The story of Santa Claus indicates that the Combine is able to change even the most innocuous and innocent individual from a happy, full-bodied and bearded individual into a conformist. This indicates why Chief pretends to be deaf and mute, because he believes the Combine won’t take from him what it doesn’t know he possesses, and if he is able to keep his secret, the Combine can’t control him completely. McMurphy discovers Chief’s secret accidentally, but his discovery allows both McMurphy and the reader to see that Chief is curable, and that his ability to overcome his fear of speaking is crucial to his recovery.
