After McMurphy's arrival until the end of "Part One," I thought that the Nurse would be the winner of the ongoing battle between the two; however, at this point, I seriously consider McMurphy to be the winner because of the last page of "Part One." The Big Nurse's growing rage has become apparent and her attempts to rid herself of McMurphy have been unsuccessful leading me to believe that the Nurse will eventually give up her battle, but my better instincts say she, as a manipulative villain, will not surrender so easily. Her rage has become so clear to Chief he notes,"She's holding up a fist, all those red-orange fingernails burning into her palm"(144). Although the Nurse attempts to keep her cool, she yells out that she is in control showing her twisted need to control others. McMurphy has completed his task of aggravating and enraging the Nurse, so it can be said that he is winning the war.
At this point in the story, I think it can be said that McMurphy has change Chief into a character that is not necessarily afraid to confront the Nurse. During the second round of voting on watching the World Series, McMurphy convinced Chief to raise his hand and resist the "fog" of the Nurse. His character has become more complicated to the reader as a direct result of McMurphy's stimulation. Additionally, his narration has become more biased in favor of McMurphy specifically in his description of the Nurse. The quote referenced above serves as a good example of his change in description because at the beginning of the story his true feelings were hidden by his polite description. For example, the Big Nurse is described acting like a machine, but now her humanity has come out and the true Big Nurse is shown to the reader.
I am rooting for the foul-mouthed and defiant McMurphy because even though he has faults, his faults are minor when compared to the monster, Nurse Ratched, and the fact that I will root for a character that is defiant because he questions the society around him.
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