What is McMurphy's final strategic move after the staff meeting?

• A. Take her time with him and control how long he spends in the hospital.
• B. Release him immediately
• C. Transfer him to another ward
• D. Ignore him and focus on others

Answer: (A)

McMurphy treats time as a weapon to extend his influence and keep the ward under his sway. By taking her time with him and controlling how long he stays in the hospital, he can stall discharge, press for more consideration from the staff, and maintain his role as a catalyst for the other patients. This delay tactic buys him opportunities to rally the others, test boundaries, and push back against Nurse Ratched’s authority, rather than letting the staff decide his fate quickly and reduce his ability to challenge the system.

Reasons the other moves don’t fit as well: releasing him immediately ends his leverage and the chance to keep stirring resistance; transferring him to another ward would remove him from the dynamics he’s trying to influence; ignoring him and focusing on others would waste the momentum he’s built and concede control to the staff.