pawn in the hands of hospital staff.

Following her tests, in a conversation with Jason, Vivian finally glimpses what has been wrong with her life as a scholar. Jason is intent on gathering data for his research and seems unaffected by the knowledge that his patient and former teacher will soon die. “Do you ever miss people?” she asks him. While he says he does, his behavior makes it clear that he is merely humoring her to keep her stable for further medical analysis. Immediately thereafter, Vivian imagines herself talking to her students about Donne’s poetry. Her unflinching demands on them demonstrate that she has treated them as Professor Ashford, Doctor Kelekian, and Jason now treat her.

The nurse Susie interrupts Vivian’s reverie to discuss the hospital’s policy regarding resuscitation in case of the failure of major organs. Vivian opts not to be resuscitated, and Susie marks “DNR” (do not resuscitate) on her chart. While heavily sedated, Vivian experiences a final flashback: She is visited by Professor Ashford, who, instead of talking of literature, climbs into bed and reads to her the same fable that Vivian read to her father when she was five years old.

When Vivian’s vital signs fail, Jason ignores the DNR notation on her chart and calls in a team to try to keep her alive. Only when hospital personnel force him to rescind the order does he back away, disappointed that he may not be able to continue his research. As the staff cleans up the room following the pronouncement of death, Vivian rises from her hospital bed, raises her arms, and disrobes, the light bathing her as a sign that she is moving from this world to the next.

Written to be staged without scene breaks or an intermission, Wit displays the inexorable progress of the protagonist toward a death that she is powerless to prevent. Though the action cuts back and forth between past and present, there is always a sense of inevitability created by the dialogue and transitions from initial scenes involving exploratory diagnosis to the final, hectic scene in which the hospital staff tries to resuscitate Vivian.

Edson also makes excellent use of flashbacks, moving the action from the present back to key periods in Vivian’s life to illustrate why she became isolated and where she missed opportunities to demonstrate her humanity. In this fashion, Wit resembles Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (pr., pb. 1949), a play that skillfully melds past and present to dramatize the tragic end of the life of the protagonist, Willie Loman.

Edson herself has said on more than one occasion that the play presents the tragedy of isolation in modern society. The concept of “wit” serves as the principal device for dramatizing that sense of isolation. The eighteenth century man of letters, Samuel Johnson, gave the term its modern literary definition: “a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike.” The specific kind of wit practiced by John Donne and his contemporaries among the Metaphysical poets informs Edson’s critique of modern society. Taking two highly specialized professions, medicine and literary studies, she demonstrates how professionals caught up in their work not only develop a coded language almost impervious to outsiders but also frequently behave with disdain toward those not possessing the specialized knowledge that they have mastered.

The play is an extended exercise in metaphysical wit, constantly comparing two dissimilar professions: one highly regarded by the general public, one usually perceived as ephemeral and of little use to mainstream society. What Edson demonstrates in Wit is that there are more similarities than differences between the practice of medicine and the practice of literary study. Both, when raised to the level of an intellectual game, actually harm society by devaluing personal relationships. The pedantry in Vivian’s insistence that students understand the significance of Donne’s use of a comma rather than a semicolon in the final line of his sonnet “Death Be Not Proud” shares chilling similarities with the inhumane conversations among research physicians and their interns at the bedside of dying patients.

War and Terrorism
In the same decade that Edson penned Wit and eventually won the Pulitzer Prize, then-President George Bush deployed troops to the Persian Gulf to counter Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. During the second month of this conflict, pyridostigmine bromide was administered to up to 300,000 U.S. soldiers to mitigate the effects of nerve agents. Upon their return, this drug was linked to what became known as Gulf War syndrome. At the time of administration, the drug had not received full FDA approval, and military personnel were not made aware of its potential side effects. A few years later, terrorists in Japan released a toxic gas in a crowded Tokyo subway, sickening over five thousand people.

The year that Edson's play debuted globally (1995), the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, resulting in 168 fatalities. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were subsequently convicted for their roles in the bombing. Two years before this incident, the World Trade Center in New York was also bombed.

Politics and Justice
The year 1991 was significant for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the repeal of apartheid in South Africa. This year also marked the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending communism in that region. The following year, the United States and Russia signed a treaty, officially concluding the Cold War.

Despite facing sexual harassment allegations, Clarence Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1991. The next year, Carol Mosely Braun made history as the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Conversely, riots erupted in Los Angeles after police were recorded beating Rodney King. In 1995, the trial of sports star O.J. Simpson for the murder of his wife captivated the nation.

Social Issues
Theodor Geisel, widely known as Dr. Seuss, passed away in 1991. His whimsical characters and language introduced countless children to the joy of reading. During this period, the Internet was also made available to the public. Although Geisel did not live to see it, numerous websites now celebrate the worlds he created.

In the realm of health, the global focus was on the AIDS epidemic. France experienced a tragedy when over three thousand people were accidentally infected with the AIDS virus through contaminated blood transfusions. This led the American Red Cross to pledge enhanced measures to ensure more rigorous screening of the U.S. blood supply.

In 1993, the American Medical Association (AMA) drafted the initial Patient Protection Act. Two years later, they introduced the Patient Protection Act II, aiming to shield patients from injustices in managed care. By 1997, the AMA hosted its first ethics conference in Philadelphia and founded the Institute for Ethics to tackle the complex decisions facing physicians and their patients. A key focus of the institute is researching end-of-life issues. Three years later, through the Educating Physicians on End-Of-Life Care project, the AMA began training practicing physicians in the essential skills required to deliver high-quality end-of-life care.

