Chief Broom (Bromden) -- halfAmerican Indian. Pretends to be deaf. Is he crazy or not? Has beenthere the longest, since end of WW II. Semi-unreliable narrator
Hallucinates
People get angry; he thinks theyget big (interprets power as size)
radio head -- people aremachines or machines are controlling things (was a radio operator in theWar)
Goes into the fog (fearof shock treatments and brain dmamage from them; fog also associated withthe war, not being able to find the planes 116)
Wakes up in the middle of thenight and there is no fog-- hears the geese flying over
he fights the fog during the lastshock treatment and is able to make it go away
Thinks he is smaller than he is
Also thinks he has no will; thatsomeone else is moving his body
Time distortions
Playing deaf and dumb (startsout with being ignored/ made invisible by people; racism; becomes a defensemechanism)
Mac tells him about the orderlies
chewing gum incident with Mac-- now Mac knows he's not dumb chewing gum, 184
raises his hand to vote for watchingthe world series
writing his name on the boardfor the fishing trip
Big Nurse -- Sadistic, controlling,power-hungry. Wants everything clean and orderly. Been therefor a long time.
misogyny -- hatred of women; misanthropy-- hatred of all humans;
Mac -- Definitely not crazy; isin the mental instiution b/c he is faking crazy to get out of hard labor. Gambler, not clean, loud and boisterous, working man, not afraid,big and strong, ability to laugh, leather jacket and motorcycle cap, swagger,pitchman
comes in thinking that he is avoidingwork detail (has 6 mos left of hard labor sentencee; doesn't realize thatcommittment to a mental institution is permanent- until they release you)
makes friends with all the guyson the ward; establishes himself as bull goose looney. starts conning them
World Series (tries to liftcontrol panel; all acutes vote for him, but they are only half the ward. Chief also votes, but too late)
All the guys pretend to watchit anyway. Re-escalation of battle
point when he realizes that heis committed . lifeguard tells him (147)
backs off for a while. Carnivalscheme fails.
Cheswick drowns --depressed thatMac is giving in
Breaks the glass of the nurse'sstation
SupportingRoles
Billy Bibbitt-- Stutters. Is over-dominatedby his mom
Harding -- in charge, smartest on teh war. Over-dominated by his wife
Cheswick -- wants to be Mac
Matrini
Ruckley -- guy on the wall (too many shock treatments)
Cameos