1. What does Vivian’s opening monologue tell us about her as a person and as a teacher? Is she a professor you would like to have yourself?
(5-6) Vivian’s character is presented as a very independent, strong-willed woman, who has accomplished great things in her career, and overall in her life. Her opening monologue shows the importance of the English language in her life, beginning with an in-depth observation of the difference between “hi” and “hello”. This shows her devotion, as a teacher and an intelligent, successful woman. Personally, I would enjoy having her as a professor because she would not only be an example for me of a strong, independent woman, but also she would push me to conquer whatever endeavor I undertook.
2. At the beginning of the play, Dr. Kelekian informs Vivian that she suffers from an advanced form of cancer- “stage four”. Do the doctors believe that the treatment they propose to give her might possibly save her life? Does she believe it? If not, why does she decide to go along with it?
(7-12) The doctors believe that the treatment will provide very good research material, allowing them to understand the presented, experimental treatment, in hopes of progressing it to a point where it can be beneficial to all. The doctors do not necessarily believe it will save her life, but by studying her symptoms and reactions, they can gather the necessary information to further research, “This treatment is the strongest thing we have to offer you. And, as research, it will make a significant contribution to our knowledge.” Vivian doesn’t entirely believe the treatment will save her life, but instead she takes on the treatment because of the tremendous advancements she could help to provide. As a teacher, she understands the importance of knowledge, and she is helping to give this knowledge through her treatment.
3. What is the scene with Vivian as a child with her father intended to tell you?
(41-42) The scene with Vivian as a child and her father is a point her in life where “[she] knew words would be [her] life’s work”. This just reinforces the importance of language and words, and the interaction with her and her father show that, even at young age, language was made important, even at its simplest point-words, “Sop-or-fic. Sop-or-i-fic. Soporific. What does that mean? Mr. Bearing: Soporific. Causing sleep”. At her tender age of five, Vivian was learning the complexities and tremendous significance of language and words, which later would prove to be her “life’s work”.
4. In her first monologue, Vivian says that, in the play to come, irony “is a literary device that will necessarily be deployed to great effect.” What is irony? Can you think of any examples of irony in your world? What aspects of the play would you call ironic?
(6)Irony is the literary device that demonstrates, subtly, what is said against what is known to be true. The irony to Vivian is held in the single phrase “How are you feeling today?” In that single statement, the entire play unfolds, because while she says she feels alright or okay, she is slowing dying of a disease that spreads and overtakes her entire body. Irony in the world today seems to come in the form of actions done versus actions expected or intended. It’s ironic that when a mother and her children are leaving an abusive situation, everyone seems to want to help, but the help only comes when things are at their worse, instead of at their beginning, possibly stopping a bad situation from occurring. It’s also ironic that this same mother is unable to get a job, even at the simplest places, because she is too over qualified, having attained too high of a degree. The play is very ironic, and this irony really lends to the play, as a whole. Vivian is a very prominent, powerful professor, yet she is dying of stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer. It’s also ironic that through her treatment she becomes the student, the study, yet she is the one who has always previously done the studying.
5. Vivian is passionate about language: “It has always been my custom,” she remarks pointedly, “to treat words with respect.” How do her experiences in the hospital change her ideas about language- and about what language is and is not capable of expressing? When Vivian says, “My only defense is the acquisition of vocabulary,” (is she being straightforward or ironic?)
(32) While Vivian is a very intelligent woman, with a firm grasp on language and the proper use of language, she realizes the effect that other, non-conventional words can have in expressing emotion and getting a point across. As she experiences things for herself in the hospital, I think she begins to see the true greatness of language, all language, and how certain words or phrases, “God, I’m going to barf my brains out”, can express something so clearly and straightforward, more so than a traditional way of saying it. I don’t think it’s a matter of what language is not able to express, but more so what certain, traditional uses of language cannot express. While Vivian speaks with eloquence and her words do not lack power, she can now see that it’s not necessarily how you say things, but more what is said and what is felt from what has been said. I feel as if Vivian’s statement “My only defense is the acquisition of vocabulary,” is meant to be perceived as containing both elements of honesty, but also irony. The play is very ironic and so many things Vivian says contain irony, and with this statement, the irony is expressing how she thinks vocabulary defends her, despite the fact that mere words cannot protect her from the disease consuming her. While it’s ironic, Vivian probably also has some truth behind it, because without her language and her mystifying strings of words, she would be completely aware of her condition, and there would be nothing to shield her from the pain she feels.
