Wit

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“A Supporting Character’s Perspective”

In this activity, students will select one of the supporting characters and write a monologue from their point of view.

As all of Edson’s monologues are from Vivian’s perspective, the audience is only able to learn about the other characters from Vivian’s dialogues. Select one of the supporting characters and write a monologue from their perspective.

• This monologue should be set in an existing scene in the play and expand upon the characterization and plot development that Edson establishes in her text.
• Additionally, the monologue should delve deeper into the play’s themes of The Pursuit of Knowledge, Death and the Process of Dying, Autonomy and Humanity, and/or Wit.
• After drafting your monologue, practice the speech with a peer.
• Perform a dramatized reading of the monologue for the class.

Note the similarities and differences of your peers’ creative monologues in a brief reflective paragraph in your notes or a reading journal.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to combine their creative writing skills with their understanding of the play. Edson uses Vivian’s monologues as an opportunity to break the fourth wall and connect directly with the audience; students might incorporate this approach in their scripts while maintaining the integrity of the scene as well as the supporting character’s established traits.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Much of Wit focuses on Vivian’s time in the hospital, especially in terms of how she is treated by medical professionals.

• How does The Pursuit of Knowledge affect the care that Vivian receives? (topic sentence)
• Offer support and rationale for your topic sentence in 3 points. Include the ways in which Vivian’s treatment and care from different personnel compare.  
• In your concluding sentences, briefly summarize the connection between Vivian’s treatment and the discussion of empathy in the fields of medical research, academia, and health care.

2. Dr. Ashford tells Vivian that John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet Six” shows that death is “nothing but a breath—a comma—that separates life from life everlasting…Life, death. Soul, God. Past, present. Not insuperable barriers, not semicolons, just a comma.” (Scene 2)

• Does Wit view death in the same way? (topic sentence)
• Support your argument in 3 points of evidence from the play. Include in your analysis a discussion of this quote in relation to Vivian’s memory of the interaction.
• In your concluding sentences, briefly paraphrase the quotation and evaluate its efficacy in developing the theme Death and the Process of Dying.

3. As Vivian becomes more ill, she starts to lose autonomy.

• What message is conveyed about autonomy by the play’s end? (topic sentence)
• How does Vivian restore her autonomy? How do her actions relate to her lecture on Donne’s “Holy Sonnet Five” in Scene 8? Analyze and discuss these points with details and examples from the text in support of your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate the effectiveness of the closing scene in developing the play’s larger theme of Autonomy and Humanity.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. John Donne’s poetry connects to the themes of Wit. In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explain how Donne’s poems help to communicate one of the play’s major themes. Include strong examples of references to Donne’s poetry for discussion and analysis in support of your ideas.

2. Viewers learn at the outset of the play that it will end with Vivian’s death. How does knowing the end of the play from the very beginning affect how the audience experiences the play? How does this knowledge affect the audience’s relationship with the play’s characters? In a 3- or 5-paragraph, discuss the impact of this structural choice on audience members. Use examples and details from the play to support your thoughts.

3. The play explores the idea that “nothing but a breath—a comma—separates life from life everlasting” (Scene 2). Does the ending of Wit support or challenge that idea? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, make an argument for your stance on this topic. Provide examples from the text to support your argument and cite any quotations in the style your instructor suggests.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following literary devices does Vivian use in the first monologue of the play?

A) Allusions to famous writers and works of literature

B) Metaphors centered on the pain of dying

C) Personifications of the hospital equipment

D) Similes regarding life before and during her treatments

2. Which of the following theatrical techniques do the actors use in order to connect directly with the audience?

A) Reading directly from the script

B) Breaking the fourth wall

C) Repeating parts of the dialogue

D) Facing upstage while delivering their lines

3. Which of the following words best describes the structure of the play?

A) 3-act

B) Stream-of-consciousness

C) Flashback

D) Chronological

4. Which of the following elements is Vivian focused on while Dr. Kelekian shares her diagnosis?

A) His choice of attire

B) His description of the treatments

C) His use of language

D) His collection of medical books

5. Vivian muses that “[t]he attention was flattering. For the first five minutes. Now I know how poems feel.” (Scene 3) Which of the following literary terms does Vivian use in this quote?

A) Paradox

B) Allegory

C) Personification

D) Anaphora

6. Based on Vivian’s medical history, which of the following ideas can be concluded?

A) That she has a history of mental illness in her family

B) That her past behaviors have most likely affected her present health

C) That her father’s genes were most likely responsible for her cancer

D) That she possesses a relatively clean medical history

7. Which of the following words best describes Mr. Bearing’s approach to Vivian’s education?

A) Directed

B) Disapproving

C) Disinterested

D) Dormant

8. What is implied about Vivian’s social community throughout the play?

A) She possesses a large family, but very few friends.

B) She primarily associates with her colleagues, with whom she has a strong bond.

C) She is supported by a large network of acquaintances and relatives.

D) She does not have any immediate friends or family.

9. Which of the following combination of words best describes Vivian’s teaching style?

A) Empathetic and encouraging

B) Austere and articulate

C) Spontaneous and irregular

D) Banal and bereft

10. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from Vivian’s interactions with Susie?

A) She despises being cared for.

B) She is not used to seeking companionship.

C) She is frightened of Susie’s friendship.

D) She is enjoying the solitude of her treatment.

11. Which of the following events occur during the final scenes of the play?

A) The remission of Vivian’s cancer

B) The progression of Vivian’s pain severity

C) The increase of love from Vivian’s parents

D) The acceptance of friendship from Susie and Jason

12. Which of the following ideas best describes the role that The Runaway Bunny plays in the text?

A) An extended metaphor on the nature of pain

B) A brief allegory regarding the soul and pursuit of God

C) An explicit reference to the works of John Donne

D) A symbol for the dearth of love in Vivian’s childhood

13. Which of the following sentences best describes the final scene of the play?

A) A suggestion of the necessity of medical research

B) A plea for the legalization of euthanasia

C) A commentary on respecting patients’ final wishes

D) An aside on the necessity of state-funded hospitals

14. Which of the following words describes the tone of the final scene of the play?

A) Subdued

B) Chaotic

C) Soothing

D) Collaborative

15. Which of the following words best describes the role of Professor Ashford in the play?

A) An academic competitor

B) A loathing acquaintance

C) A disinterested daughter

D) A motherly mentor

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the structure of the play? How does the structure of the script reveal more information about the characters?

2. Select one of the stage directions in the play. How does this direction shape the particular tone of the scene?