter, operation, or set of circumstances.

“yaller”

dialectical spelling of the color “yellow”; also indicates fear or cowardliness

vapid

Flat, dull, simple/stupid; lacking significance or depth (it’s an insult to be called vapid)

truculent

Quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant

Zealous

Passionate, devoted, committed

A “burr up the butt”

Something or someone that is a persistant source of irritation

Statutory rape

Sexual intercourse between an adult (someone over the age of 18) and a minor (someone 17 or younger)

Probe

To examine something thoroughly (physically or intellectually)

Ardent

Enthusiastic, passionate

“poozle”

a slang term for sex with a woman

Feigning

Faking

Impotence

Ineffectiveness

Wistfully

Sentimentally

Well-endowed

Informal term for a woman with a large chest/bosom

Veritable

To suggest something is truthful or legitimate. Often used as an intensifier, often to qualify a metaphor. Similar to the slang term “straight up” or “downright”

Emasculate

To deprive a man of his male role or identity