Is McMurphy victorious in his battle with nurse ratched? Could Billy's fate have been changed if he had a more understanding mother? Where does the blame for this tragedy lie?
The blame for this tragedy lies squarely on the shoulders of Nurse Ratched and the institution. Ratched emasculates the men in the ward to satisfy her own insecurities about sexual identity and control. McMurphy serves as a character foil to Nurse Ratched. While she attempts to dismantle and imprison the psyche of each patient, McMurphy attempts to heal and free the psyche of each man.
