Big Nurse vs. Mac

Throughout the book, the ongoing power battle to be the alpha dog is never at rest between McMurphy and Big Nurse. Nurse Ratched has all the patients scared into this routine lifestyle she has planned out and no one has ever come in her way, until McMurphy came along. Although Big Nurse gets by with her strict, nothing-can-phase-me attitude, McMurphy always seems to get under her skin. He is always putting forth any effort, and doing anything within the title rebellious, that he can to try and gain the freedom he feels he needs to survive. Even within the first few days of him being there he states "What I want to know is am I safe to try and beat her at her own game?" (Kesey 68) "Just what I said:any of you sharpies here willing to take my five bucks that says that I can get the best of that woman...without her getting the best of me?"(68)
And to think that was only said in the beginning! Even at a later date in the book, during the scene in which McMurphy is set on watching the world series and Big Nurse agrees to an open vote. When Big Nurse claimes majority rules, Mac just won't except it, and once again just does what he wants (and not only himself, but he influences the rest of the men, too.) "And we're all sitting there lines up in front of that blanked-out TV set, watching the gray screen...and she's ranting and screaming behind us." (128) He seems to reach not only for freedom for himself but for the rest of the men too. Without him, there'd be no one to put the routine lifestyle on hold and help the other patients get a chance to actually breathe. I think no matter what happens, how irrated Big Nurse can get, McMurphy will always pull out on top.