Final answer:
Nurse Ratched creates a rigid schedule to maintain control and power over the patients in the mental hospital, limit their autonomy, and maintain order and stability within the institution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nurse Ratched creates a rigid schedule in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to maintain control over the patients in the mental hospital.
By enforcing a strict routine, Nurse Ratched ensures that the patients follow her orders and conform to her authority. This rigid schedule limits the autonomy and freedom of the patients, keeping them submissive and obedient.
Additionally, a rigid schedule can be used as a means of power and manipulation.
By controlling the daily routines of the patients, Nurse Ratched can regulate their activities, restrict their interactions, and suppress any potential challenges to her authority.
This further reinforces her dominance over the patients and maintains the hierarchical structure within the institution.
The rigid schedule also serves to maintain order and stability in the hospital. In a controlled environment like a mental institution, a consistent routine helps to manage the unpredictable behavior of the patients.
By establishing set times for meals, therapy sessions, and other activities, Nurse Ratched minimizes chaos and promotes a sense of structure and predictability.