(Reflection)

First, I decided that visually the ePortfolio for this site should reflect the ePortfolio which I have for a seamless transition. I also included links within my annotations to other annotations which I did in order to make the experience of reading this edition more pleasurable for the readers themselves, as I felt I would be beating certain points to death if I kept repeating things I’d already elaborated on better in other annotations. As for ePortfolio itself, I was quite well acquainted with it from other classes, though this is the first time I feel as though I created the website from the bottom up. What the digital environment has allowed me to do it really elaborate on what I think as I’m reading certain passages on the novel, which is difficult to do with a physical edition due to restraints such as margin space in the novel. The more broken down format has also allowed me to hone down on individual passages more than an essay would, though I could retain elements of the essay by linking to other pages. Essentially, I learned how to “write an essay by other means”.

However, these are minor things in comparison to how I as an editor decided to frame this novel. I chose excerpts from the novel to annotate which I felt best displayed what I’ve dubbed “Kesey’s Conspiracy”, that is, the thesis of this Digital Edition (Let’s Fly). I did not want to bog down my Critical Introduction with the daunting task of summarizing the entire novel I felt as though excerpts above the paragraph explaining relevant points which happened in the novel preceding the quotes I’d annotate would give the reader a better understanding of where these quotes are in the text. Hence, I wouldn’t be quoting these things within a bubble. I had to make the choice of overlooking details of the plot which did not help my thesis; for instance, talking in depth within the summary about McMurphy and Chief’s time in the Disturbed ward of the hospital before they were sent to receive Electroshock therapy. Notably, a Japanese Nurse within the Disturbed ward claims that all wards in the hospital are not like Nurse Ratched’s ward and that Nurse Ratched runs it that way because she was an unmarried, older, former Army nurse. I felt this would be distracting from not only my thesis but Kesey’s thesis about mental hospitals themselves, and that my thesis was not affected by this considering that Armies are a byproduct of the mechanical society which epitomizes the conformity of men to a desired standard of masculine behavior. Very careful consideration was given both to the necessary components of the novel which function for understanding of the text and the annotations which were chosen to highlight “Kesey’s Conspiracy”.

As a pre-med major myself, though I do not want to go into psychology or psychiatry, I did find Kesey’s argument very conflicting. While I do find it wrong and misguided that certain treatments of mental health do not be addressing the real issue with the patient and rather get them to conform to what society wants, I do think that not all mental illnesses are made up. To do so is a profound understatement of the suffering which mental illness can cause for both its sufferers and others around them. However, I do think we as a society and as a medical community need to be more understanding of mental differences that we attribute to mental illness instead of just writing them off so as to give patients better care. In addition, I do think that all medical care needs a more of a heartfelt focus, meaning that the individuality and humanity of the patient should be kept in mind no matter what their physical illness is.

I have learned through this process the necessity of brevity for a good reading experience. I did my best to edit out places where I felt I was repeating myself, because longer truly does not necessarily mean better. I also feel as though I learned the importance of gaining outside insight on a project, as all of the comments I received on my annotations were very helpful in the editing process of my own writing. To leave off this reflection, I would like to say sincerely that I hope you enjoyed our flight over the Cuckoo’s Nest.