Which of the characters in the novel do you think have mental illnesses? Which ones don’t? What’s your definition of a mental illness anyway?

I think that one of the running themes in this book is that none of the major characters actually need to be locked up. They all have weaknesses and emotional issues that are not treated by Nurse Ratched but exploited by her. The institution is a way for these men to avoid dealing with their issues but, unfortunately, the institution only makes them worse.