McMurphy's Selfishness

I think it's safe to say that McMurphy is selfish. From the minute he walks into the ward all he wants to do is be the top man. For instance on page 18 he asks Billy Bibbit who the "bull goose loony" is, and later in the same conversation he says, "I'm thinking about taking over this whole show myself, lock, stock, and barrell, maybe I bettter talk with the top man." His desire to be the top man is highlighted in the way that he tries to lead people out of the fog. He is simply taking over and trying to become the greatest, greater than even the nurse. McMurphy has already tried to put himself above the nurse when he made the bet that he could make her lose her temper. Yes, it could be argued that he is trying to guide everyone out of the fog and help them, but I think he is trying to get everyone on his side so he can be the leader. Also the way that he stands up against the nurse to drag people out of the fog is no more than just another way to make her lose her temper. The fact that he may be helping people and uniting them does not reflect his true intentions. His reaction to what the lifeguard says about the nurses control over time depicts his true intentions perfectly. As soon as he hears that she cannot be beaten and that he could be kept longer, he stops standing up against the nurse and even allows Cheswick to go down by himself after he tried standing up to the nurse.