Reading Pages 214-264

This reading was really shocking to me for several reasons. One, Eric blog posting, two, Dylan blogging and almost ratting out Eric, and three, Cassie, Emily, and Val's dilemma. Eric kept on posting on his website about how much he hated everybody as well as information about the bombs he was building. He was saying that he detonated one of the bombs and that it was awesome and plans to use it to now kill people. This is especially shocking because for the people that viewed his website, if anyone did, how didn't anyone do anything besides Brooks Brown and his family? Dylan too was insane about his feelings for Harriet. Saying he'd either commit suicide or be with Harriet, one or the other. It's hard to believe that someone with so much feeling towards someone, Harriet, would want to kill anyone else. Something that was really interesting and shocking was how Cassie's story was a little bit false. Emily and Val wanted to tell the public what actually happened but don't want to hurt Cassie's family. If you were in the situation, what would you do? Would you tell the truth and go public, or would you keep it a secret?

Reading Pages 180-210

In this reading I think Cullen talked about two major points. Eric and Dylan's previous offenses and Dylan's social life. Cullen talks about how Dylan always thought he was alone as well as no one liked him. This wasn't true as stated earlier in the book. As I kept reading about Dylan, all I thought about was depression, depression, depression and how it was noticed by anyone surrounding him. Dylan had a real problem and thought he was basically alone on the Earth. This wouldn't signal that he's planning on shooting up the school but it's certainly a huge problem that any other friend, counselor, or parent should have seen. The second major problem that should have been picked up is when Eric and Dylan kept on getting in trouble. This wasn't just petty thieves, it was actual crimes. An example of this would be when they actually hacked into the school computers and stole locker combinations. Although they were caught, their parents didn't really seem to punish them in the way they should have been punished.

While reading this book, I keep coming to the thought of would this have happened if it was today? I also keep coming back to the answer that this probably wouldn't have happened today. Dylan's depression would have been picked up by somebody, probably. Eric's and Dylan's crimes would have been taken seriously and not just little pranks. If you were a parent of a child who's been committing crimes, would you play it off as a prank? I know I certainly wouldn't.

Reading Pages 155-180

In tonight's reading we go into the chapter about what didn't happen at Columbine. Some of the kids who were interviewed about Eric and Dylan said that they were "fags" and that they were goths. A varsity soccer player said this, so he could have persuasion on others. It shows that either their minds weren't clear when doing the interview and were only thinking poorly of the two killers or that they actually portrayed Eric and Dylan this way during regular school. Just because Eric was popular doesn't mean that he was liked by everyone. If the varsity soccer player did think this, then how do we know that others didn't think this? It's really interesting hearing that the interviewee also ALMOST said "fag" on TV. If that were to happen today, despite the shooting or not, if "fag" was said on TV, he would be screamed at by critics and many other viewers.

I also found it very interesting how Eric expressed his dislike of everyone on one of his blogs. How didn't anyone see this and think that this kid is troubled? If this were to happen today, it'd get picked up very easily.

I'm starting to think that if Eric and Dylan were planning Columbine today, it wouldn't happen because their signals would be picked up...

Reading Pages 129-154

In this nights reading, I found two things very interesting. The amount of detail Cullen used when talking about Eric's fantasies and dreams as well as the details about how Dave died. Eric was dreaming about how everyone on the planet could just go away, and he could be alone with just a few people of his choosing. I thought it was interesting how Eric was saying that he gets sad when a dog is killed or dies, but how isn't he depressed when HE's killing people? "I just wish I could DO this instead of just DREAM about it" Eric said. If this was said to other people, this should definitely signal that something's wrong with Eric. I also thought it was interesting how Dylan was half Jewish but was also anti-Semitic. When Cullen went into detail about how Dave was dying, my mood started to change. Things started to get depressing, and someone who was trying to help others out, actually died. Two students, Aaron and Kevin, who happen to be eagle scouts, tried to help Dave by keeping him awake by asking him questions about his family and his job. It's so sad to hear that Dave didn't live through this. "Tell my girls I love them." Dave said. If you were Dave's children, how would you respond to Dave's death knowing that he could have lived?

