You Got Problems

Hey guys, this is going to be my last entry before I give my journal to that chick with the glasses. I am happy to say that I’m finally leaving this ward to live in the outside world. I was ready to leave the moment I checked in. Today was a bittersweet day. Today, the men and I finally saw Bromden again; it felt like we haven’t seen him in a long time. When we saw Bromden, we immediately ran and surrounded him. Everyone was bombarding him with questions regarding McMurphy. Bromden responds to the questions, but no one is surprised when he finally speaks after all this time. After hearing Bromden’s responses, I knew that the other men wanted to do something for McMurphy. I felt the men’s camaraderie and they all wanted to help McMurphy get out of the ward. The other men looked at me because they wanted to know if I was “in” helping McMurphy. I told them I didn’t want to get involved whatsoever. I guess later, some of the men, McMurphy, and two prostitutes drank and had a fun time because shortly after, the ward was a complete mess. I heard that Billy and Candy were lying in bed together, and Nurse Ratched walked in on them. First of all, I would be embarrassed to have Nurse Ratched walk in on me when I’m naked. Second, I was mad at Billy because I overheard him telling Nurse Ratched that it was the other men’s fault that he had sex with Candy. He was sent to the doctor’s office and apparently he killed himself because Nurse Ratched was yelling at McMurphy and she was blaming him for Billy’s death. Nurse Ratched just kept yelling at him to the point where he had enough. He ripped Nurse Ratched’s shirt and started to strangle her. After the doctors and aides subdued McMurphy, they sent him away. The next time I saw him, he was already lobotomized. It was weird because I saw McMurphy, but he wasn’t the McMurphy I knew. It depressed me a little. Shortly after I saw McMurphy, he was killed. Then, I heard that Bromden broke out and escaped the ward. I have a feeling that Bromden was the one who euthanized McMurphy, and I understand why. Even though McMurphy was this rebellious, cool, popular guy who made me feel like second best, I am truly going to miss him.

Today has been a wild day. I was one of the 12 men who signed up to go to the fishing trip that McMurphy proposed. Even though I have ill feelings toward McMurphy, I decided to sign up because I feel like I deserve to have a short furlough from the ward. Maybe if McMurphy stops stealing the limelight from me, he and I would make great friends. Before we left the ward, we had to wait for McMurphy’s two elderly aunts. So, we were just waiting in the lobby and this sexy, sultry woman walks in. My first thought was that she couldn’t possibly be McMurphy’s elderly aunt; there wasn’t anything elderly about her. All the men kept staring at her like hound dogs, and Billy even whistled at her. You can tell he’s very classy, can you hear the sarcasm in my words? Anyways, McMurphy’s other “elderly aunt” didn’t show up, so Dr. Spivey had to come as the second chaperon in order for us to go. Once at the fishing dock, McMurphy managed to rent a boat and then we fished the entire time. Let me tell you this, all the men suck at fishing, except for me. I was sad when we all had to leave and return to the ward. I had so much fun, and I don’t want to go back to a stinky, old ward. Once back at the ward, Nurse Ratched told us that McMurphy has been lying to each and every one of us because he’s been taking all of our money. I kind of ignored her when she was talking to us because I don’t like her. If I don’t like someone, I refuse to listen to them. That’s just me. She had all the men who went to the fishing trip take a special shower, and when I was showering, I heard loud noises and yelling. I walked over and I saw Bromden and McMurphy fighting the black aides. It happened to fast and Bromden and McMurphy were both sent to Disturbed. Intense stuff, man.

McMurphy went crazy yesterday. Some of the Acutes and I were at the library when he went berserk. I don’t even know how it happened, he just snapped at Harding all of a sudden. Harding’s wife came to visit him in the library and after she left, Harding was talking to McMurphy and McMurphy just blew up. He started yelling at Harding and then at us; he kept saying something like, “I’m tired of all of you, stop bothering me!” I’m not sure if that’s exactly what he said, I’m just paraphrasing. The next day, all of us had to get checked up in the X-Ray room. I got my checkup and there was nothing wrong with me, of course. McMurphy asked about the Shock Shop and Harding told him that it’s just another treatment that Nurse Ratched could give to the men in the ward. I was eavesdropping, and Harding told McMurphy that McMurphy has stopped rebelling against Nurse Ratched. You want to guess what happened next? McMurphy started accosting everyone after Harding told him that all of the Acutes are in the ward voluntarily. In another group therapy session, everyone focused their attention on Sefelt, one of the Acutes. Everyone was trying to convince him to start taking his medications again. Towards the end of the group meeting, I was so pissed to hear what Nurse Ratched said. She said that as a punishment for the men who rebelled and watched the television when they weren’t supposed to, she took away our privilege of playing cards in the tub room. I was really mad. Then, something out of the ordinary happened. Well, McMurphy ran across the room and grabbed a cigarette and started smoking it. I’ve noticed that McMurphy is back to his old, obnoxious self again. He convinced Dr. Spivey to bring back a basketball into the ward so he could start a basketball team. However, my NBA career was short lived because the season ended after one game. After that, McMurphy proposed a fishing trip. I like the new changes going on in here.

