The most important aspect of McMurphy's power is in laughter. McMurphy is trying to explain the power of laughter to the patients when he says, "that's the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn't anybody laughing "Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing. A man go around lettin' a woman whup him till he can't laugh any more, and he loses one of the biggest edges he's got on his side" (68). Laughter makes the patient feel good, and, more specifically, Bromden feels good and begins to remember other things that made him feel good. McMurphy's power in laughter is intensified by Nurse Ratched's lack of laughter. McMurphy's laughter and humor are genuine while Nurse Ratched's humor is forced and sm
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