Rxn Ordinary People One Flew

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Ordinary People and

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Karla M. Reyes, RN

Lota !sles, RN, M"N

Master o# "rts in Nursin$

Crisis !ntervention

"rellano %niversity

&' Nove()er &*+'


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ORDINARY PEOPLE

he (ovie, -Ordinary People’, is a story set durin$ the +/*’s with a story on

0arret #a(ily that is under crisis. he (ain characters are Calvin, 1eth and their son

Conrad. he crisis )e$an when 1uck, the eldest son, died o# a )oatin$ accident. "#ter

his death, Conrad )eca(e deeply trou)led and tried to co((it suicide )y slashin$ his

wrists )ut was saved when he was seen )y his #ather Calvin. Conrad was hospitali2ed

and went throu$h a therapy and (et Karen with the sa(e case 3 suicidal. 4hen he

was released #ro( the hospital, he was still e(otionally ill as seen in the (ovie, e was

not sleepin$ very well and havin$ (any ni$ht(ares o# the accident. "nd with the

re5uest o# his #ather, Conrad )e$ins to see a psychiatrist, 6r 1er$er. Conrad tells hi(

that he wants to $ain (ore control o# thin$s so his #ather will stop worryin$ a)out hi(.

7e $oes )ack to school )ut is not copin$ very well as he #eels very alienated #ro( even

so(e o# his )est #riend. 7e decides to 5uit swi((in$ tea(. 7e (eet 0eannine, a choir

(ate who )eca(e his love interest at the end o# the #il(.

!n so(e scenes, it was shown that the (other, 1eth, was (ore o# a private

(other with so(ewhat ine##ective denial o# what is happenin$ around her a#ter the

death o# her (ore #avored son, 1uck. 8he loves $oin$ out on vacation and is very

concerned o# what people (i$ht think when people knew what their pro)le(s are with

an e9a(ple o# $ettin$ (ad at Calvin when he told a #riend that Conrad was seein$ a

psychiatrists. 1eth is a type o# (other who pro:ects all that is $ood and only what is

$ood )ecause she is very concerned with what people (i$ht think o# her and her #a(ily.


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"s seen in the #il(, ! think she also has a )it o# o)sessive personality which is seen

when she prepares dinner ta)le or cleans the house like (ovin$ a vase into the center

o# the ta)le. 7owever, it is also clearly seen that the )ehavior she posed in the #il(

showed that she also could not cope with the loss o# a loved one. 8he $oes out on

vacation with co(plete denial that there is so(ethin$ wron$ with her #a(ily. "nd every

ti(e ti(e she $ets con#ronted, she would $et (ad, suppress the #eelin$ or rationali2e

that the (atter is a private #a(ily (atter and that it can )e resolved on their own. !n

literary, she is a #lat character )ecause she never chan$ed her attitude and instead :ust

le#t her #a(ily at the end o# the #il(.

Calvin is the #ather who tries to keep everythin$ okay and is (ore de(onstrative

in carin$ than the (other. 1ut it is seen that he is also under$oin$ a lot o# stress#ul

periods which he keeps to hi(sel#. Calvin is a kind #ather who looks a#ter his #a(ily. 7e

does love his #a(ily and tries his )est to keep the #a(ily to$ether even i# he, hi(sel#,

could no lon$er understand what has happened a#ter the event occurred. 7e worries too

(uch #or his #a(ily and his #riend #ro( work is already noticin$ this chan$e !n hi(.

;ventually, he decides to talk to 6r 1er$er and his


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i# you can #eel pain, you can’t #eel anythin$ else either. @ou are here and you are alive.

Now don’t tell (e you don’t #eel thatAB his cheers hi( up considera)ly.

Conrad was happy and showin$ a##ection #or his (other. 7e $ives 1eth a hu$,

who reacts very surprisin$ly. 7owever, durin$ the (iddle o# the ni$ht, 1eth wakes up

and #inds Calvin at the dinin$ roo( ta)le, cryin$. 7e proceeds to e9plain his #eelin$s #or

1eth. 7e #eels that she can=t allow any love in her li#e as she only showed love #or 1uck,

and her love died with 1uck. 7e also says that he doesn=t know whether or not he loves

her any(ore. 1eth is so shaken )y this, that instead o# ar$uin$, she packs her )a$s and

leaves. Conrad wakes up and has a talk with his #ather. 7e e9presses his ad(iration

and love #or hi(.

he (ovie showed a plot o# an ordinary #a(ily in the settin$ o# the +/*’s which

was then can )e an ideal one. his (eans that the #ather works to provide #or his #a(ily.

he (other takes $ood care o# the household like cookin$ and )akin$ #ood #or the

#a(ily and children doin$ well in school. hey live in a cool and )i$ house and is loved

)y their nei$h)or. "ll o# the (a:or characters portrayed this picture o# an ideal #a(ily

until a crisis 3 1uck’s death #ro( a )oatin$ accident 3 occurred.

Loss o# a loved one is a (a:or stressor in li#e which we all certainly will

e9perience since all people 3 )elon$in$ to a #a(ily or not will die in one way or

another. !ndividual copin$ (echanis( should )e present and adaptive to the stressor or

else, it will cause crisis in the #a(ily. 8ince it is a whole #a(ily stressor like the death o#


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1uck, there is a need #or every (e()er o# the #a(ily to support and co(#ort each other.

his, ! think #ailed in the 0arrette #a(ily. he copin$ (echanis( o# Conrad was not

e##ective thus, his atte(pt to kill hi(sel#. he copin$ (echanis( o# 1eth was also

ine##ective since she already continuously denies the occurrence o# the pro)le( within

her #a(ily. "nd with all o# these happenin$, Calvin, #aces (ore an9iety as he does not

only su##er #ro( the crisis o# losin$ his eldest son )ut also o# keepin$ his #a(ily to$ether

a(idst the crisis.

