Con Man or Saint?
...urse on her policy’s and never disputed what the best way to conduct rehabilitation was. It is in this respect that he becomes a saint. Through out the novel McMurphy displays characteristics of being both a saint and a con man. On one hand he does do a lot for the patients, but on the other hand there always seems to be something in it for him. He takes advantage of the situation he is in and yet is willing to sacrifice so much for others. It seems that McMurphy plays the middle. All the way up to and part way through part four of the novel this is the contradiction we are offered. In the tub room episode where the chief finally lifts the control panel and causes the inmates to lose their bets carries McMurphy to the other half ( Con Man ). The chief who has viewed McMurphy as a “giant” is very critical of his benefactor for taking advantage of the patients and accuses him of always maneuvering things to his advantage. The plot changes one last time when McMurphy changes his status on the ward permanently. With his attack on Washington in the shower room there will be no turning back from events that rush McMurphy forward to his ultimate sacrifice. It is in this scene that McMurphy’s true nature is unmistakably revealed to the inmates when he steps in to stop George from being harmed. When he is sent up to the disturbed ward McMurphy is offered a chance to escape the electric shock treatment if he will accept guilt for the disturbance and acknowledge that Washington was right thus denying his savior's role. McMurphy does not do so and is administered the shock treatment. It is in his accepting the treatment that he maintains his sainthood. When McMurphy emerges from the shock treatment, the rational part of him understands that he must escape from the asylum or he will die. His purpose on the ward seems to be achieved, the acute's seem to be well on their way to “manhood” and say they will sign themselves out of the ward soon. The chief tells him that he too will escape shortly after McMurphy. The resolution of the story seems to be at hand. McMurphy therefore has no reason to remain and he agrees with the acute’s that he must escape soon. In their willingness to help McMurphy escape can be seen the sign that they have changed and have once again become sane. The party that prevents McMurphy from leaving at his point of triumph leads to his demise. The party itself was a climax that showed what McMurphy had achieved on the ward. During the party all the restraints that these patients ...