ook, while Forman allows the camera to be the omniscient narrator of the film. Otherwise, the characters are basically the same, especially the protagonist and the main institutionalized patients:
A silent, dignified, huge and towering Indian giant “Chief” Bromden—a deaf, dumb Indian
A pathetic, incessantly stuttering, paranoid boychild Billy Bibbit—shy, virginal, impressionable, and deathly afraid of his mother
An ineffectual, rationalizing intellectual Dale Harding—relatively sane but unable to get over his wife’s betrayal and adultery
An insecure neurotic Charlie Cheswick—lacking self-confidence
A cynical, trouble-making sadist Taber
Space does not allow a comparison of all the characters and their comparison between book and film. However, if we focus on two of the main characters, we can see two distinct personality disorders according to The Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM IV). The first of these is the nonconformist McMurphy and the second is the paranoid Billy Bibbit. Before launching into a discussion of these characters, we need to diagnose them according to DSM IV criteria. While not diagnosed as anything other than a nonconformist in the novel and film, McMurphy exhibits the behavior and symptoms of antisocial personality disorder “characterized by a long-standing pattern of a disregard for other people’s rights, often crossing the line and violating these rights. This pattern of behavior has occurred since age 15, although only adults can be diagnosed with this disorder” (Antisocial, 1999, 1). The DSM IV (APA, 1994, 623-632) lists the following symptoms as being present for a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder:
Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly forming acts that are grounds for arrest
Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for person...