101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion

The more I read this book, the more I see the brilliance in having Chief Bromden as the narrator. His role as an observer as opposed to a full-fledged participant in events seems to make him more credible. He comes across, to me anyway, as being more objective than if the one of the other characters had taken on the role of narrator.

Additionally, I am thinking that he is not so obviously mentally ill as I previously suggested. He does strike me as someone who was potentially really messed up by his medication in previous parts of the novel. I find him to be very insightful and I really like him.

Furthermore, I like the way that Kesey continues to present the theme of non-conformity in this part of the novel. I found the description of the housing developments, with the children and each house being clones of one another very effective.

I can also see why some people have criticized Kesey for being a misogynist though I personally am not offended by the representations of women in this book. However, I think it is fair to say that the women in this novel do seem to be presented as a dichotomy. They are presented either as whores such as Candy or Harding's wife or as frigid women responsible for the emasculation of the male characters. Even the doctor has been emasculated by Nurse Ratched.

I'm trying to decide what to think of this section. The whole fishing trip seems so... out of place from the rest of the novel. But is that the point? That our brains have become so accustomed to what their life is like inside the walls the outside seems strange and bizarre? And isn't that what's happening to these men, much like being in a prison? It becomes comfortable and safe, and the outside world is the scary place.