Questioning Insanity

What does it feel like to be crazy? Do insane people know that there is something wrong with them or do they simply find out based on the way society reacts to them? These were some of the burning questions that I had as I read the first pages of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

As I continued to read, I started to question every single thing the narrator, Chief Bromden, told us. It becomes pretty clear early on in the story that Chief Broom tends to exaggerate and blow things out of proportion. This is why, when I reached the part of the story when he starts to talk about the fog, I didn’t really know what to make of it. Does the fog represent the moment when he is given medications in order to calm him down? Is it some sort of technique they use in the mental institute to confuse and control them?

But on the other hand, one has to step back and look at the book as a whole. It is a strong critique towards society, mankind and values. If we look at it through this perspective, is it possible that the fog represents something even bigger? The fog might stand for uncertainty, self-doubt, the confines of social structure, judgment or even insanity itself.