What rigged bet does McMurphy make with the patients? What is Bromden's response?

• A. He bets that someone could lift the control panel, knowing that Bromden had already lifted it. Bromden lifts it, and McMurphy wins; Bromden is uncomfortable and refuses to accept the five dollars.
• B. He bets that Bromden cannot lift the control panel.
• C. He bets someone else could lift the control panel but Bromden denies it.
• D. He bets that McMurphy can lift the control panel by himself.

Answer: (A)

McMurphy uses a playful, subversive move to shake up the ward’s power dynamics. He proposes a bet about who can lift the heavy control panel, knowing from a previous moment that Bromden has already shown the ability to move it. The idea is less about the prize and more about revealing that the patients can access real strength when the atmosphere isn’t tightly controlled by the staff. Bromden ends up lifting the panel again, McMurphy wins the bet, and Bromden feels uncomfortable about the whole setup, even refusing to take the five dollars. This moment matters because it exposes a hidden, physical power in Bromden and gives the ward a small, symbolic victory against Nurse Ratched’s control, while also showing Bromden’s unease with being pulled into someone else’s game.