One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Part 1)

• So far, none of the characters seem to display the sort of flawless benevolence necessary to be a traditional hero. Though McMurphy may be the closest to this position, he far too flawed to be a hero.
• This brings me to my assertion that McMurphy is an antihero. Even though he is partially joking, he immediately makes his friendly nature clear upon arrival to the ward: "Yessir, that's what I came to this establishment for, to bring you birds fun an' entertainment around the gaming table" (Kesey 11). However, his past speaks to the "anti" part of his actions: "a history of street brawls and barroom fights and a series of arrests for Drunkenness, Assault and Battery, Disturbing the Peace, repeated gambling, and one arrest - for Rape" (Kesey 40). Despite this long list of offenses, he appears to simply be trying to help the patients in the ward stand up for themselves and fight back against the Big Nurse.
• The Big Nurse herself is definitely a villain. When describing the two groups in the ward, Bromden explains how her motivations are not therapeutic success: "Not in the hospital, these [the chronics], to get fixed, but just to keep them from walking around the streets giving the product a bad name" (Kesey  14). This seems to imply that she is only "treating" these patients to gain some sort of reputation, not to actually help them. Bromden also goes on to describes multiple scenarios in which she has done horrible things to patients.