6. In the scene in which the medical students undertake Grand Rounds with Dr. Kelekian, Vivian says, “Once I did the teaching, now I am taught”. What does it mean to Vivian to lose her power?
(47-48) To Vivian, all that she’s worked up for is at stake. Before her cancer, she had been a powerful professor, demanding (and receiving) only excellence. She worked to achieve great things, and now she is slowly losing it all. She is subject to the Grand Rounds, which places her as the subject, not the observer of the subject. In an instance, she is degraded from professor with tremendous power, to instead the lab rat, being observed and critiqued. If she were only able to be in her own arena, where she holds all the power, “How I would perplex them! I could work my students into a frenzy…I could be so powerful.”
7. Vivian has no visitors in the hospital, at least not until Professor Ashford arrives. What has caused her isolation? What aspects of her personality have kept her at a distance from other people?
Throughout her life, Vivian has remained very independent. Never having married, never having had any children, she has been able to focus solely on herself. She has become the professor she has because of the fact that she has not had any distractions to keep her from being truly great. In doing this, however, she has pushed herself so far into isolation, her independence has actually made her quite lonely. People are intimidated by her, therefore, they shy away from close contact. Professor Ashford is her only visitor because she is an established professor like Vivian, but she has maintained a relationship with others, keeping in touch with her family and friends. Vivian’s personality is great, but not for the faint-hearted.
8. After her initial discussion with Dr. Kelekian, Vivian says, “I know all about life and death. I am, after all, a scholar of Donne’s Holy Sonnets, which explore mortality in greater depth than any other body of work in the English language.” What has she learned about life and death from Donne? How do her experiences as a cancer patient change her ideas about mortality? How useful do her studies prove to be when it comes to confronting her own end?
(12; 20) Vivian, through her studies of Donne’s Holy Sonnets, has learned that life and death are complex issues that can only be thought of with the greatest devotion and attention “for scrupulously detailed examination.” The two issues cannot be taken lightly, and Donne presents the complexity of these issues in a way that demands particular attention to detail. Towards the beginning, death is not altogether a real issue to Vivian, but more of an abstract idea that she can study. As she experiences the presence and immediate threat of death firsthand, she realizes that death is so real, past all the complexities and literary analyses she’s encountered thus far. In the end, through the words of Donne, Vivian is able to find peace and acceptance with her impending doom, allowing her to greet death, rather than fear it. This can be shown through Vivian’s decision to claim “DNR” status, rather than the medical team to attempt to resuscitate her in death.
9. Professor Ashford, in her scene with Vivian as a young woman, stresses the difference- an important one to her- between being sentimental and being a scholar. Is she saying that scholars cannot be sentimental? Does she differentiate between sentimentality and emotion? What message does she try to get across to Vivian during this meeting, and how successfully does she in fact communicate it? What does the scene tell us about the kind of scholar and the kind of person Vivian will become, and about the differences between her and her mentor? Does Professor Ashford strike you as emotionally limited in the same way that Vivian is, or do you see her as a fuller and more “human” person?
(12-15) In this scene with Professor Ashford, the importance is placed on being a scholar versus being sentimental. In the academic arena, being sentimental accomplishes nothing. When approaching a subject, such as Donne’s Holy Sonnets, one must be studious and scholarly, using the subject to its fullest, extracting every ounce of importance, not being sentimental or flowery, filling explanations with insubstantial tangents and thoughts. However, I think Professor Ashford wants Vivian to understand, at this point in her academic career, that it does not have to be completely void of emotion. In order to achieve the greatest understanding of a subject, it must be compelling and persuasive, filled with pushing emotion. During this meeting, however, Professor Ashford goes beyond discussing the paper. Instead she wants Vivian to realize the importance of experience outside of the books that will in turn lead to a greater knowledge of life and studies. This scene is the defining moment for the audience where Vivian’s fate is left in her hands. She could take Professor Ashford’s advice and “Don’t go back to the library. Go out. Enjoy yourself with yours friends,” or Vivian could choose to do what she ultimately does and return “back to the library.” Through this, the audience sees that Vivian is strong willed and this decision is just the first in a long line of decisions for her career and life. While both Vivian and Professor Ashford have proven to be strong, intellectual women, Vivian has made her career and her studies consume her entire life, whereas Professor Ashford has understood and grasped what life is meant to be consumed with. Professor Ashford is definitely more rounded as a person than Vivian, but Vivian has chosen by her actions and such to keep herself isolated and completely devoted to her life’s study.
