One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest help?

Question

We have to read this book for the summer at my school. one question is wh did they pick chief broom to narrate the story. and why is he perfect for that role

Answer 1

I had to read it as well for AP English.

I think the Chief was a good narrator for the story b/c he is indeed an ACTUAL patient of the mental hospital and so it gives you a better insight and perspective of what exactly is going on in the hospital. Also, the hospital's staff and even the other patients of the hospital believe him to be deaf and "dumb"..when in reality both those beliefs are both wrong: 1) He can actually hear and is not deaf and 2) he is quite intelligent. So anyway, the Chief is able to hear and see more of what is going on within the hospital staff that the other patients can't see b/c he is thought to be deaf. he is allowed to be in the meeting room when the staff have discussions; he is allowed to be there and mop the floor and whatnot b/c the staff thinks he can't hear what they are saying, etc.

Hope I helped a little!

Answer 2

Bromden makes a good narrator because of a few reasons:

1. The false belief he's managed to perpetuate that he is 'deaf and dumb' allows him to be in areas to witness conversations that no one else is allowed to overhear because the staff believes he cannot hear them. In this way, Kesey manages to maintain a sort of omniscient storyteller.

2. The perspective of an actual patient, and an intelligent one at that, provides a lot of insight to the message of the book. For instance, Bromden's views about 'The Combine' ultimately contribute heavily to the novel's final criticism of bureaucracy.  The Acutes have not been committed long enough to provide such reflective commentary on their surroundings and the other Chronics are too unwell to give any sort of meaningful and comprehensive narration. Bromden has been there long enough to know all the intricate workings of the hospital and all the personality quirks of his fellow patients.

3. The fact that the reader is allowed passage into his inner thoughts allows us to note the sort of change in his attitude to a more optimistic one because of McMurphy. This can be extrapolated to how much all the others affected by Randel were changed as well.

That's my best attempt at analysis. Hope that helped.