PLAYER

NAME:Kathleen/Thleen/Husbando/Dude-San/Kathy/Kath/Toby/Leen/Thleendor/Thleenka
AGE: 17
PREFERRED PRONOUN: She
PERSONAL LJ: ankeelv2
TIMEZONE: EST
EMAIL/MESSENGER(S): Email: disconewsie@gmail.com / AIM: disco newsie
EXPERIENCE RPing: Has it really been seven months?

CHARACTER

NAME: Mildred Ratched
AGE: 40's
GENDER: Female
ROLE IN CANON: Antagonist
FANDOM: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
FANDOM MEDIUM: Movie
TIMELINE PERIOD: Right from the beginning of the movie; before anything starts, actually.
ABILITIES: Nothing supernatural, thank god, but she the ultimate evil nurse. I mean, she's what the stereotype is based on.

CHARACTER HISTORY: At first glance, Nurse Mildred Ratched looks harmless. A little outdated, yes, with her bobbed haircut and prim, neat nurse outfit. Maybe a bit dull, with that no-nonsense tight smile and calm glance. But essentially harmless. A nurse dedicated to her job at a mental asylum.

How looks can indeed deceive.

Nothing is known about Nurse Ratched's past, which in itself says a lot. We are not told if she has a life beyond her job; there is no boyfriend, no husband, no family. The only friend-- the only relationship mentioned outside the hospital-- is one mentioned in order to guilt a patient into explaining a so-called "crime" (namely, having sex for the first time). She rules her hospital-- and there is no doubt it is her hospital-- with an iron fist and a cold smile. The Salem, Oregon State Mental Hospital where she works has had no disobedience for years; due to both sedative drugs and Ratched's rather subtly unorthodox punishment methods. She is perfectly fine with disciplining a disobedient patient, as demonstrated during the movie when she finally resorts to lobotomizing a patient to subdue him (no worries, though, she already tried electroshock therapy and taking away lots of his rights. She did try).

CHARACTER PERSONALITY: She cares about your well-being. Yes, she does. Of course she does. Why would you say she doesn't? Don't you know you're sick? She just wants to help.

One of Ratched's chief weapons is the way she refuses to argue with a patient. She'll simply reason with them, calmly but firmly, and more often than not the patient ends up agreeing with her. It is perhaps because she reminds everyone of a long-forgotten maternal figure; a teacher or nun or mother, that one must obey. One practically finds oneself bowing to her will before she even makes a request.

Humiliation is also a favorite of hers. At the climax of the movie, Nurse Ratched threatened to tell a patient's mother he had sex for the first time. When he begs her not to, she reminds him-- insists-- that she must. The patient, Billy, becomes so absolutely guilty and terrified he commits suicide. Rather than being disturbed or upset about the death, however, Ratched is merely a little regretful it had to come to such unpleasantness.

She delights in sticking to the rules to an absolute. In a memorable scene, she promises patient McMurphy if the majority of patients vote to turn on the TV and watch the ballgame, she will bow to their wishes. After only 9 of the 18 patients vote, she regretfully tells him she will not, as it is not a majority. McMurphy desperately runs and finally gets a 10th vote, but oh, Mr. McMurphy, that meeting was adjourned, we can't turn on the TV now. I'm terribly sorry. No, those are the rules, Mr. McMurphy.

The even more terrifying thing is that she thinks-- knows-- she's in the right. These patients are obviously deranged and need help. Protesting? Well, they're obviously out of their heads, they don't know what's good for them and what isn't. There isn't a doubt in her mind that what she's doing is the Correct and Right thing to do. Even when it's making a man mentally retarded in order to subdue him. . . . .Of course, should the patient not cooperate, she has no reservations about taking more ... drastic measures, although of course it is rather regretful she has had to do that. But really, it's your own fault. Couldn't you have just cooperated? It would have made things so much easier. If you would only just obey the rules, we could all have a much better time here.

HOW IS THIS CHARACTER APPROPRIATE FOR THIS SETTING: Aside from being the Head Administrative Nurse at the Oregon State Mental Hospital, Ratched is the prototype for the terrifying-mental-asylum-nurse we all love.
BEHAVIOR TOWARDS PATIENTS: They're sick, sick people that need to be helped, no matter what. Ratched will quietly and firmly reason with them, and then, should the patients talk back to her, refuse to take their medicine, or otherwise disobey staff-- well. More severe measures will be taken until said patient is once again under control.
METHOD OF PATIENT TREATMENT: She'll attempt to reason with them, but should they prove difficult, well, more drastic methods may be taken. She probably won't go to the more, ah, "interesting" torture methods, but rather a good old electroshock. Because it's not torture, it's treatment. And will be defended, if needed. PREDICTED BEHAVIOR/PLANS: Ratched will viciously but fairly punish those patients who disobey her-- mostly using the security guards, yes, but there will be punishment. Possibly sedatives. Oh, or taking away things of the patient's. That's always a favorite. Blankets, clothes, meals, that sort of thing. Maybe there will be a reward to really obedient patients. Maybe.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO WORK AS A HELPER TO THE MODS, GIVEN YOUR POSITION: Of course.

SAMPLES

THIRD PERSON: Sensible flats made a soft tapping noise as Nurse Ratched walked down the hallway, holding the patient's file. A show only; she already knew what this one was getting. Without knocking, she opened his door. "It's time for your medicine, Mr. McGuire," she stated calmly, entering the room. She did not expect cooperation from this patient, and so was not surprised when he tried to duck past her. That was, of course, why she had brought the security guard.

She shook her head a little sadly as the guard wrestled the patient to the ground and held him there. "Mr. McGuire, can't you see the foolishness in this? You're sick. Very, very sick. You need to take your medicine, Mr. McGuire." She knelt and then rose with a sigh as he spat up at her. "Will you please hold his nose?" Waiting a few moments, Ratched knelt and, as the patient gasped for breath, grabbed his jaw and popped the pills in. She shook her head as the boy finally went limp and the guard rose. It would make her job so much easier if these people would simply cooperate; but then, that was why she had been placed in the job she was in. Not because it was easy or fun, but because it was needed.

FIRST PERSON: Good morning, patients. My name is Nurse Ratched, and I'll be one of your new nurses here at Saint Edelweiss. I'm quite sure if you all simply cooperate, things will go quite smoothly here.

NOTES: Stop naming me things.