The Foggy Cuckoo's Nest

The fog seems to be a recurring element all throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Chief makes reference to it constantly. One very important thing to take in mind first is that due to the fact Chief isn't a reliable narrator we can't take the fog as literal as he presents it to us in the book. I've tried looking at it from different perpectives and the first one that crosses my mind is a sedative or some type of medicine released through the ward for all patients. Ms. Ratchet is in control of this fog and we see how she uses it as a tool to keep the patients at ease just like her manipulation of time (once again an over exaggeration from Chief).


"Before noontime they’re at the fog machine again but they haven’t got it turned up full; it’s not so
thick but what I can see if I strain real hard. One of these days I’ll quit straining and let myself go
completely, lose myself in the fog the way some of the other Chronics have..." (27)

You can also look at it as being something more of a way Chief describes this feeling Nurse Ratchet installs in all patients through the Ward. It may really not be a literal fog but a creation of the mind used to represent the control Ms. Ratchet has over them. It prevents them from rising up against her and creating a mutiny in the ward almost keeping them content or satisfied whenever they're under it. Chief describes it as something we he could hide behind and not be seen, and he describes it as something positive happening to him. He also makes reference of how he'd like to let go himself completely into the fog as if it took him away from that miserable ward. Chief is also unable to clearly see when under the fog so we could think his way Ms. Ratchet keeps the patients subjugated and prevents them from ever improving their life situation. They're blind to their surroundings, happy or rather satisfied, and not capable of assimilating the situation happening around them.

One important question that pops in my head is how other patients react to the fog? We only see Chief and the fog but its not clear what happens to the others in the ward. The only reference I've seen made to others and the fog is when Chief wonders how Mc Murphy would act under its effects. "They haven’t really fogged the place full force all day today, not since McMurphy came in. I bet he’d yell like a bull if they fogged it." (46)

The fog is a perfect tool for Ms. Ratchet but I'm not sure how she achieves this state of mind in the patients and I think I'll just have to wait to here more about the fog further on the book. 

The Tree of Life

The movie Waiting for Godot  is an excellent portrayal of the book, and from its very beginning is able to present lots of information in regards to setting and character development we sometimes are unable to see when reading the book. What I seemed to like the most is that when watching all through Act 1, the movie present the visuals to many actions that weren't so clear in the book so my whole understanding of the play improved.

There's one very important element that remains steady all throughout the play. They're sitting in a desolate wasteland and the only outstanding object is a tree. So what could this tree represent? The growth of its leaves represent hope for Vladimir and Estragon, signaling the arrival of Godot (who never ends up showing) but its also a visual for condemnation. They talk about hanging themselves to see it all go away but they're incapable of doing so. Whenever we see them come to terms with the idea they wonder if it shouldn't be better to wait for Godot before taking a decision as severe as this one. This constant clash between their choices creates back and forth discussions between Vladimir and Estragon that seem to go on forever.

The tree also brings some irony along with it. It seems to be the only living thing around there besides the characters so we could look at it as the tree of life. But it'd be the tree of life bringing death to Estragon and Vladimir. There we see a huge contradiction and even some biblical allusions all surrounding this tree. They'll stay there waiting and waiting beside a tree they aren't even sure is the correct one Waiting for Godot.

Waiting For Who?

Confusing would be a pretty accurate adjective when describing the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Written almost entirely in a dialogue between two characters, I find myself permanently annoyed when reading through pages and pages of endless fights and confusing monologues that lead us back to the same dialogue in this absurdist play.

Estragon and Vladimir, our two main characters, find themselves struggling with hope on the arrival of this strange man they refer as Godot. Since the beginning of Act 1 they mention this almost magical character they're waiting on almost as if they were looking for his approval. He never seems to come and after the second time we clearly understand this figure is really never going to appear.

