Why did none of the patients vote to watch the World Series initially?

• A. They are afraid of the repercussions from Nurse Ratched.
• B. McMurphy's plan confuses them.
• C. They think watching the World Series would violate ward rules.
• D. They simply forgot about the vote.

Answer: (B)

This question hinges on how a new tactic to challenge authority affects the patients’ willingness to act. McMurphy introduces a vote to decide whether they should watch the World Series, turning a simple preference into a contest that questions who gets to control the ward. The patients have spent so long under Nurse Ratched’s rule that they follow routines and avoid stepping out of line. The immediate hurdle isn’t a fear of punishment or a belief they’d be breaking ward rules; it’s confusion about the plan itself. They don’t yet grasp how the vote works, what a yes or no would mean in practice, or what the consequences of participating might be. That uncertainty stops them from voting at first, showing how unfamiliar, ambiguous actions can stall collective resistance even when the outcome seems minor.