I heard that all of the staff members had a meeting because of McMurphy. I wouldn’t blame them, because of all the shenanigans he has done. Here’s the interesting thing; I also heard that the staff members wanted to send him to Disturbed because of his behavior in here. I don’t understand why everyone has taken so much interest in McMurphy; he’s just an ordinary guy, he’s nothing special. I used to be the popular guy in here before McMurphy got here; now, I’m just standing in the back like a dirty rag doll. This is not cool. I really don’t like him, I think he’s juvenile; he draws and leaves messages in the toilets when he was supposed to clean them. This just shows how immature and childish McMurphy is. Also, some of the men are still being stupid because they keep watching the t. v. when it’s not even turned on during the afternoons. I’ve noticed that McMurphy is starting to influence the men more and more every day. Just the other day in a therapy group session, the patients started to complain about certain things like how they can’t smoke their cigarettes. I looked at McMurphy and he was pleased by all the problems he was causing. However, he’s not getting any pressure from Nurse Ratched or the doctor; and I heard it’s because Ratched and the doctor wants to diagnose him as sane and send him off to the outside world, out of the ward. After hearing all of this, it seems that McMurphy has changed; he stops sticking up for the other patients. But on another note, during lunchtime, one of the Acutes had a seizure in front of everyone; it was quite the scene. The Nurse told us that the reason why the Acute had a seizure was because he was not taking his medication every day like he was supposed to. Crazy stuff, man.

One morning when we were all eating breakfast, McMurphy wanted to show off in front of the other patients, what a surprise. He flung a chunk of butter at the clock, but he missed, ha. I bet I can hit the clock if I wanted to. Later, McMurphy went up to Nurse Ratched and complained to her about the loud music playing on the ceiling. He wanted to know if there was a way to turn off the music completely or just adjust the volume. McMurphy is starting to get on my nerves. He’s a newbie, but he acts like he runs this place. I’ve been here longer than he has; who does he think he is. Other than this, I’m fairly happy right now. In a therapy session, Dr. Spivey suggested to us that the ward should have a carnival. I couldn’t believe my ears, a carnival in the ward! I looked over at Nurse Ratched because I knew she was just dying inside after hearing this. She was shaking in her boots.

I think McMurphy thinks that he’s the shit and that everyone supports him one-hundred percent. The other day, he opposed one of the nurses and wanted to change the schedule so we can watch the World Series. He tried to gather votes from us for the schedule change, but not a single person spoke up.  However, later that day in a therapy session, McMurphy brought up the whole schedule change and the World Series again to Nurse Ratched. This guy never stops until he gets what he wants. However, this time, McMurphy managed to get all the Acutes to vote with him. I was astonished; even Chief Bromden voted with them. Nurse Ratched wasn’t having it, so she dismissed the group session. I don’t like McMurphy; he’s starting to become more and more popular than I am.

Hello guys, did you all miss me? Of course you guys did. I think I’m starting to like this place. In the past few days, I feel like most of the Acutes and Chronics like me. I feel like I’m the most important person to all of them in here. They all love me. However, one thing I dislike about the people in here is that they come to me and complain about their problems, and frankly, I don’t really care about them or their problems. I don’t sympathize because they’re simple people; their problems are beneath me. I only care about my own feelings. Anyways, enough about them, I want to talk about this McMurphy guy. He’s one of the new guys in the ward; I think he was the one who admitted himself in here. He’s boisterous and brawling. He’s different, like me, but I’m better looking. I heard that before he got here, McMurphy committed statutory rape and got into numerous fights. First of all, who gets into fights when they’re old? Clearly from his actions, there’s something wrong with his brain. Also, just yesterday when we were playing cards with the Acutes, McMurphy started freaking out because he was hearing loud music. He then got up from the table and walked off to the Nurses’ Station to complain about the cacophony. This McMurphy guy is getting out of line. This morning, he was singing in the bathroom, very loudly, I might add. Everyone on the floor heard him. He’s such a rebel; he brushed his teeth when we weren’t allowed to. But, the best part was when he went toe to toe in a towel with the one and only, Nurse Ratched. I thought Nurse Ratched was going to shred him into pieces, but she didn’t. Now, I’m envious of McMurphy.

Being stuck in a psychiatric ward is no fun. Being in here, I’ve noticed that the whole ward is segregated into two groups: crazy people, and even more crazy people. The ‘crazy people’ are called the Acutes because their mental illness is acute and they might have a chance of being cured. The ‘more crazy people’ are called the Chronics, and there’s no hope for these people because they’re beyond curable. Well, comparing these two groups, I would say that I’m an Acute because I definitely have a chance of being cured, heck; I’m the most normal guy in here. During my time in here, I’ve developed a loathing towards Nurse Ratched. Earlier today, we had a group therapy session and she read aloud some of the men’s files to everyone.  After reading the files aloud, she would invite the other men to criticize each other. She’s just a vicious, cold-hearted, unsympathetic ‘derogatory female term’. I have never met anyone like her in my entire life before. I detest everything about her. I feel like she’s out to get me all the time. She treats me like a child, brings me down, and turns everyone else against me. I can’t take it anymore; I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. If I had one wish, I’d wish for Nurse Ratched to be gone. No, wait, I’d change how the ward is operated. All we do in here is take medication, eat meals, and sleep in beds. I want some excitement while I’m in here. We should have physical activities and maybe a field trip to the mall wouldn’t hurt. My life in here sucks compared to my life in the outside world. I miss my friends and family and I’m pretty sure they all miss me too. I can honestly say that I’m the most important person to them. I can’t wait to get out; I need to get out.

