That's What They Want You to Think

The extreme rules and boundaries set in place in the psych ward must seem a bit outrageous to us, citizens of the "land of the free". But that's what they want you to think (the school system, that is). However, there are several similarities in the ways in which the school and the psych ward are run. First and foremost, there are many, many sets of rules that be must followed. In school it's no iPods, no cell phones, no talking over one another, don't swear, get to class on time, etc. In Nurse Ratched's psych ward it's don't be aggressive, take your medicine, and basically do whatever I (Nurse Ratched) say. The rules are not exactly parallel, but they have the same results.

Rules are the main tool that Nurse Ratched and the school system use to keep control and order. By making a certain list of actions punishable, naturally the students or patients won't do them over and over again. Eventually, like a dog that is taught not to sit on the furniture or a baby who is being potty-trained, the person understands the rule and sees that the benefit of breaking the rule is no longer worth the risk. Therefore, they stop breaking the rule altogether and order is restored or kept. By doing this the leaders can, almost literally, control their inferiors. In Nurse Ratched's case it is much more literal-she has the ability to do to her patients whatever she sees as fit. The principals and teachers in the school have a similar power, but not to the degree that Nurse Ratched does. They can control say, when you go to the bathroom or what you're going to do in class that day. In school, the student does not have any say in their activities that day, unless he/she has a study. And even then there are limitations.

Another tool that both school and the psych ward use is a routine or everyday, constant schedule. This allows for little freedom by the patients and students, which creates more order and less chaos and confusion. If the school day were, just for the sake of argument, a 6-hour block and Mr. Welch came on the speakerphone and made announcements as to when each class finished, or all the blocks were different lengths, or two classes met in the same day, or the length of the school day changed, there would be chaos and unruliness. Nothing could be accomplished because everyone would be out of control. So, in order to keep control, a routine and daily schedule are established. Less freedom in the daily lives of the students and patients means more power and control for the principals and Nurse Ratched.

The school seems to be a psych ward of lesser degree-everything that occurs in the psych ward occurs in the schools, but not on as a large scale. The consequences and offences are smaller, with equally smaller consequences. They are very similar in the way that they are run and operated.