10. In what important ways are Jason and Vivian alike? Do they ever recognize their basic similarities? What does Vivian learn about herself from watching and talking to Jason? What sort of influence do you think Vivian had on Jason when he was her student? Has his professional attitude to some degree been formed by hers?
Jason and Vivian are very much alike in the fact that they are very strong-willed individuals who are completely consumed with what they think is most important. Vivian has her study of Donne’s Holy Sonnets, while Jason is completely caught up in medical research. Both Jason and Vivian realize characteristics that they share, however they do not realize them in relationship to one another. Through her experience at the hospital she can see how detached and consumed Jason is to this research, and the lengths he’ll go through to preserve and protect this research. Vivian impact Jason while she was his professor because she drove him to be consumed. This consumption carried over to his medical career, and the tenacity in which he attacks research can be derived from Vivian’s teaching. In many ways, the two are similar in professional attitude, Jason having learned from Vivian’s example. Both characters are extremely devoted to what is important to them, and Vivian has proven to be a fine example for Jason to fashion his own approach after.
11. Vivian is “uncomfortable with kindness.” What other instances of this discomfort can you find? Why might she have become this sort of person?
With her interactions, Vivian shows discomfort. Susie is a very caring nurse who expresses her feelings very easily. This free-flowing emotion is very uncomfortable for Vivian, because she’s not very used to that kind of interaction. She’s surrounded herself in her teaching, being completely removed from showing any strong emotion. Vivian has a quality about her that she seems to consume herself in whatever she sets her mind to. Unfortunately, when she does this, she removes herself from everyone and everything else. She has become this emotion-less person throughout her life, having no husband, children, or any family.
12. How would you describe Jason’s relationship to Vivian? Does he see her purely as “research,” or as a vulnerable human being? How does he show his very genuine respect for her?
Jason’s relationship with Vivian goes beyond the relationship of a doctor and his patient. However, the relationship doesn’t go much beyond that. Jason and Vivian, while similar, are not deeply connected to each other. Jason treats her slightly different than he would treat any other patient, merely for the fact that she was once his professor. While Jason doesn’t see Vivian entirely just as “research”, he makes no extra effort to treat her as a scared, dying cancer patient. Jason respects her greatly for her intelligence and what she taught him, but he is still compelled by his own desires for research.
13. After the classroom scene, Vivian tries to express her emotions: “I feel so much- what is the word? I look back, I see these scenes, and I…” How might Vivian complete the sentence, if she were being perfectly honest with herself?
Vivian might complete the sentence in a way that would show the audience she truly never developed relationships with anyone. She feels lonely and isolated, and looking back she realizes how truly honest this feeling was. Vivian, being completely honest with herself, would realize that she was not a complete person, but instead hid behind her academics and the words of John Donne’s Holy Sonnets.
14. What is your opinion of the nurse, Susie? Does your view of her change as the play progresses? Do you agree with her own unspoken assessment of herself as not as intelligent as the doctors, or as Vivian? If so, what does this tell us about our definition of intelligence?
Susie is a very kind person with Vivian. She respects Vivian greatly as a person and a patient. Throughout the course of the play, she develops more and more to become one of Vivian’s greatest, and only, ally. In the end, Susie understands the pain Vivian is going through, and tells her the truth about her entire treatment and what options she has as a patient. While Susie may not know what the word “soporific” means, or the literary importance of a specific poem, Susie is far from being unintelligent. She may not be as academically well-rounded as the doctors and Vivian, but Susie understands human emotions and reactions, and can understand people better than Vivian and Jason can. This makes her just as useful and intelligent as the two, just in a different way. By her claiming that she’s not as intelligent as others, it gives a clear indication of how society views intelligence. Book smarts aren’t always what defines a person intellectually. Society should stop viewing intelligence as something only gained in school, but instead look at the people and the qualities they possess that can make them beneficial to everyone else.
15. Do you think Susie’s approach to medical care is different from that of the doctors? What impact does Susie have on Vivian? Does Vivian’s opinion of Susie change by the end of the play?
