Main Characters

Randle Patrick McMurphy: A boisterous, rebellious, and sexually free convict who fakes insanity to transfer to the mental institution, disrupting Nurse Ratched's control and inspiring the other patients.

 

Nurse Mildred Ratched (Big Nurse): The manipulative, authoritarian head nurse who maintains power through psychological torment and control, viewing the patients as rabbits to be broken.

 

Chief Bromden: The towering, seemingly deaf and mute narrator, who is actually a paranoid schizophrenic hiding his intelligence, viewing the world through a lens of "the Combine" (oppressive machinery).

 

Dale Harding: An educated, effeminate patient and the patients' council president, who struggles with his masculinity and feels emasculated by his wife and Nurse Ratched, finding a mentor in McMurphy.

 

Billy Bibbit: A young man with a severe stutter, dominated by his mother (a friend of Nurse Ratched's), who is timid and a virgin, finding confidence through McMurphy but suffering a tragic end.

 

Supporting Patients

Charles Cheswick: A defiant chain smoking but fearful patient who is the first to rally behind McMurphy's rebellion. Gains self confidence but still manic-depressive tendencies.

 

Martini: A delusional man (probably former military) who lives in a world of hallucinations but learns to find humor in his situation.

 

Scanlon: An involuntarily committed patient obsessed with blowing things up, who becomes one of McMurphy's most loyal followers.

 

Staff & Others

Aides (Warren & Williams): Cruel, demeaning orderlies who are extensions of Nurse Ratched's will. Probably old Army orderlies from Nurse Ratched's old career.

 

Dr. Spivey: The institution's calm administrator who defers to Nurse Ratched but is secretly intimidated by her. Doctor Spivey A morphine addict, chosen by Nurse Ratched to work on her ward because she can exploit his weakness and vulnerability. He nevertheless begins to assert himself after continued exposure to McMurphy's behavior.

 

Nurse Flinn: A timid, religious nurse who fears the patients.

 

Candy Starr: A prostitute from Portland with a "heart of gold." She is physically attractive and passive, and relieves Billy Bibbit of his virginity.

 

Ruckly: An Acute patient turned to Chronic patient after receiving too much electroshock. Stands in a posture of a crucifixion against the ward walls.

Mr. Turkle: An elderly night watchman who smokes marijuana. McMurphy bribes him to help arrange the novel's final party.

Sandy Gilfilliam: Candy's older and less-physically attractive friend; comes with her to the party on the ward.

Molly B'Golly: Friend of Sandy and Candy but loves a party. Dances with the Acute patients and drinks with the rest of the group.