Who is the 'Big Nurse'?

Who is the 'Big Nurse'?

• A. Chief Bromden
• B. Randle McMurphy
• C. Nurse Ratched
• D. Dale Harding

Answer: (C)

This question tests your knowledge of who is called “Big Nurse” in the story. The Big Nurse is Nurse Ratched, the head nurse who runs the psychiatric ward with strict, calculating control. She shapes every routine, medication schedule, and interaction to maintain order and authority, using psychological pressure to keep the patients in line. The nickname comes from Chief Bromden, the narrator, who describes her as a towering, intimidating presence—embodying the institution’s power more than any individual power. That sense of size and dominance is why she’s known as the Big Nurse. Randle McMurphy is the rebellious patient who challenges her rules, while Dale Harding is another patient dealing with authority; neither is the figure referred to by that nickname. So Nurse Ratched is the best answer because she is the person Chief Bromden signifies with that label.

This question tests your knowledge of who is called “Big Nurse” in the story. The Big Nurse is Nurse Ratched, the head nurse who runs the psychiatric ward with strict, calculating control. She shapes every routine, medication schedule, and interaction to maintain order and authority, using psychological pressure to keep the patients in line.

The nickname comes from Chief Bromden, the narrator, who describes her as a towering, intimidating presence—embodying the institution’s power more than any individual power. That sense of size and dominance is why she’s known as the Big Nurse.

Randle McMurphy is the rebellious patient who challenges her rules, while Dale Harding is another patient dealing with authority; neither is the figure referred to by that nickname. So Nurse Ratched is the best answer because she is the person Chief Bromden signifies with that label.