Sunday, October 28, 2012
What We've Got Here...Is Two Similar Characters.
Lucas Jackson and Randall Patrick McMurphy serve as iconic American heroes, brazenly defying authority, helping a group of emasculated men recover some semblence of their manhoods in the face of an oppressive authority. Moreover, each takes on a Christ-like role, leading his respective disciples (prisoners or mental patients) toward dignity, suffering and deteriorating under the burden of leadership, and eventually sacrificing himself in a selfless defiance of the demand for conformity. Discuss some of the more interesting parallels between the characters. How do Kesey and the director/screenwriter of Cool Hand Luke cast their main characters as a religious figures? What significant differences exist between the two?
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Likewise, both Jackson and McMurphy were known as "new kids on the block." The characters were new additions to their environment and their personalities sparked interest from other men. McMurphy and Jackson both had situations where they had to prove themselves, even in situations where they knew they would fail. McMurphy bet the other inmates that he could lift the control panel knowing that it was nearly humanly impossible, even for a man larger than him. Likewise, Jackson continued to fight in the boxing match and told his opponent that he would have to kill him before he stayed on the ground. Both characters showed resiliance and resisted their oppressive surroundings, making them controversial characters in both stories.
ReplyDeleteLuke and McMurphy are very similar in respects of their personalities and actions. They both disobeyed authority and brought unity and joy to their peers.
ReplyDeleteThey both display Christ-like religious figures. They sacrificed their well-being and put the interest of others first. They were both also physically beaten by authority.
Differences between the two is that once McMurphy learned he might get committed longer, he started to act "cagey" for a little while. For Luke, this never occured. He never worried about being imprisoned for long, he just did what he thought was right. Another difference is that McMurphy has never yet tried to escape, even though he had opportunities (such as on the fishing trip).
McMurphy and Lucas Jackson are two important strong willed characters that likes to show their authority through masculinity and firmness. The two characters both are suppose to act as a manly figure to help regain what had been lost through the spellbound walls of these two crazy penitentiaries. The two characters are very closely alike in all sorts of ways. McMurphy is a hero in the koo-koo's nest. The patients see him as not just an ordinary patient. He steps out and challenges the staff and pulls their card. Before the arrival of this noble patient not a single patient in the hospital could take a stand like McMurphy did. Lucas Jackson also shows similar qualities like McMurphy. He presents Himself as the most confident and strongest of the men. No one dares to take him on in anything the inmates plan to do. He's a leader figure and opens the other men’s eyes. He teaches them how to stick to their opinion and not change through any threatened means. These two figures are illustrated as a religious symbol through size. Purposely the author and producer of both makes the characters come off as manly, giant and absurd. Compared to some regions stature you always appear as large, towering and a person to look up too. A higher power in most cases. This is the Significant of why they specifically defined and portrayed the characters as is. In cool hand look Lucas also takes on a bet that he can eat 50 eggs. Everyone looks at him likes he's insane but he sticks to his bet. Nothing changes his mind about the number of eggs he could eat. Even though this challenge was very difficult he still completes it even though he's basically in a food Coma. After eating all 50 eggs he lays out on the table with his arms spread apart almost as if he was lying on a cross. Compared to as Christ, He Stuck to his commitment as Christ did even if it left him in a state of discomfort. To me he is slightly more a religious figure. The events he went through in the movie for fetches what McMurphy does in the novel. Another specific example in the book was the breaking of the nurses’ glass. Nurse Ratched thought she had McMurphy under her spell and control but the tables turned when he pulls this act. This act is very significant because it shows that McMurphy still has some authority and control. This puts the nurse in compete shock while McMurphy leaves.
ReplyDeleteMcMurphy and Luke have some differences; however, their characters are very similar. McMurphy and Luke both are like new "members",in a club or something. They both come in and change everything. McMurphy changes the ward in some way. His crazy outrageous behavior makes him very different from the rest of the patients. Luke's behavior is not exactly the same as McMurphy's, but he does act out. McMurphy and Luke automatically impress the people around them. McMurphy and Luke both challenge the authorities power. Their behaviors can somewhat be defined as religious. Both of them somewhat made commitments to the people in the ward and jail. Just as Christ made a commitment to forgive everyone for their sins, Luke somewhat showed a commitment to the other prisoners. When Luke ate 50 eggs, he was somewhat keeping a commitment and proving something. The prisoners at one point started to not look up to Luke as much, because it was as if he wasn't being the role model for them as he was when he first came. Luke even goes to a Church to pray before he is killed.When McMurphy wanted to escape the other patients choose not to because they knew they wouldn't make it out in the real world, and when Nurse Ratched tries to persuade them McMurphy thinks about his self and can't be trusted, they start to lose faith in him. McMurphy and Luke have differences. McMurphy was a sick and manipulative individual,while Luke didn't so much have bad intentions. McMurphy was a horrible influence and he faked his insanity so he wouldn't go to jail. Luke was in prison for a minor crime.Even though Luke escaped, it was for his own well-being. Both of their fates was like dramatic irony. Neither one of them had a say so in their deaths, but in the end everyone went back to normal as if nothing ever happened.
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