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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the diagnosis that the staff come to that they will put McMurphy into the Disturbed ward for?

2. Who is the president of the Patient's Council?

3. Where did McMurphy come from?

4. Who is the young man with the speed impediment that makes him stutter?

5. What is another name for the narrator of the story?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has McMurphy's rebellious spirit caused the men of the ward to begin to do?

2. Why does Chief Bromden understand the sudden shift in McMurphy's behavior?

3. Who is described as being alert and chipper, unlike other new admissions?

4. How does McMurphy try to help Harding after the Group Meeting?

5. What does Harding's wife do when she comes to visit?

6. How could Billy Bibbit be described?

7. What do the patients do when Nurse Ratched tells them to get away from the TV?

8. Why doesn't Nurse Ratched want McMurphy sent to the Disturbed ward?

9. What causes Nurse Ratched to fly into a rage at the start of the novel?

10. How could the patients of the ward be described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When the Chief finally decides to speak, he chooses to speak to McMurphy. This is not the only person that McMurphy helps to open up. Why do you think the patients trust McMurphy? What qualities does he possess that make him a confidant? Do you think McMurphy is actually helping in the patients' respective recoveries? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The nurses in the story run the gamut of nice to downright mean and manipulative. Is there a better nursing style in relation to these patients? Why did you answer the way you did? Choose one nurse character as the ideal nurse for this ward. Why did you choose this nurse? Do you think Nurse Ratched's style is well suited for this ward? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Chief Bromden is an interesting character in this story. Not only has he been in the ward for a long time, but he is also the one responsible for narrating the story. Pretending to be deaf and mute, he has access to more information than the other characters in the story. Why do you think Chief Broom, as he comes to be known, has pretended for so long? Why does he feel safe talking to McMurphy eventually? Do you think the staff knew of his charade? Why or why not?

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