Hello, the name is Shea Wyatt. I don’t even know why I’m doing this; the lady with the glasses told me to write about my day every day in a journal. She said something about how writing about my feelings and what I’m thinking daily would be healthy for me. I don’t really understand her philosophy and she kind of talks funny. Well, I thought about it and I figured I should give it a try because I have nothing else to do and it’s really boring being stuck in here with these people. The people in here are weird and I don’t like being around them. Also, they’re all crazy. I don’t even know why I’m here, I’m not even mentally ill, seriously. Man, have one mental breakdown, and you get sent into a stupid, smelly psych ward. Unbelievable. Well, the lady told me to first write about my past and how I got in here. I was born on April 21, 1990 in Los Angeles, California. I have 3 older brothers and 3 older sisters; I’m the youngest one. My father is a plastic surgeon, so he fixes people’s faces for a living, and my mother is a world-renowned fashion photographer; she takes pictures of pulchritudinous models. As a teenager, I rarely saw my parents because of their work, and my brothers were busy with their sports and my sisters were busy with their boyfriends. I would just hang out with my friends because my house would always be empty. My family never paid attention to me because I was the “baby” of the family. I always thought that was stupid. The lady with the glasses in here told me that my childhood may have caused my mental illness, but I don’t understand. She said that the reason why I act the way I do is because my family was really never there for me at all. Personally, I think she’s wrong; I’m perfectly normal. I’m perfect. I got all A’s in my classes in high school and I was a member of Drama Club, FBLA, ASB, and Key Club. I had a lot of friends in high school, and they all love me. Well, I guess that’s all for now.

The American Dream is an important element of our national psyche. It is a desire for someone or something that is found in every American’s heart. The American Dream varies from person to person. One person’s American Dream could be a life less ordinary, or to be a protector to all the children. Two novels that exemplify the theme of the American Dream are The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.

The theme of the American Dream is greatly illustrated in The Great Gatsby. It is seen in two particular characters, which are Daisy and Jay Gatsby. Analyzing the novel, readers know that Daisy Buchanan’s character is fickle, materialistic, and beautiful. She shows no compassion for anything or anyone, including her baby. However, Daisy’s character is considered as the personified version of the American Dream. She is desirable and unpredictable, like the American Dream. In addition, Daisy’s faults essentially symbolize the faults of the American Dream as well.

Jay Gatsby yearns for his American Dream in the novel. His character represents every man that is trying to find his own American Dream. Gatsby’s dream is to live a wealthy life with the love of his life, Daisy. However, Gatsby’s character reveals the truth and actual reality of the American Dream. He reveals that it isn’t all that wonderful. In his eyes, Gatsby sees that Daisy can do no wrong, and his failure to see the truth in her was what ultimately doomed his American Dream.

The society during the 1920’s was all about wealth and fortune. Everyone had a mentality of wanting to get to the top, no matter what, during that time. Generally, the American Dream was an idea of materialistic wealth and objective pleasures. It was at this time where it was common among the people to abandon hard work and ethics for the good life.

The Catcher in the Rye also illustrates the theme of the American Dream. The theme is shown through the character of Holden Caulfield. Holden’s character reveals the heartaches and adversities one must go through in order to achieve the American Dream. Throughout the novel, Holden tries to find a place in his world even though it’s filled with “phonies”. As a solution, Holden makes a plan to get away in the woods. He says, “We’ll stay in these cabin camps and stuff like that till the dough runs out” (132). Holden tries so hard to live in a world where his beliefs and ideals are not in sync with others. Holden also says that he wants to be the “catcher in the rye” for all the children. He says, “I thought it was ‘If a body catch a body’” (173). The reason Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye” is because he wants to protect the ones he loves and be in control of his life. Holden’s personal dream is to protect all the children from all the bad things in adulthood. By protecting the children’s innocence, Holden feels satisfied because he knows that he’s saving all the trouble from them.

The Catcher in the Rye took place during the 1950’s. This was a time of repression. It was at this time where people weren’t allowed to do what they wanted to do. They couldn’t speak out or express their beliefs as well. In addition, there was a great deal of pressuring people, especially the young ones, to conform to the societal norm. This societal trend relates to the American Dream because the dream became more desirable. Since people were told to not do this or to not do that, they wanted to break the barriers of conformity and achieve their own dreams, like Holden Caulfield. He is upset with the world he is living in so he decides to break free from it.

The American Dream varies everywhere. It is found in everyone across America. The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye are two works that illustrate this theme. These two novels reveal the reality and adversities that come with the American Dream as well.

This poster was created by Brianna McCovey and myself. We made a poster illustrating F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life. We gathered information about the important events of his life. He had an interesting life.