How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Quote #1
McMurphy: Now they're telling me I'm crazy over here 'cause I don't sit there like a goddamned vegetable. It don't make a bit of sense to me."
McMurphy thinks that society will stick the "crazy" label on anyone who thinks differently or is a free spirit like himself. Do you buy what he's selling? At times, McMurphy seems pretty sane. But we've also got to remember that the dude's a hardened criminal. And there are nicer ways to be a nonconformist than resorting to felony assault.
Quote #2
McMurphy: If that's what being crazy is, then I'm senseless, out of it, gone down the road, whacko.
McMurphy thinks that if having your own opinions and your own way of doing things is crazy, then he's totally loco. That's pretty much what this whole movie about: treating a guy like he's crazy just because he likes to live on his own terms. But on the flipside, there's gotta be a limit, right? If we let everyone live on their own terms, we'd have anarchy. And probably a lot of dead bodies and destroyed property.
Quote #3
McMurphy: Is that crazy enough for you? Want me to take a s*** on the floor?
Um, please don't. When the doctors express skepticism about McMurphy's craziness, McMurphy gets frustrated and asks them what they'd like him to do. Maybe if he acted crazier they'd be more satisfied. The whole thing seems pretty up in the air.