1. Cover Art Which character is on the roof? Why is he on a roof?
Does the drawing of this character resemble a bird? What kind?
Why these colors?

2. Novel’s Epigraph—page 239
"Tingle, Tingle, Tangle Toes
She's a good fisherman
Catches hens, puts'em inna pens
Wier blier, limber lock
Three geese inna flock
One flew east, One flew west,
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
O-U-T spells out
Goose swoops down and plucks you out.”
What significance is there in the epigraph?
Why choose a children’s folk rhyme?
How might the rhyme help us understand the book?

3. Page 237: Comparison of McMurphy to Christ
McMurphy states, “Anointest my head with conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns?”
McMurphy sacrifices himself, as he has throughout the novel
Why does he make this satirical comment?
How is Mack similar to that of Christ here?

4. Pages 240-241: Extended Metaphor of Gambling
“ I see it from the inside, me at the bottom. I’m the weight, loading the dice to throw that number one up there above me…They got dice loaded to throw a snake eyes”
Who are the players of this game?
Who has the dice loaded?
How does this foreshadow the ending?

5. Another Sacrifice: Pages 244-245
“We told him of our plan for his escape, and he told us there was no hurry and reminded us of Billy’s date. ‘We can’t disappoint Billy Boy, can we, buddies?”’
What is the plan?
Why doesn’t McMurphy go along with it?

6. Pages 254-255: Harding’s Jest
“ Most merciful God, accept these two poor sinners into your arms. And keep the doors ajar for the coming of the rest of us, because you are witnessing the end…Miss Ratched shall line us all against the wall, where we will face the terrible maw of a muzzle-loading shotgun which she has loaded with Miltowns! Thorazines! …Tranzilize all of us completely out of existence”
What does Harding see in the future?
Why does he make a reference to medications?

7. Page 255: Chief’s Realization
“ Maybe the Combine wasn’t all-powerful. What was to stop us from doing it again, now that we saw we could? Or keep us from doing other things we wanted?”
Is Chief right?
What does this show you about how he has changed?

8. Billy’s Transformation—Page 263
“’Good morning, Miss Ratched,’ Billy said, not even making any move to get up and button his pajamas. He took the girl’s hand in his and grinned. ‘This is Candy.”’
What is different about his speech?
How does it change later on the next page?
Whom does Nurse Ratched blame?
How is this ironic?

9. McMurphy’s Revenge—Page 267
“…ripped her uniform all the way down the front, screaming again when the two nipped circles started from her chest and swelled out and out, bigger than anybody had ever imagined…”
Why does he do this?
How does she get her revenge, though?

10. Chief’s Baptism: Pages 271-272
“The chrome was cold against my neck and the side of my head. I put my back toward the screen, then spun and let the momentum carry the panel through the screen and window with a ripping crash. The glass splashed out in the moon, like a bright cold water baptizing the sleeping earth”
How is this Chief’s “baptism”?