Susie doesn’t view medical care like that of the doctors. She realizes that medicine is practiced on people. She embraces this fact and treats every person with the dignity and respect they deserve. While doctors are respectful, they seem to forget that they are dealing with human beings, filled with emotions and thoughts. Susie shows Vivian great compassion in her dying moments, and Vivian can see the greatness of a person she never really recognized before. By the end of the play, Vivian comes to respect Susie and what she’s helped Vivian through.
16. Toward the end of the play, Susie admits that the doctors had never expected their treatment to actually cure Vivian, that they were implicitly dishonest with her in raising hopes that it might have done so. How do you feel about the ethics of using a patient like this? Does the fact that it is being done in a good cause, that future patients might live, make it excusable? Is Vivian herself angry about her treatment? How would you explain her feelings?
What the doctors did to Vivian concerning her treatment options was extremely unethical and very unfair. They used her situation as an opportunity to do research, despite the effects it may have on Vivian, herself. Using a patient for medical research is justifiable, but when doctors take advantage of a patient, using them for medical research under the guise of a “cure”, the doctors have reached a point where it’s unfair. Despite what the research may bring about in the future, there should not have to be a sacrifice by one unwillingly. Vivian, in the depths of her mind, probably knew this all along. She doesn’t seem all together shocked to find out that her treatment was not a legitimate treatment, but instead a test run. Vivian understands the importance of knowledge so I don’t think that she feels used or abused, or taken advantage of.
17. Why does the author choose to have Vivian discuss the sonnet, “If poisonous mineralls” at one particular point in the play? What does Donne mean by “mercy”? What might Vivian mean by the same word?
The author chooses for Vivian to discuss the sonnet “If poysonous mineralls” because within it contains a discussion regarding the damnation of one and salvation. Vivian struggles to understand death and her own salvation throughout the play, and at this point she is beginning to feel trapped, alone, and completely powerless. Mercy, according to Donne, is meant to be perceived as the deliverance from suffering by God and his ability to forget sin. Vivian takes this interpretation and applies it to herself, wondering why she cannot obtain relief from her own physical and mental suffering. She struggles with what she feels will be her salvation throughout her hardship and the play.
18. In the classroom scene Vivian describes “Donne’s agile wit at work: not so much resolving the issues of life and God as reveling in their complexity”. Student 2 rejects the idea that Donne revels in the complexity and suggests, on the contrary, that he is “scared, so he hides behind all this complicated stuff, hides behind his wit,” and describes him as “running away” from the big questions. Do you think this is a fair assessment of Donne? Is it a fair assessment of Vivian’s own behavior? What is Vivian most afraid of? What form does her “running away” take?
This is a fair assessment of Donne because no one can be sure of whether or not Donne “revels in [the] complexity” of issues surrounding life and God. Yes, he may do so, but he could also be hiding behind the complex issues to divert attention from something larger. Vivian does this herself, by hiding behind her own wit, her intelligence. Vivian has no personal relationships because she is so sheltered behind all the things she’s learned and can teach. Vivian, in my opinion, is most afraid of being completely alone and isolated, yet she’s afraid to obtain those relationships that will prevent her fear from coming to fruition. She “runs away” by hiding behind her lectures and her papers and Donne’s Holy Sonnets.
19. Why do you think the play is called Wit? What different meanings does the word “wit” have for you? What else might this play be called?
The play is called Wit because throughout the entirety of it, there are aspects of wit. Vivian exemplifies wit, the doctors exemplify wit, and there is even a reference to the wit of John Donne. Wit, to me, means the quick intelligence someone has in response to something. Wit can also be the humor and intelligence within a person. Vivian is very witty because she is quick to understand and observe. This play might also be titled with a word or phrase that describes Vivian’s dynamic character. Ironic would fit, simply because Vivian is consumed in irony, both herself and those around her.
20. Jason describes John Donne as suffering from “Salvation Anxiety.” What does he mean by this? Would you say that Vivian suffers from her own form of Salvation Anxiety? If so, in what does it consist? Does God or heaven enter into it? “Doctrine assures us,” she pronounces, explaining Donne’s theology, “that no sinner is denied forgiveness, not even one whose sins are overweening intellect or overwrought dramatics.” It is easy to recognize overweening intellect as one of Vivian’s faults; is she also guilty of overwrought dramatics? If so, how are these dramatics manifested?
