Final answer:
Characters in literature like McMurphy often face decisions about escaping difficult situations, influenced by emotional ties, a sense of duty, or broader themes that reveal the complexity of the human condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question about why McMurphy doesn't escape when he has the chance can be related to the multiple characters and situations across various literary works that face critical moments of decision where they must weigh their personal desires for freedom against other factors.
For example, McTeague from Norris's novel might be dealing with influences from his environment and internal compulsions that drive him from respectability to a darker path, much like characters across other stories who face perilous circumstances but decide on paths that aren't strictly about their individual escape.
In literature, such choices are often influenced by broader themes like the character's emotional ties, a sense of duty, or even fatalism. These decisions to stay rather than flee reveal depths of character and often highlight the moral dilemmas and the human condition, which are core to many narratives.