Reading Pages 104-129

In this reading Cullen went into the personal lives of Eric and Dylan. Cullen also went into the evidence factor which I thought was really interesting. Cullen said that no one will be allowed in the school for months, and now the students from Columbine High School have to share a school with their rivals. Something I thought was really interesting was how much detail Cullen used when he was referring back to Eric's childhood. Eric's dad was in the military so growing up Eric was naturally around weapons, fighting and violence. What a child does and sees when he's younger truly effects his older life. I thought this was really interesting because growing up with weapons you'd think he'd know the limits and rights and wrongs of violence. Cullen was saying that Eric's dad was strict and established punishments when Eric did something wrong. I'm wondering if when Eric was growing up, his father ever talked to him about the wrongs of violence. If he did, then why'd Eric do this? If he didn't, how much do think his father regrets not doing that now that Eric's dead and the shooting has occurred...

Reading Pages 75-104

I have two questions to ask. How did it take so long for the police to figure out that Eric and Dylan were dead? As well as why would Robyn buy Eric and Dylan guns anyways? If the police had found out hours earlier before they actually did then they could have saved some of the parents worrying. Once they found out, more people were exited and then the parents found out. Having the parents worrying consists of them asking the police and distracting them. If they knew that Eric and Dylan weren't alive anymore then they could have rushed in there, get everyone out, and save some of the horror they went through. I found it terribly planned on the police that it took them that long. Further more, why would Robyn buy Eric and Dylan guns? What good does that do you? Guns do harm, and if you didn't know what they were exactly doing with the guns, then why get them? If I were Robyn, I would probably confess just because of what she contributed to. I don't want to make it sound like it was her fault. It most certainly wasn't. Eric and Dylan probably could have found guns from another source but what Robyn did was extremely wrong. What would you do if you were Robyn? If you were a parent and found out that the police were hours late on finding out the killers were dead, how would you respond?

Reading Pages 50-75

This night's reading was really interesting not only because it went into depth on the mass murdering but also because it also gave a little bit of the background of Dylan and Eric's friends as well as their family. The shooting was still occurring when I started to read again and it just seemed to get worse and worse. Something I thought was really interesting was how it said Eric had fired around 47-48 bullets and Dylan had only fired a few. Who's in charge? Who really wanted to do this? Do you think Eric knew that Dylan was going to do this? When Dylans friend called his house, his father said that he wasn't against weapons and that Dylan was too. Why didn't Dylan say anything to Eric? Or did Eric just convince Dylan into doing it. Belief seemed to play an important role in tonights reading. With Cassie and Chris missing throughout the shooting, Misty and Brad, their parents started to beg that they live (who wouldn't?). Knowing that Dylans dad thought that he was against weapons is huge because it shows that maybe Eric pressured Dylan.

Reading Pages 1-50

So this is completely different from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...So the book starts off explaining basically the life of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Cullen explains how Eric was the popular one and was liked by girls but caused trouble. However, Eric was smart, not as smart as Dylan though. Dylan on the other hand wasn't so good looking and wasn't so liked by others. Something big happened at the beginning of the book and that is that Dylan was going to prom with someone already but Eric wasn't. I don't know if knowing Dylan going to prom with someone before him, Eric, was so annoying but it seemed to annoy him. After 25 pages, Cullen starts to talk about what happened at the high school and how to two planned the crime. It started to get really disturbing how Eric and Dylan created journals, blogs, and videos about their plans to kill people. It's insane how they wanted to kill more people than McVie, someone who committed a mass murder? What do you think their motive was? They both seemed to be in a good position for the future...

Reading Pages 250-End

         Wow. There's really not much to say other than that. Bromden gets out!? Really? The guy who didn't speak for the majority of the book and he gets out? Very, very, very sneaky of Ken Kesey to do this. I thought it was really interesting how McMurphy is portrayed as the sane one throughout the entire book but we soon find out that he's actually insane, or at least goes it.
         So what exactly does McMurphy do that shows he could be "insane"...he strangles Nurse Ratched. Throughout the book, it's been the little annoying pranks on her, but this time. He strangled her, and she is unable to speak. It seems like McMurphy's insane characteristics came out of nowhere. Ken Kesey seemed to build up that other patients, like Bromden who's body build could take on anyone, would outbreak. However, it's the man who was supposedly the most sane the entire time.
         The shocking part of the ending is the McMurphy is given a lobotomy and tuns into a "chronic". Or someone who's like a vegetable. Chief Bromden does the unknown and kills McMurphy and throws the control panel out the window and escapes. What I thought of when this happened is what McMurphy told the people at the gas station on the fishing trip. Saying that everyone on the bus is an insane murderer or killer. Seems like it backfired on McMurphy as that he was actually killed by one of the insane murderers on the bus. So Chief Bromden, the one who's assumed to be insane from the beginning, who hadn't talked in a long time, escaped. Ken Kesey, you sneak.