Jason, when describing John Donne as suffering from “Salvation Anxiety” is attempting to address the struggle John Donne has with salvation and death, exemplified through his works. John Donne is unsure of what death is and the very nature of salvation, and his works represent the complex fight he has to describe such. Vivian suffers from her own Salvation Anxiety because she is unsure of herself and her life, thus far. She questions herself and what is to come when she reaches her end. Vivian isn’t described as the religious fanatic, but it can be inferred that she is concerned with is what is to come when she does die. The impending doom that her disease brings pushes her to begin to contemplate her salvation and such, more so than she ever has before. Vivian is completely guilty of overwrought dramatics, however, she does concern herself with her salvation to an overwhelming, almost unnecessary degree.
21. One of the principal themes of metaphysical poetry is the link and the division between the body and the soul. Does Wit present the body and the soul as different, or as inextricable? Talking of the doctors’ interest in her, Vivian says, “What we have come to think of as me is, in fact, just the specimen jar, just the dust jacket, just the white piece of paper that bears the little black marks.”
Wit presents the body and soul as separate entities, that inevitably have their connections to each other. Vivian struggles with the status of her soul, yet her body is what is suffering from the outside appearance. The doctors only view her in her body because that is what is of interest to them. Vivian’s soul is her own, separate issue. The connection between body and soul comes from Vivian’s own contemplations and the experiences she has while at the hospital.
22. As a teacher, Vivian liked to attack Donne’s poetry as though it were “a puzzle,” “an intellectual game”; it is one-sided and limited approach, as she comes to realize. Her former student Jason, who adopts it, admits that “the puzzle takes over. You’re not even trying to solve it any more.” What implications does this technique have when it is applied to medical research and clinical work? What about when it is applied to an academic course of study and the students being trained in it?
It’s interesting that Jason makes the observation that “the puzzle takes over”. In the play, it is Jason who lets the puzzle take over. Jason has become so consumed and devoted to his work, that the research is his number one priority. The complexities of the disease and the treatment have overwhelmed him so much that he begins to neglect his other duties, even as simple as just asking “How are you today?”. Because he’s let the puzzle of his research take over, he begins to lose sight of what he is trying to help with his research- the people. Even at an academic level, allowing the puzzle to take over can have severe consequences. Vivian is an example of such. She let the complexities of John Donne consume her life entirely, ostracizing her from society and relationships.
23. Just before Vivian finally accepts morphine, she recites, as her last coherent words, some lines from Donne’s “Death be not proud.” Why, in this recitation, does she revert to the punctuation- semicolon and exclamation point- that Professor Ashford deemed “hysterical?” Why does she say “I’m sorry” after her recitation?
Vivian understand the simple importance of punctuation in Donne’s work, but she also understands the effect different uses of such can have. She reverts back to the semicolon and exclamation point, deemed “hysterical” by Professor Ashford, because she is truly hysterical, and she’s accepted that she’s reached her end. The semicolon and exclamation express, for her, what she’s trying to convey, more so than the grammar Professor Ashford would’ve liked. She apologizes after this because she realizes it isn’t what should be there, but it has to be there for her. It’s an apology from necessity.
24. Professor Ashford calls The Runaway Bunny “a little allegory of the soul.” What does she mean by this? How does the children’s book, in this light, relate to Donne and Vivian, with their cases of Salvation Anxiety? What sort of comfort does the story give Vivian, assuming she is capable of taking it in? Why does Professor Ashford say “and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” as she leaves? What does Professor Ashford perceive in The Runaway Bunny that is important? Why did the playwright select this book for Professor Ashford to read to Vivian?
The Runaway Bunny is an allegory of the soul because in the story, the bunny is trying to escape his mother but can’t. Just like the bunny, we all try to escape what is to come, yet we can’t because we are constantly surrounded by either reminders of what’s to come, or even more simply we are surrounded by what is to come. This book shows how both Vivian and Donne, despite their best efforts to escape the complexities of salvation, are still so completely linked to it. This story shows Vivian that despite what happens, comfort and salvation will await her on the other side. Professor Ashford realizes the situation and by saying “flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” she is giving Vivian the last words to live by, providing for her a peaceful rest in which to depart. Professor Ashford also knows that the story she’s just told will give Vivian that final rest she needs, because only the simplest things can provide that. The playwright understood that Vivian needed a peaceful end to come to her own end, and the Runaway Bunny provided exactly that, allowing her to leave from this story in the comfort and peace of words.
