Size Motif

By Sebastian, Nikhil, and Eddie

Thesis
The motif of size in the book focuses little on physical size,
but instead focuses on representing the size of peoples
personalities, such as their willpower or the influence they
have over others around them.

Characters
McMurphy
Makes others feel bigger
People Person/Natural leader
Gains power through friendships
As he gets larger he becomes more liked
Slowly becomes smaller over time (gets worked on)
Nurse
Makes others feel smaller (makes her larger by comparison)
Manipulator
Appears much smaller than she is
As she gets larger she becomes more feared

Chief Bromden
Physically massive
Starts out very small
Slowly develops and becomes more independent because of McMurphy
Size imagery shown through Chief
Pays much more attention to the size of ones personality than their physical size
Billy Bibbit
Physically small and frail
Begins novel with no confidence
Gets huge confidence boost and starts defying Nurse
Commits suicide after being put to lowest by Nurse
Patients (general)
Small, easily manipulated
Feel bigger around McMurphy
Made to feel small by Nurse, medication, mental state, procedures,and society

What do you think is a more effective

tool for becoming more influential over
people, making friends and being a
leader like McMurphy, or learning
peoples weaknesses, abusing power,
and manipulating like the nurse?

Related Themes
Mind over Matter
-Nurse Ratched is mentally large and imposing while being physically small
-Chief Bromden is mentally small and meek while being physically large
Power and Control
-Nurse Ratched and McMurphy vie for power throughout book.
-Nurse Ratched tries to control the power by keeping others small, while McMurphy gains power by
making others larger.
-While the doctors of the ward may have a higher position than her, they still look up to her in the
meeting because she is so in control.
Appearance Versus Reality
-Nurse Ratched appears as large as a tractor according to Chief Bromden, and tries to hide her true
self to others in the ward.
All I know is this: nobodys very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their
whole life tearing everybody else down.
What are other themes you could think of?

Examples
So she really lets herself go and her painted smile twists, stretches to an open snarl, and she blows up bigger and
bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load pg. 5
Chief view on nurse:
Intimidating
Fearful
Powerful
Tall in size
Chief views the nurse as a big women, even though compared to Chief she is small
shows that in Chiefs mind Nurse Ratched was way bigger, due to her intimidating, and fearful personality
Nurse Ratched is seen as a big person because her power, and her personality
Also cant easy be pushed around due to her attitude

I was a whole lot bigger in those days pg. 39

Chief was big and confident in his youth
Chief also referrers to him being more confident then

My papa was real big. He did like he pleased. Thats why everybody worked on him. The last time I seen my father he
was blind in the cities from drinking and every time he put the bottle to his mouth, he dont suck out of it, it sucks out of
him. . . . Im not saying they killed him. The just worked on him, the way theyre working on you. pg 220
Chief father was tall man
As time goes on, the father gets smaller and smaller, due to him losing his land
Shows how Chiefs father had slowly shrunk in size
Connection
shows how Chiefs father is gradually got smaller through his life
uses size to describe the personality
Chief father used to be big(physically and figuratively)
Got smaller as he loses his land
People worked on him
Chiefs Mother reason for land loss
Chiefs mother described as big
Drinking caused Chiefs father to lose his personality of being brave

Examples
I'd take a look at my own self in the mirror and wonder how it was possible that anybody could
manage such an enormous thing as being what he was..., That ain't me, that ain't my face. It
wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me then; I was just being
the way I looked, the way people wanted. It don't seem like I ever have been me. pg 161
Chief doesnt believe his height matches his personality
quote proves height doesnt equal confidence
Chief believes he cant be McMurphy, even though he has a body that suits McMurphy
Chief is not able to manage the things McMurphy had done, even with his size
Chiefs size doesnt equal his personality

No. Im way too little. I used to be big, but not no more. Youre twice the size of me. pg 219
Even though Chief is taller than McMurphy, he still believes McMurphy is two times bigger
Chief again shows that he thinks McMurphy is a lot bigger than him, because McMurphy had a more expressive personality
Chief believes in size of personality is more defining then the physical size

Hoo boy, blowin a man back up to full size is a secret you cant share with everybody pg 223
McMurphy rebuilding Chief
Chief rebuilds his confidence, and personality
Connection
Chief builds up back to size, resulting in him being more confident, and brave
Ex. Fights the black boys
Escapes the ward
Chief is bigger due to him not being afraid anymore

Discussion Questions
1.
What importance does size
have during the novel?
2.
What is more important during
the book, physical size, or the size of a
persons personality?

Thesis
The motif of size in the book focuses little on physical size,
but instead focuses on representing the size of peoples
personalities, such as their willpower or the influence they
have over others around them.

Agree? Disagree?