One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Discuss the significance of the nurse with the birthmark and the way the chief describes her. What is unusual about the narration in this section?
One flew over the cuckoos nest
One flew over the cuckoos nest
Nurse Pilbow is a Catholic woman with a prominent birthmark that she attempts to wash away. She is intensely affected by feelings of guilt over her job and her sexuality. Nurse Ratched warns Nurse Pilbow that McMurphy is a "sex maniac." This makes Nurse Pilbow even more nervous about her own sexuality. McMurphy stresses her to the point that she can't dispense pills properly. Much of the narration is filled with sexual innuendo while also representing repression.