In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the character of Randle P. McMurphy
             undergoes a gradual journey towards self-destruction. His actions go from the minuscule,
             such as changing minor ward policies, to the act of trying to strangle Nurse Ratched. All
             of his actions, minor and major, lead to his self-destruction. He continues this behavior
             even after he discovers he's only hurting himself with his actions.
             McMurphy begins by protesting minor but significant defects of the ward policies.
             When he first arrives, he runs around in nothing but a towel and provokes shock and anger
             from the Big Nurse. His actions let the nurses and patients know that he won't simply sit
             back and take the staff's cruel treatment to get the patients to conform quietly and without
             protest. He begins to gamble with the patients, first for cigarettes and eventually for IOUs,
             despite the nurse's rule of no gambling on the ward for money (Kesey 102). He also
             convinces the spineless Dr. Spivey to allow the patients to open up a separate day room
             for their card games. He uses the doctor to implement these changes, which aggravates
             the nurse because it takes away her power. The resentment between McMurphy and
             McMurphy brings about all these changes before he realizes one vital fact: Nurse
             Ratched is the sole determiner of how long he must stay in the ward. He's watching
             television while everyone else is completing their chores. The nurse says to him, "You're
             committed, you realize. You are ... under the jurisdiction of me...the staff...Under
             jurisdiction and control-" (138). The nurse also says, "Keep in mind that Mr. McMurphy is
             committed. The length of time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us" (150).
             McMurphy relaxes slightly; however, he eventually continues to harass the nurse,
             despite his knowledge that she dictates the length of his confinement.
             On one occasion McMurphey beats the nurse by organizing...