Margaret Edson

"Nothing but a breath--a comma--separates life from life everlasting." This remark by E. M. Ashford, D. Phil. to her student, a young Vivian Bearing, is an early indication in this remarkable play that the story of Vivian's battle with cancer is going to be more than just one of doctors, medicine, sickness, and emotion. It will be a battle of wits and wit, mind and matter, the body and soul of Vivian against the destiny that nature has given her. Like all great plays, the reader is presented show more with questions, conundrums, and perhaps paradoxes if you will; presented in this case as they involve life and, ultimately, death. But does not all living, whether displayed on stage or lived as one's own life, ultimately involve the question of death?

This play is almost a one woman show as Vivian Bearing, Ph. D., professor of literature specializing in the Holy Sonnets of John Donne, is on stage for the whole play. She is surrounded (I hesitate to say supported) by her oncologist and his chief clinician; but she is supported by the primary nurse who develops a bond with her that is unique in the play, for Vivian is alone in this world and must depend on her mind as she experiences "aggressive" cancer treatment. She eventually receives support from her nurse and a touching visit from her former professor and mentor.

Among the questions raised by the play is one that contrasts the medical doctors with Vivian herself as they treat the cancer in a way that mirrors the methods used by Vivian to analyze and dissect the poetry of John Donne. Is it appropriate to treat the patient as a science project, a body that will provide evidence for some future paper? Is she no different than a work of literature? "What a piece of work is a man!" as Hamlet says, but in Wit we see the wonder, but not the humanity. The clinician, who has a vast knowledge of medicine, must refer to his notes to remind himself that his patient is a human being who deserves at least a minimal amount of polite concern. Vivian bears his lack of feeling with her own brittle stoicism. She consoles herself with the thought that "they always . . . want to know more things." But at the same time she buries her true emotions until she is too ill to respond in a way that is able to demonstrate any strength or depth.

She has an epiphany when, upon completion of chemotherapy, she reflects: "I have broken the record. I have become something of a celebrity. Kelekian and Jason are simply delighted. I think they foresee celebrity status for themselves upon the appearance of the journal article they will no doubt write about me." But she immediately realizes that, "The article will not be about me, it will be about my ovaries." She goes on to relish the relief that returning to her hospital room will be, even as the play proceeds and her room slowly begins to resemble the inside of a coffin.

This is a play filled with literary wit. It plays on the difference and the similarity of words and life. At one point Vivian thinks, "my only defense is the acquisition of vocabulary". She is learning and reflecting even as she is slowly losing the battle with cancer. Should we live our lives like Vivian, continually learning and thinking and growing, even as humans we all move closer to our own personal appointments with mortality? This reader says yes! Even so, this play reminds us that the road will be difficult, but that there are ways to face one's destiny that may not be known today. It is the ability to deal with this unknown and the possibilities of tomorrow that make the battle worth engaging and our lives worth living. show less

The main character, Vivian, is a professor of English, who has always prided herself on her intellect at the expense of everything else - indeed, she's taken pains to strip away any hint of sentimentality from her character. Now, though, she is in the last stages of an aggressive cancer, and her intellectual armoury is not providing the solace that she needs. One of the remarkable things about the play is that it manages not to be either sentimental or devastatingly sad, mainly through show more Vivian's personality, which remains prickly and proud - you can't pity her, despite her awful situation. There's a lot packed into the play's 85 pages and I think its impact will grow the more I think about it. show less

A play about a cancer victim and her experiences with treatment as she moves through the medical system. Although it appears to be an indictment of the medical system, and of runaway intellectualism in general, for many of us it can be a celebration of what is possible. While the doctors are cold and unfeeling, they are still doing their best to fight death; there is a kind hearted nurse who assumes the role of caretaker. It could lead us to ask the question about which is more important: a show more doctor that holds our hand and does nothing to fix us or to teach others the skills; or a doctor that is quite competent, even if a bit cold. I don't think the play answers this question, though the preference of the author comes through. Instead, I think there is a lot of room to disagree with the author, and make our own decisions. She leaves enough up in the air to not shove a set answer down your throat. In fact, one of the kindest acts in the entire show was performed by a woman who was herself an intellectual, hard headed and non-compromising. This shows that there is room for both intellectualism and emotion. A good philosophical exploration of a serious question. show less

Plot Synopsis
Vivian Bearing, a professor of English, specializing in the work of John Donne is undergoing treatment for stage 4 ovarian cancer. The play details her experience both with the treatment externally and with her transformation internally as she reassesses her life.

My Thoughts
I read this so quickly I barely feel up to reviewing it. I opened it up with the intention of just reading the first few pages to see if it was something I'd like to use in my Introduction to Literature show more course. An hour later I was finished and a bit surprised that I had so lost track of time.

I think what most intrigued me about the play is that it continually breaks the fourth wall. Vivian directly speaks to the audience throughout, and at one point even says "Action!" to transition from speaking to the audience to a scene in her life. At times, asides such as this can be cheesy or corny, but I felt it was artfully done in this play.

Thematically heavy, Wit begs to be re-read and re-examined; this is of course a wonderful trait for a literature course text. I will be able to bring in Donne's sonnets and discuss their relationship to the text; we can analyze the process by which a person is transformed by certainty of death; the relationship between professional and personal success can be debated; and of course we can discuss the age old 'what is most important in life' question. And to top it all off, the vocabulary is intense, offering me a wondrous opportunity to delve into the subtleties and nuances of language.

Obviously I am reviewing this book particularly in light of using it for class; I didn't really mean to, but that's where my thoughts went. As the play features a college professor and often discusses class sessions, students, and content, I'm hoping the students will see it as personally relevant, and not as self-serving for me.

Memorable Scene: Vivian needs a pelvic exam and the fellow who will be performing the exam is a previous student. I can feel the humiliation of the moment even as Vivian stoically accepts the turn of events. This scene really stuck with me as I often joke that if I ever need to go to the hospital, I want to be taken to one far away, so as not to have any of my former students as nurses. show less