Connection with IBH Literature

In IBH Literature, I am currently reading One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and I found that I could make many connections with the story and our class discussions. The main character, Chief, is schizophrenic, so his memory and perception of the events that happen around him is greatly altered by his illness. When Chief's schizophrenia acts up, he refers to it as the "fog machine": everything and everyone is covered in the fog. Although it is a metaphorical fog, for Chief, it could be seen as a way where his perception is affected. He is partially blinded by this fog and because of this, he sees his surroundings in a different way from what they really are. For example, in his psychopathic ward, he once saw the entire building covered in machines, knives, and murder. Although the ward was a terrible place to be in, it was obviously not a place where murder occurred. However, in the eyes of Chief, he perceived it as so, since the "fog" had affected him at the time.

Memory is also a big part of the story, as flashbacks to Chief's past are mentioned many times. He was the son of a Native American chief, which is why he is called Chief as well. However, unlike with the fog, his memories seem to be unaffected by his illness. He can clearly remember certain events of his past, such as a government visit to his father, where Native American property was sought after. This perhaps shows how he may treasure his past more than his present, since he holds a tight grasp over this compared to his present.