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Wit

Wit. By Margaret Edson (1995). Kaden, Morgan, Eric, Katie, Ben, Kyle. Setting. Inpatient room at University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center Mid 1990s (mannerisms, catch phrases, physical appearance, etc.) Bleak, languid setting; sterile, according to hospital standard

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Wit

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  1. Wit By Margaret Edson (1995) Kaden, Morgan, Eric, Katie, Ben, Kyle

  2. Setting • Inpatient room at University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center • Mid 1990s (mannerisms, catch phrases, physical appearance, etc.) • Bleak, languid setting; sterile, according to hospital standard • Centers on intimate contact between Vivian Bearing, RN Susie Monahan, Dr. Jason Posner, Professor E.M. Ashford, and Dr. Harvey Kelekian

  3. Significant Characters • Vivian Bearing, Ph. D. • 17th-century English Professor of metaphysical poetry works of John Donne • Diagnosed with advanced stage metastatic ovarian cancer • No nonsense, to herself personality; lonely • Harvey Kelekian, M.D. • Oncology Director at the hospital • Primary Investigator of in Vivian’s drug trial to treat cancer • Distant, mellow, and withdrawn in relating to Vivian; calculating personality; interested in numbers and results

  4. Significant Characters cont’d • Jason Posner, M.D. • Clinical Fellow of Oncology under Kelekian • Research-oriented, also logical and calculating • Awkward, clunky personality; ironic in his invested interest in cancer research, but lack of devotion to people he treat • Susie Monahan, R.N. • Cancer inpatient primary nurse for Vivian • Considered to be a heroine-type character • Warm, maternal, empathic personality

  5. Significant Characters cont’d • E.M. Ashford, D. Phil. • Vivian’s primary professor in instruction of metaphysical poetry • Professor Emeritus; previous position was filled by Vivian • Confidante-type character; assists and advises Vivian on her most philosophical of struggles

  6. Main Topics, Motifs, Images, and Symbols • Images: • Scene 16 (a): Ashford’s visit to Vivian in the hospital • Scene 16 (b): Vivian’s death and Jason’s initial action and responses • Scene 11: Vivian’s harsh rejection of a deadline extension to a student

  7. Main Topics, Motifs, Images, and Symbols cont’d • Symbolism: • Flashbacks represent regret and retrospect; Vivian realizes her mistakes, and these flashbacks serve to show her enlightenment • Poetry of John Donne represents Vivian’s sense of suffocation and isolation from human connection and experience

  8. Main Topics, Motifs, Images, and Symbols cont’d • Main Topics: • Redemption • Knowledge • Love • Motifs: • Death • Realization

  9. Conflicts • Vivian vs. Jason • Outer struggle; Jason’s insensitivity and its influence on Vivian; role reversal of “student” and “teacher” • Inner struggle; Vivian’s discovery of parts of herself in Jason; sparked insight in emotional intuition • Vivian vs. Ashford • Inner struggle; Vivian fails to understand power of living life “to the fullest;” realizes lack of love and compassion from the ways of Ashford • Vivian vs. Herself • Inner struggle: inhibited by opposition to connection and love for other people; lack of empathy

  10. Main Themes/Author’s Position • Themes: • The best cure for uncertainty is the power of compassion and connection with others. • In the darkest of times, kindness and comfort are the single most powerful tools in acceptance of death. • There is no way to hide from the certainty that is death, and to fully embrace it is to embrace an ultimate future of eternity. • Author’s Position: • Contemporary healthcare fails to offer the comfort and emotional support necessary to circumstances of life and death. • Life is only once; people must reach out to others to find contentment and tranquility

  11. “Power” Scenes • Flashback scene to Vivian in college studying under Ashford • Popsicle scene with Susie • Ashford’s visit to the hospital scene • DNR scene • Vivian’s “metamorphosis” scene

  12. Memorable/Important Quotes • “How are you feeling today?” • Kelekian and Jason • “My only defense is the acquisition of vocabulary.” • Vivian • “I wish I had given him an A.” • Vivian • “Death be not proud, though some have called thee.” • John Donne

  13. Memorable/Important Quotes cont’d • “I made a mistake.” • Jason • “It’s time to go.” • E.M. Ashford • “I thought being incredibly smart would take of it. But I see that I have been found out.” • Vivian • “I always want to more things. I’m a scholar.” • Vivian

  14. Potentially Satirical Scene • Scene 1: • “Hi. How are you feeling today? Great. That’s just great.” • Delivered in a mocking tone; critiques hospital’s generic answer for non-generic situation • “Of course I would not be wearing this costume at the time.” • The gown is not a costume; sarcastic response to real life situation • “But I think I will die at the end.” • Satirical foreshadowing • “Irony is a literary device that will be necessarily deployed to great effect.” • Irony is found in ironic nature of using irony to deflect ultimate demise, which audience can use at that time to understand Vivian’s situation more Sad, satiric tone is also bitter and ironic. With the opening scene being so full of dark humor and satire, it helps build the characterization of Vivian Bearing

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