Summary 1 , a long-term patient in a psychiatric ward, narrates the events of the novel. The patients known as the "Acutes" are considered curable, while the "Chronics" cannot be fixed. The Chronics that can move around are "Walkers," and the rest are either "Wheelers" or "Vegetables." Nurse Ratched encourages the Acutes to spy on one another. If one lets slip an embarrassing or incriminating personal detail, the rest race to write it in the log book. …showed first 75 words of 1948 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1948 total…raise his hand. Ratched explains that it is too late, because the vote is closed. During the afternoon cleaning chores, McMurphy declares that it's time for the game. When he turns on the TV, Ratched furiously cuts the power to it, but McMurphy doesn't budge from the armchair. The Acutes follow suit and sit in front of the blank TV. She screams and rants at them for breaking the schedule, and McMurphy wins his bet.