Nurse Ratched – LIVES!

I have taken note of this before. The ghost of Ken Kesey is hanging around in the astral plane, being a real Prankster with reality. Today, I found myself in a drama, so, bizarre, so strange, it surpasses anything Rod Serling wrote – and Steven King! I can not give all the details because we are in a form of arbitration. However, let me give you just a taste. How about a good idea for a book? Yes, that’s the ticket! It’s safe to pretend this is fiction, even, science fiction!

This is the face I put on as I listen to my neighbors…….stories?

Bow Wow! Bow Wow – Baby

A Beat Novel

by

Jon Presco

Copyright 2016

A lonely senior citizen, who doesn’t want to believe he is ready to socialize at the local senior citizen center, is invited to a course on writing your memoirs held at said center. Having had friends and family die, he is lonely. His only child hates his stories, and is only interested in spending five hundred dollars on hairdos and manicures. She has milked him for all he is worth. Their time together is down to twenty-six minutes – a month!

So, he pays his five bucks, and authors some childhood memoirs that he soon shares with about twelve of his neighbors, twelve of his peers.

Right off the bat, he notices the woman running the group is a tedious control freak. He marvels at her skill in making her group do her bidding. He is reminded of his childhood friend who makes six figures as a Dog Trainer for the Stars. He watched her in action, how she could turn vicious dogs into jello with the tilting of her head, or, make a dog pee with a slight snarl at the corner of her mouth.

Being up for the challenge, because he has seen her type before, he goes along with the Group Training Lessons. For a little while he is the New Teacher’s Pet, but is soon replaced by Mr. Perfect Right-wing Jar-head Boy Scout who is giving her a good run. Not once does he write and recite a memoir. He is given preferential treatment like the odd woman who always sits next to this woman.  This sidekick never shares anything about her family and friends. Instead, she recites the trial and tribulations of fixing up her house so she can sell it. It is a tedious Bill where the costs of things are gone over and over. Bad workmanship, is laid on the group. Then there is that old furnace she had to replace. We get to hear how much that put her back, and now, we get a bank statement.

Finally, she is done unloading he financial woes on us, and, here it come – the in-depth feedback from group members who know this is Teacher’s Pet No.1, and if you kiss her ass, you are given precious seconds for your reading and feedback. She’s like a piggy bank you got to feed, a parking meter. The more quality feedback you give her, the more praise you get – like a dog biscuit!

Now, we come to Teacher’s Pet No.2, who has brought his portable CD player from home. And into it he slips – this! Look up the word INFLICT, and, CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.

O.K. That was pretty flagrant. Ten people watching a man smile as he listens to his favorite song is…….Twilight Zonish.  Normal people would not come back for the next meeting. However, you are dealing with a real writer, who has got to beat her system. Like a one-armed bandit, he can’t help but put another quarter in the slot, and pull the handle. He is now, obsessed. No justice, no peace!

He can’t sleep at night. She has him right where she wants him. Slowly, she is using her cohorts, to destroy him. Bit by bit, he is hobbled. It’s too late to just…….walk away! He has to see it out……to the bitter end!

He used to joke to his friends, how men who go to the senior center, soon end up dead. He never dreamed he would die for want of just a little feedback, just one little tidbit of dog food, just one…….. pat on the head. He began to waste away.

Then, he heard it from the Horses’s Mouth, she is a Hospice Nurse.  She was by their side, when many a good man, died. Did they leave her all their dog biscuits in order to get alas, their final reward……..from……God?

Yes! I see. Here are the Pearly Gates. Start reciting your Good Deeds – if she will let you!

Jon Presco

Copyright 2016

lMcMurphy as Christ in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

In “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” McMurphy is successfully perceived as a heroic Christ figure. Kesey uses foreshadowing and images, the fishing trip, actions and feelings of other characters to develop this character.

Foreshadowing clues and images are used to contribute to McMurphy as a figure of Christ. In the beginning of the novel McMurphy is baptized with a shower before entering the ward. The reader is also introduced to Ellis, a character who spends the entire novel in a cross position “nailed against the wall, arms out,” (page 20). Another clue to McMurphy’s developing character is presented during the electroshock therapy. McMurphy willingly lies down on a cross shaped table, ending up in the same position Ellis foreshadowed. McMurphy also asks for his crown of thorns. Before the therapy a schizophrenic patient approaches him and says “I wash my hands of the whole deal”, as Pontius Pilate said to Jesus before sentencing him to death. Jesus was also friends with a prostitute named Mary, just like McMurphy was friends with prostitutes.

The development of McMurphy as a Christ figure deepends, when he leads the patients on a fishing trip. McMurphy takes the “twelve of us [patients] towards the ocean,” (page 203) just like Jesus’ 12 disciples, to test and strengthen their faith in him and empower them. Fish have also been an important religious Christian symbol, as the fishing trip is an important symbol of the novel. When the trip is over, the Chief describes the sense of change that most of the patients had and even claims that they “weren’t the same bunch of weak-knees from a nuthouse anymore.” (Page 215). This really shows the way McMurphy is starting to guide and lead the patients, just as Jesus lead his disciples.

Finally the actions and feelings of the other characters successfully shows the development of McMurphy as a Christ figure and hero. Clearly smiliarities can be drawn between McMurphy and Jesus’ healing. Jesus, made blind men see and mute men speak. McMurphy is the one who prompted the Chief to speak for the first time in years, when he says “Thank-you.” (Page 184) and eventually, McMurphy “heals” Chief of his `deafness’ and `dumbness’. Billy Bibbit was also aided and empowered by McMurphy. As a disciple however, Billy does not show gratitude and betrays McMurphy claiming “McMurphy did it!” (Page 264) and blaming an entire mess on him. As a result of his betrayal, Billy takes his own life just like Judas did when he gave Jesus to the romans for crucifixion. Even though McMurphy had been betrayed, he still made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure Ratched could not use Billy’s death to take away what he had taught the patients and what they had gained. His sacrifice became an inspiration to the other patients and they finally had enough strength where the nurse could no longer “rule with her old power anymore” (page 269).

In the conclusion of the novel, the Chief brings to remembrance the things Mac had taught them. In doing so, he shows the reader that a major part of McMurphy’s life was helping others, just as Jesus’ life was devoted to bring goodness to others. In concluding with this evidence, McMurphy’s character was successfully developed as an important and heroic Christ figure.

Before we go on, let me