8tressors co(e and is said in (any psychiatric and (edical sur$ical )ooks that it

is a nor(al occurrence in li#e and that it is i(portant to (ake people develop

the(selves as lon$ as they can adapt to the di##erent situations. People #ace crisis when

they aren’t a)le to adapt to chan$e or keep their state o# e5uili)riu(. his happened in

the #a(ily. 7owever, they can still cope like Conrad provided they have social support

which in this #il( is represented )y 0eannette and Calvin and (ost i(portantly, when

needed, there can )e pro#essional help, like #ro( 6r 1er$er to #or( a structured way o#

therapy. May)e, i# the (other, 1eth, would have ad(itted there is so(ethin$ wron$ in

her #a(ily and that she would accept the help #ro( 6r 1er$er, then there can )e a

di##erent endin$.

Overall, the (ovie teaches us that we need to learn how to adapt and cope to all

o# the li#e’s stressors to lessen crisis, i# not to co(pletely avoid the(. 8upport #ro(

#a(ily, #riends, and other si$ni#icant others and i# needed, pro#essional help to $uide the

#a(ily )ack to adapt and live nor(al lives a$ain.


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Re#erenceD Red#ord, R. E6irector. E+G*. Ordinary People >Motion Picture?.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

he (ovie revolved around a $uy Randly McMurphpy which is played )y 0ack

Nicholson. 7e is a cri(inal tryin$ to have hi(sel# declared as insane so he’ll )e

trans#erred to (ental institution avoidin$ the la)or o# prison. 7is (akes #riends

throu$hout his stay in the hospital 1illy 1i))it suicidal, stutterin$ (an child who(

Ratched has hu(iliated and do(inated into a 5uiverin$ (essH and IChie#I 1ro(den, a

J=I (uscular Native "(erican who has schi2ophrenia. 7is tyrant was played )y the

character o# Nurse Ratched )ut the )lack $uy, 4ashin$ton one o# the attendants or

nurses is (ore oppressive without reason.

McMurphy $ave variety to the routine o# the ward. his started as he insisted on

watchin$ the 4orld 8eries. Car nappin$ the )us to $et his pals on #ishin$ or plans o#

escapin$ the (ental institution. 7e even ca(e to a point o# )ri)in$ the person induty #or

so(e


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introduces di##erent kinds o# activities #ro( card )ettin$ $a(es to $ettin$ a )us and

#ishin$. Nurse Ratched (i$ht )e ri$ht that he has a personality pro)le( that (ay need

help )ut that was the $ood part o# his character.

Lookin$ at how the health syste( played placed (e in a )it o# a dis(ay o# how

patients were treated in the ward. Nurse Ratched was, in (y opinion, was the only

nurse who is already the )est person to portray a $ood psychiatric nurse. 8he conducts

$roup therapy sessions very well as she starts and ends the session. 8he shows

#ir(ness when needed, acknowled$es each and every patient, allows the( to talk and

e9plains very well their conditions. 7owever, she was very sti## with her routine

rationali2in$ that chan$es (ay not )e applica)le to other patients. hus, it shows that

she (ay have #or$otten that patients also need variety o# environ(ent and activities as

noted )y Florence Ni$htin$ale.

Moreover, the other health care provider in this #il( are portrayed as the

anta$onist o# the story and not one o# any health care character showed the )asic ways

o# how to properly care #or psychiatric patients. hey are too (uch routinely doin$ their

:o) that they #or$ot how to work 4!7 the patients to help the( in their (ental state.

One e9a(ple is $ivin$ the (edications. "lthou$h the nurses will individually $ive the

(edications to the patients, she does not check i# it is swallowed endin$ up that

McMurphy was a)le to :ust throw the capsule he #alsely swallowed. "nother is the

uncarin$ 4ashin$ton who was always )ullyin$ McMurphy and other patients, even

pressin$ a stick on McMurphy while he was )athin$.


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!t is in (y opinion that the story writer intended to (ake the (entally challen$ed

patients the prota$onist o# the story and the health care provider the anta$onist to

e(phasi2e a point that (ental patients do need care. Most o# us would so(eti(es

#or$et that they are also hu(an )ein$s and that they too should )e treated with care

and respect as (uch as we $ive to those who( we take care )ecause o# physiolo$ical

illness. 8o(e would take these kinds o# patients #or $ranted )ecause they think that

they do not understand the thin$s that are happenin$ with the(, it is usual so we should

not (ind the( doin$ that like in the case o# he Chie# who was )elieved to )e (ute,

dea# and stupid. hey treated hi( that way #or so lon$ only to #ind in the endin$ that he

will )e the one who can escape the institution.

his story does not only teach nurses or people to challen$e the current syste(

to evolve and place di##erent activities or pro$ra(s to enhance livin$ or e(power

people. !t also tells us to care #or those incapa)le o# carin$ #or the(selves even i# they

are una)le to acknowled$e or understand (ay they )e (entally challen$ed or not. 4e

(ust (aintain their di$nity while )alancin$ it in the #ul#ill(ent o# our roles as nurses.

Re#erenceD

For(an, M. E6irector. E+/. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest >Motion Picture?.

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Rxn Ordinary People One Flew