Charles Cheswick: R.I.P

Through out my life, I’ve come across lots of people who have a lot in mind; things such as complaints, anger towards a system, or that are disturbed by injustice. However, these people only complain about it, they do nothing to fix whatever bothers them. That is one thing that personally drives me crazy. Charles Cheswick, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is exactly this person. He is one of the only characters aware that the ward has issues that must be changed, yet, he does nothing to stand up against it other than complain. As the novel progresses, (and unlike the people I know), Cheswick changes. He becomes a revolutionary character who unconsciously does one of the greatest acts to demonstrate discomfort and the need for change: he commits suicide.

Before McMurphy arrives and show the other patients his inconformity McMurphy is described by The Chief as a “talker”. 

“Cheswick never goes on; he’s one of these guys who’ll make a big fuss like he’s going to lead an attack, holler charge and stomp up and down a minute, take a couple of steps, and quit” (Pg. 59) 

It is clear that he has this reputation well marked and everyone knows it. However, when he perceives that McMurphy feels the same way as him, in terms of the ward, he is the first one to support him.

The start of his transition is when he is taken into the disturbed because he complains about the cigarettes. For me, he changes from an annoying patient who does nothing more rather than nag into an activist. During the rest of the novel he starts going on and saying or doing whatever he wants.

I believe this change is obviously because he has someone that supports him (McMurphy) and who thinks similarly as him. This makes him more comfortable with his opinions and actions. He needed that little push in order to change. Maybe that’s what it is with the people I know; they need something or someone to push them into acting. Just like Cheswick they may feel scared or feel like on their own they won’t make a change.

The final and greatest act that made Cheswick completely different from who he was at the beginning was the suicide. Although Kesey never implies that he did it as a revolutionary act instead he did it because of desperation and hopelessness, for me it meant more than that. By doing so, he showed the nurse and the rest of the ward that something was wrong in there and he wouldn’t accept anything done. He found another escape. He was also able to show McMurphy that conforming would ruin him and the patients of the ward. Something had to be done. I don’t think he consciously thought this before committing suicide, but maybe he did so unconsciously. After all, it was one of the biggest acts against conformity a patient could of done.