Chief Bromden

Class: Chronic

Voluntary or Committed: Voluntary

Nicknamed "Chief Broom", Chief Bromden was something of a deceitful Native-American man. He pretended to be deaf and dumb when he was actually the eyes and ears of the asylum. He actually knew everything that happened around the asylum- in that field he was as skilled at Nurse Ratched. He had been a patient at our asylum the longest and therefore knew Nurse Ratched's schedule as well.

Chief Bromden was one to feel small, insignificant, and helpless- these feelings originating from his experiences as a child with a submissive father figure. His reason for entering the asylum was unknown, but could have been for several reasons.

After meeting McMurphy, Chief Bromden thought of McMurphy as a martyr. Bromden was reminded of a song his mother used to sing about a goose, chicks, and a nest- McMurphy being the goose, the other patients the chicks, and our asylum as the nest. Chief Bromden saw McMurphy with his rebellious, attitude changing ways as a savior from the "Combine", which was what Chief Bromden liked to call society. The patients in our asylum were finally standing up for themselves as human beings.

When Nurse Ratched performed lobotomy on McMurphy, Chief Bromden was mortified. McMurphy was shocked loony. Chief Bromden did not want the other patients seeing McMurphy broken down by authority as they were finally rising from the rocks, so he killed McMurphy. He also killed him to save him from the miserable life of a lunatic. But perhaps, Chief Bromden was trying to save himself too?

Chief Bromden and all the other patients ended up leaving the asylum voluntarily as better and healthier people. He fulfilled McMurphy's dream at long last.

What Would Chief Bromden Say?

- "Except the sun, on these three strangers, is all of a sudden way the hell brighter than usual and I can see the . . . seams where they're put together. And, almost, see the apparatus inside them take the words I just said and try to fit the words in here and there, this place and that, and when they find the words don’t have any place ready-made where they’ll fit, the machinery disposes of the words like they weren’t even spoken" (Part 3).

- "And later, hiding in the latrine from the black boys, I'd take a look at my own self in the mirror and wonder how it was possible that anybody could manage such an enormous thing as being what he was" (Part 3).

- "I been away a long time" (Part 3).