McMurphy’s uniqueness as a sane man in the novel clashes with the oppressed ward, which is controlled by Nurse Ratched. Through Chief Bromden’s narration, we manage to establish that McMurphy is not, in fact, ‘unhinged’, but rather that he is trying to manipulate the system to his advantage. He believes that doing his six month service in the hospital is far better than the hard work at Pendleton Work Farm, this mere fact haunts McMurphy later when he discovers the power Nurse Ratched wields over him - that she can send him for electric shock treatments and keep him committed as long as she likes.
Whether insane or not, the hospital is undeniably in control of the fates of its patients. McMurphy’s fate as the so called ‘rebel’ is foreshadowed by the misfortune of , a former patient who was also, according to Nurse Ratched, a manipulator. Taber was subjected to electroshock treatments and possibly “brain work”, which leaves him passive and unable to think. When Ratched associates McMurphy with Taber, we get an inkling of McMurphy’s diagnosis. McMurphy’s trajectory through the novel is the opposite of Bromden’s: he starts out sane and powerful but ends up a helpless vegetable, having sacrificed himself for the benefit of all the patients.
McMurphy’s determination to prove that the people in the institute are in fact sane is clearly demonstrated when he is out with the men on a fishing trip and he almost demands: “You’re not an idiot. Huh! You’re not a goddamn looney now, boy. You’re a fisherman!” This ‘instruction’ by McMurphy shows how he feels that the people are insane due to the effect that society have had on the patients, they are not insane, just are led to believe they are. We can see this by the derogatory terms that Kesey uses to describe the patients; they are “idiots” and “looney”. His word choice also gives the indication that McMurphy has become the protagonist and taken control, just like Jesus did with his disciples.
McMurphy’s self-sacrifice on behalf of his ward-mates echoes Christ’s sacrifice of himself on the cross to redeem humankind. The actions of the protagonist frequently parallel Christ’s actions in the Gospels. McMurphy undergoes a kind of baptism upon entering the ward, and he slowly gathers disciples around him as he increases his rebellion against Ratched. Finally, McMurphy’s ultimate sacrifice, his attack on Ratched, combined with the symbolism of the cross-shaped electroshock table as well as, McMurphy’s sarcastic comment and request: “Anointest my head with a conductant. Do I get a crown of thorns,” by McMurphy using the word “anointest”, which emphasises to the basic fact that he is indeed insane and probably is unaware of the consequences that the electric shock will bring. It is also yet another example of religious imagery, therefore cements the image of the Christ-like martyrdom that McMurphy has achieved by sacrificing his freedom and sanity.