Once again we're touching on existentialism confronting the human struggle to find some meaning in life. Vladimir and Estragon find themselves wrapped around this lack of purpose and uncertainty finally presenting them with this feeling of anxiety on their own existence. They hold on to the hope of Godot's arrival thinking that at that point they'll be able to take action so they keep on looking for something external to give them a deeper meaning to life. We could even look at Godot as a religious figure comparable to God. The world is full of people searching for their higher calling; reading books and travelling the world searching for the reason of their existence. Existentialism provides us with the quickest and most efficient answer to this dilema: there is no reason for us to be here, we're just here and thats as simple as it gets.

In the end, even though the play is very repetitive and obnoxious in some parts, its a perfect example of existentialism and absurdism. I do look at it as a very interesting piece of literature and it'd definitely be a fun experience to watch the play.

An Introduction to Existentialism

Society now a days floods us with the preconception that we are all destined for something greater in this world. Religion feeds us the idea that God has sent us to this earth with a purpose, some higher meaning. Its all used to add meaning to our lives which otherwise would be plain, ordinary, and obscure.

Existentialism comes in bringing relief to all of us, "none believers". "Everybody is here; everybody exists, but there is no reason as to why."Its a bold statement Meursault lives by day in and day out. He's never looking or prospecting on his life plans because ultimately, we'll all face death and that day nothing you ever did in this earth will matter. Actually nothing ever matters.

His life is tied up around impulses and a "right now" feeling. He needs no meaning or explanation to why he's here because the fact is that he is, and his sole objective is to fulfill his impulsive desires. When shooting the Arab it comes down to the fact that he can either do it or not, the consequence is completely irrelevant to him. He's just feeling like it.

The whole concept of a meaningless life is scary for some but its inspiring for others. We're all the same in this world, meaningless as it is. Put meaning to your life by fulfilling your desires achieving happiness. If you fancy putting smiles on people's faces, go right ahead. If its something else you crave, find it and add meaning to your life. Lets just hope its nothing illegal and such. 

Meursault's Life

After finishing The Stranger I realized the whole idea of existentialism remained present all throughout the book and never really dissipated. A few questions did arise from the text as the narrator's tone is purely objective and very direct leaving several gaps or dead ends in the book.

The biggest gap Camus presents in the book is how the "stranger" was created. We don't know what happened to Meursault that led him to isolate himself in such way from society or what broke his relationship with his mother in such a way. Maybe he had a romantic deception early on in his life that didn't allow him to fall in love and only permitted him to live by pure instinct and impulses.
These are all speculations because Camus really only gives us a little clue on Meursault's youth when saying "When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered." (41) Now we question why he had to leave his studies and why was this such a big blow to Meursault's life?

Its clear Camus doesn't want to go very in depth with the specific reasons as to why Meursault behaves the way he does but he hints the readers that some external situations in his life shaped his personality turning him into a true, devoted existentialist. 

Camus's Existentialism

The Stranger by Albert Camus opens up a whole new world to me exposing the thoughts and behavior of a man living and breathing  an existentialist mind set. In the first pages of the book we encounter few emotional responses from our character presenting very interesting insight on what true existentialism represents.

"It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, an that, really, nothing had changed." (24)

Camus portrays Meursault's character as a direct, almost indifferent man who only carries an objective view to his world. Maman dies and his lack of emotion almost shocks the reader as he clearly says its really just as if everything remained the same when we could categorize a parent's death as one of the most tragic events in one's life. The ideas reflected in existentialism, in which we're suppose to enjoy moments and live only in the present showing few concerns for past or future really end up isolating Meursault and creating this abstract character that seems to view his life extracted from it. Its Camus's own way of bringing along the whole existentialist concept that creates such bizarre character.

"A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her." (35) We find ourselves tied up once again in Meursaults detachment from his life and from one of the most basic feelings of all. Love. He managed to hide away from it when his mom died and once again we encounter him hiding away when Marie asks him. Its a relationship he only bases on desires and impulses bring forth existentialism once again. He's a complete stranger to his life and that of the people around him.