The Big [small] Nurse

The importance of a character does not lie in his or her appearance through out the text. Sometimes it does, but other it doesn´t. Take, for example, the women in One Flew Over the Cuckoo´s Nest. How many women have appeared until know? The answer is simple: very few. Really few compared to the male characters. If you count all the patients, plus the boys, plus the doctor, you get a high number. Women, I can recall three: the Big Nurse, one of the other nurses and Harding´s wife, Vera. 

So, if there are only three women, why can they be important? By character (in the first sentence) I was referring to women, not only just a female character specifically. The Big Nurse appears constantly through the book, imposing her power and strength over the men, not only the sick but also the healthy. But she is the only woman that is really part of the story. The other two appear briefly, and only of one there is a description.

Between the Big Nurse´s description (made through out the whole book) and Vera´s concise one, there is a significant similarity. In both, there is a portrayal of  the women’s´ physique, especially their breast. Are women only important because of that? There is also a part where McMurphy mentions that the Big Nurse´s breasts are in a way, a form of weakness. Why would he say something like that, when he knows it is not true?

By such portrayal of the women, one might think that women are not important, but it is the complete opposite. McMurphy may feel superior to the Big Nurse, but she is one step ahead of him.  It is shown in the way he reacts to his know-it-all attitude. If it weren´t for the Big Nurse, the hospital would not function correctly.

 So, what is the author trying to show us through the Big Nurse?

In the literal level of the book, she may be just a nurse, but going beyond that, she could represent the importance of the women in a society full of impulsive men, like McMurphy. The fact that a single woman carries that whole representation made me think about The Stranger, and Mersault´s mother. She rarely appears, but is vital to the understanding of the story and character. The same happens with the Big Nurse. She may only be a simple Nurse, but behind her character, actions and personality, lies much more.