Reading Pages 225-250

        In tonights reading McMurphy asked Chief if he could move the control panel. I thought this was big because what McMurphy asked Chief to do, he did. Chief was able to move the control panel, which soon earned McMurphy money. McMurphy seems to be doing everything in his best interest, and even though he was nice to take some of the patients on a fishing trip, I'm starting to think that what he's doing is like a dictatorship. He's almost in complete control of the other patients. The Nurse tries to convince the other patients that McMurphy is doing things in his best interest, but the patients disagree.
        Now that McMurphy knows that Chief will listen to him, I think he'll start asking him to do more risky things. McMurphy and Chief have now gotten into a fight with one of the aides, which is more risky. McMurphy has had an affect on Chief. However, Chief seems to be doing things that could get him into trouble. Will Chief continue doing what McMurphy asks him to do? Will they continue to be friends? It seems like McMurphy has only brought on bad towards Chief other than he's gotten him to talk and react.

Reading Pages 200-225

       In tonight's reading I felt that Billy emphasized more than any other character. The trip started off rough when they went to the gas station and started being made fun of from the people working there. That is until McMurphy came to the rescue. Then they got to the boat and they couldn't get on until McMurphy had to save the day again by leaving when the captain wasn't looking.
       The interesting thing is that even though McMurphy did some stuff with Candy Starr in the boat while the others were fishing, Billy still seemed to care for her. He was there for her they were waiting outside and he put his jacket on her, he was there for her when she couldn't handle the fishing rod, he was there for her when he gave up a life jacket to give it to her, and he was there for her when she slept on him during the ride back. I think tonights reading really focused on how Billy and Candy Starr interacted with each other and they seemed to hit it off. It's said that she's going to come back on a Saturday at 2PM. I wonder if Billy and Candy Starr's relationship will carry throughout the book. Do you think she'll actually visit HIM or McMurphy?

Reading Pages 175-200

        It's kind o f odd how McMurphy wants to leave with a prostitue named Candy Starr. I know he's challenging authority but does he actually believe that he'll be able to leave for a couple hours with a prostitute? It seems very childish and unlike his last attack towards authority. It's not like the Nurse, or the rest of the authority, doesn't know what would happen if he left with a prostitute.
        However, McMurphy was smart in asking to go on a fishing trip since it's not TOO out there and some say (outside of the book) that fishing is in fact therapeutic. As people sign up to go fishing, Nurse Ratched posts stories about storms and boat crashes thinking that the other patients won't sign up. It's almost like the Nurse thinks that by posting stories about boat crashes that the patients will stay in the institute and just let McMurphy go on his own. She's forgotten that she's hated throughout the institute and that McMurphy is mostly liked.
        When Bromden thought of his childhood, about when he never talked to adults, I thought that he's been kind of the same throughout his entire life; shy and quiet. It seems as if McMurphy is cracking into Bromden's mind as if it were a puzzle. First McMurphy is clearing Bromden's thoughts and then what? I can't wait to see what Bromden does in the future, anyone else pumped?

Reading Pages 150-175

This reading was really interesting since McMurphy decided to break Nurse Ratched's window. The window, which is almost invisible because of how clean it is, that McMurphy broke is part of the Nurse's power. I believe that it's a metaphor for how powerful she is and that she can look over anybody and anyone. She looks out it for hours, just looking at the patients, almost like a hawk with a mouse. Now that part of the window is covered up by cardboard it's somewhat like part of her power is gone. McMurphy is getting smarter with his attacks towards Nurse Ratched. Instead of small pranks that get her frustrated, like what her bra size is, he goes to what deeply matters to her, the glass. I believe that as time goes on, McMurphy will be getting smarter and smarter with his attacks and will soon completely over ride the Nurse. Does anyone else think that McMurphy is coming close to defeating the Nurse?

