"Deaf and Dumb"

pages 197-224/ July 24,2010

Reading Repsonse #7

While reading, the friendship between Chief Bromden and Randle Patrick McMurphy began to unfold. The Chief broke out of his “deaf and dumb” role and talked to McMurphy; this is the first time he had talked to anyone in many years. The Chief felt comfortable to break out of his shell with McMurphy. Bromden has led everyone to believe that he can not talk and does not want McMurphy to know that he truly can hear and talk to others. With the “deaf and dumb” role that he plays enables him to hear everyone’s secrets; while in meetings the directors discuss things that they would normally not in front of other patients because they believe that he can not hear anything that they are saying. I believe that as the novel continues on we will see this friendship develop even further. The Chief and McMurphy are very similar in the way they think and act sometimes. The Chief knows what will happen to McMurphy if he continues to act out the way that he has been. He knows this because similar consequences occurred to his father. McMurphy can learn a lot from the Chief because he knows what the Big Nurse can to do McMurphy. Bromden has been at the hospital long enough to know what will happen; he has also heard the nurse talk about McMurphy while the staff was having a meeting. I think that the Chief could help McMurphy become discharged from the ward. If this friendship is further explored in this novel I think that great thing could happen.