Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is unique in that the narrator and arguably the main character of the story, Chief Bromden, is not the protagonist. Instead, McMurphy fills this role, and Bromden acts both as the main character, providing our insight into the story, and as a confidant to the real protagonist, McMurphy. Throughout the novel, Bromden acts as both an intentional and unintentional confidant, and through his closeness to McMurphy he becomes close enough to realize McMurphy's true fears, motivations, and fears, ultimately carrying out McMurphy's final escape plan. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the first scene of the book, we see that people say things in front of Bromden that they otherwise would not have said. Thanks to his perceived deafness and muteness, both staff and patients feel comfortable saying things in front of Bromden that they otherwise would not have said. For example, according to Bromden, black boys “don't bother to speak their hateful secrets out loud when I'm around because they think I'm deaf and dumb. Everyone thinks so." (Kesey 3) The idea that everyone feels comfortable discussing private details with Bromden around is crucial to his development as a confidant in the novel, because even when he reveals his ability to talk later in the novel people of the department are conditioned by his role as confidant. For example, even after revealing that he can hear by voting to watch the World Series, Bromden can clean the staff room during a meeting. This role is also important to the novel's narrative, as it provides readers with a means of learning the intimate details of the people admitted to the ward, while allowing the narrative to remain from one character's point of view. Although Bromden's perceived deafness and mutism serve him well in his role as the department's general confidante, he becomes close to McMurphy out of sheer closeness. From the beginning, McMurphy realizes that Bromden may not actually be deaf and dumb, because while talking to Bromden at night he realizes that Bromden responded when he said the black boys were coming, saying, "Because you sure are scared when I told you?” that raccoon was coming, boss. I thought someone told me you were strong. (Kesey 84) Later, the bond between McMurphy and Bromden grows as they continue to talk in their room. McMurphy makes Bromden laugh by asking him about the gum under the bed and makes him feel "big" again by slowly restoring his self-esteem. Their bond is stronger when they are sent to the disturbed ward together and McMurphy experiences the electroshock therapy that the Bromdens had experienced so many times. Bromden repeatedly acts in the role of McMurphy's confidante as their bond strengthens as previously described. When they are sent to the ward disturbed after their brawl in the showers, McMurphy asks for Bromden's insight into what they are about to face, asking "What do they have planned for us now, boss?" (Kesey 279) After McMurphy undergoes a lobotomy, Bromden demonstrates that he understands McMurphy beyond his appearance and the appearance he presented to the world by acting as his confidant when he says "Sure, they can do things like scars and broken noses, but they can't do that look. There's nothing on their face. Just like one of those store mannequins..." (Kesey 321) Proving that he sees beyond the physicality and pure symbol of masculinity that most of the department saw as McMurphy. , Bromden reveals that he has a deeper understanding of the complexities of.