Hanson- Response to Cheswick prompt

The progressing effect of McMurphy on Cheswick that leads to his death proves Chief's fear that siding with McMurphy and protesting against the Combine will take them away from safety and lead them into danger. Chief describes the fog that keeps them from going against Big Nurse and the Combine as a haven into which "you can slip back in it and feel safe," and Chief describes McMurphy in relation to the safe fog as not understanding and he accuses McMurphy as "trying to drag us out of the fog, out in the open where we'd be easy to get at." (123) Cheswick trusts McMurphy and does not share Chief's feelings of distrust since he belives in him and Cheswick's death can be attributed to McMurphy dragging him out into the open and leading him away from safety and ultimately to behavior that results in his death. Cheswick puts a lot of trust in McMurphy's power to change and alter the Combine as shown through some extreme behavior in the group therapy meetings trying to impress McMurphy and get McMurphy to agree with him because initially the men in the ward knew that "McMurphy was around to back them up," (158) so Cheswick gained new confidence and kept bringing up complaints in the meetings and then in the pool when McMuprhy's attitude changed completely after a talk with the lifeguard about being committed for life, Cheswick was raising another complaint in the group meeting, "and waited for McMurphy to back him up, all he got was silence." (163) McMurphy's change in attitude had a direct impact on Cheswick's attitude and behavior because immediately when McMurphy did not agree with him, "he looked around like he was lost and might break out crying any minute" (164) signifying the moment where Cheswick's confident attitude started to fail. This ultimately led to Cheswick's death and even though Cheswick apologized to McMurphy, right before he got into the pool the next time they went to the pool, "he said he did wish something mighta been done," (166) and then he "drowned" in the pool with strong evidence showing that it was a suicide because when they pulled him up, the "grate still clutched by his chubby pink and blue fingers, " (166). Overall, Cheswick's relationship with McMurphy had a direct effect on his behavior and then as soon as he felt like he lost control with that relationship, he began to lose it and the subsequent result was his death.