Reading Pages 125-150

I thought it was really interesting how what we were talking about in class seemed to happen. Nurse Ratched seemed to be going crazy. It was interesting when Chief Bromden saw that everyone was looking at Nurse Ratched through the glass instead of the opposite way around. It really shows how much McMurphy has done throughout his short stay at the institute. When Chief Bromden was in the meeting, he seemed to notice that when the doctor was talking to Nurse Ratched she didn't realize it, or was purposely ignoring the doctor. Instead, she was looking up at the ceiling to see how dirty they were. If this was on purpose, then I'm guessing she's trying show that she's not bothered by anything that's happening. If it wasn't on purpose, then it shows that she is going insane. Do you think she's actually going insane or do you think she's just ignoring the others just to show that she's not bothered by McMurphy or the recent voting?

Reading Pages 100-125

This was an interesting night of reading. Something I thought was really interesting was how the Nurse used the fog machine to manipulate the patients thoughts. Instead of using pills or shock therapy, she used the fog machine. Why not wipe out the patients memory instead of making them droopy and forgetful? The  nurse is getting extremely defensive in her actions. She's completely taking out McMurphy's options for overruling the institute. Without the other patients following him, other then Cheswick, he'll have no other options. It seems as if the Nurse knows that McMurphy is winning the battle between the two. It makes me start to wonder if using the fog machine is all she can do. Do you think if McMurphy finds away to defeat the use of the fog machine she'll use something else? If she does, do you think McMurphy will find a way around that?

Reading Pages 75-100

In this night of reading I found that the "policy" kept on being brought up by either McMurphy, The Big Nurse, or the "Black" boys. However, whenever McMurphy or the black boys brought it up, it seemed different. I got the feeling that it was more emphasized when mentioned in a sentence by them as opposed to the Nurse. When McMurphy brought it up, he kept on saying "goddamned policy" or something like is it against the ward policy? When the black boys said it, it seemed as if they didn't want to say it, and kind of wanted to help McMurphy break the policy. If the black boys were to help McMurphy break the policy with the rest of the patients, Acutes and Chronics, it would be much more interesting. Does anyone else think this?

Reading Pages 50-75

For tonights reading I found it really interested that McMurphy was able to convince Harding that Ratced is actually bad. Especially since Harding first said that Nurse Ratched was doing a good job. This kind of gave me the sense that McMurphy can convince anyone, especially since I believe he is in fact sane and he doesn't need to be in the institute. I also found it a little bit funny how McMurphy was used the metaphor, chickens pecking each other, for the meetings. If McMurphy can convince Harding, do you think it's possible that McMurphy can convince everyone that Nurse Ratched is bad? She does drug the other members of the community. Will there be a rebellion soon?

Reading Pages 25-50

This night of readings worth was a little bit confusing, at least for me. It went from describing what happens from early morning to afternoon. Then it went from McMurphy making jokes about how his uncle had to handle a woman who kept on calling him by the wrong name, which happened to be funny. Then it told the story of an old admission named Taber. It somehow then switched to how Pete was tired of being "dead" for 55 years.

This night of reading went from funny, with McMurphy's comments about "upon touching", to the un-amusing, and terribly saddening life of Pete. Does anyone else think that this night of reading was a little bit schizo? I'd personally like to learn more about the patients past, like they did for McMurphy, anyone agree?

Reading Pages 0-25

I thought it was really interesting how Chief Bromden referred to everyone as machines. Some machines are born with malfunctions, and others the malfunctions come throughout their lives. I'm not sure, I'm pretty positive, he didn't use the word malfunction though. As I started the book, I found it to a little bit boring, but once McMurphy came into play. He seemed to add a little bit of life to the book. The little bit of life that shows that they're really in an insane asylum. Does anyone else think that Bromden is bound to have an outbreak? He said that he can hear in the early pages but others think he's deaf. Being called deaf and dumb by Billy Babbit, who seems to have a pretty bad speech impediment, should be pretty insulting to Bromden. He better have an outburst at all of those fools making fun of him.