Cancer
Between 1985 and 1995, the National Institutes of Health reported a 30 percent rise in ovarian cancer cases, increasing from 18,500 to approximately 27,000, along with an 18 percent rise in ovarian cancer fatalities. Statistics indicate that annually, over 350,000 women are diagnosed with various types of cancer (breast, lung, colorectal, and cervical). Currently, there is no dependable screening test for ovarian cancer, which causes more deaths than any other cancer affecting the female reproductive system. In 1998, physicians began using a new drug, Herceptin, to treat breast cancer. Due to its positive results, Herceptin is now being tested on women with ovarian cancer. Cancer severity is classified from stage one to four, based on the extent of the tumor's spread from its original site. Stage four cancers, having spread to distant organs, are significantly more challenging to treat.

Metatheater
Metatheater is often described as "theater about theater," and has been a longstanding dramatic technique. By employing metatheater, the playwright blurs the lines between art and reality, merging fantasy with the real world. This technique has been utilized by various Greek dramatists and Shakespeare.

In Edson's play, the protagonist establishes a direct connection with the audience from the outset by introducing herself to them directly. Edson uses this device to not only strengthen the bond between Bearing and the audience by sharing Bearing's inner thoughts through a continuous monologue, but also to infuse humor into the play. Metatheater is the medium through which Edson delivers much of the wit. For example, in the opening lines, Bearing says, "Hi. How are you feeling today?" She then immediately informs the audience that this is not her usual way of greeting people. She elaborates that in the hospital, this greeting is very common, but the words have lost their true meaning.

By addressing the audience directly, Bearing highlights the essence of the play, reducing the time needed for the audience to grasp the overall message. This approach allows the audience to delve deeper into the play's elements and understand the humor. Given the play's serious subject matter, it is crucial to alleviate tension occasionally so the audience can relax. Without this, the topic might be too overwhelming, potentially causing the audience to leave. This technique also simplifies the set design, as very few props are needed. Bearing explains the events as the play unfolds, directing the audience's attention to the dialogue, language, and wit. Since Bearing has relied on language and wit throughout her life, their breakdown by the play's climax becomes even more dramatic.

Flashback
Edson employs several flashbacks, a literary device that shifts the setting from the present moment to an earlier time. Flashbacks fill in the gaps of the current narrative, providing details about the character's life and helping the audience better understand the present situation.

One flashback takes the audience to the moment when Bearing first learns of her cancer diagnosis. This scene is significant because it reveals the clinical and detached manner in which such life-altering news can be delivered.

Another flashback depicts the beginning of the relationship between Bearing and her college mentor, Ashford. This scene introduces John Donne and his poetry about death, setting the stage for a later scene where Ashford visits Bearing shortly before her death.

Another crucial flashback offers the audience a glimpse of Bearing's demeanor as a professor. It not only highlights her intellectual prowess but also reveals her emotional vulnerability—showing that Bearing is just as emotionally detached as her doctors.

• The film adaptation of Wit debuted in March 2000. The movie, directed by Mike Nichols and aired on HBO, features the two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson in the role of Vivian Bearing.

Sources
Albis, Theron. "In the Spotlight, Margaret Edson," in Stage & Screen, www.stagenscreen.com/mybookclub/showbiz/bookclubs/sns/Special/Authors/Margaret_Edson.htm (February 2001).

Allen, Jamie. "Pulitzer Is Wonderful, But Teaching Is Edson's Life," http://www.cnn.com/books/news/9905/03/margaretedson/ (May 3, 1999).

Brustein, Robert. "Ways to Break the Silence," in New Republic, Vol. 219, Issue 18, November 1998, pp. 27-30.

Butler, Susan Lowell. "Portraits of Women Changing Our Lives," in USA Today, March 30, 2000.

Cohen, Carol. "Margaret Edson's 'Wit'—An Audience Guide," in Madison Repertory Theatre Audience Guide, August 21, 2000.

Gordon, Suzanne. "Doctors' Brains," in Nation, Vol. 269, Issue 4, July 1999, p. 34.

Kermode, Frank. John Donne. Longmans, Green & Co. Ltd., 1957, pp. 5-12.

"London Theatre Guide," http://www.smuedu/~tmayo/wit_london.htm (October 18, 2000).

Lyons, Donald. "'Wit' Gains Bright Light," in New York Post Online Edition, September 13, 1999.

Marks, Peter. "'Wit': Science and Poetry Face Death in a Hospital Room," in New York Times, September 18, 1998.

Martini, Adrienne. "The Playwright in Spite of Herself," in American Theatre, Vol. 16, Issue 8, October 1999, p. 24.

McCallum, John. "Doomed Teacher Is Donne to Death," in The Australian, July 10, 2000.

Osgood, Charles, and Eugenia Zuckerman. "Witnessing 'Wit,' CBS," in CBS News Sunday Morning, March 14, 1999.

Rose, Lloyd. Review in Washington Post, March 3, 2000.

Sime, Tom. "Repartee of Wit' Candid to a Fault," in Dallas Morning News, March 2, 1999.

Smith, Liz. "Hare Apparent," in New York Post Online Edition, April 25, 1999.

Wheeler, Edward T. "Continuing the Conversation," in Commonweal, Vol. 126, Issue 7, April 1999, p. 36.

Zuger, Abigail, M.D. "When the Patient, Not the Doctor, Becomes the Hero," in New York Times, December 15, 1998.

Further Reading
Cassel, Christine K., ed. Approaching Death: Improving Care at the End of Life. National Academy Press, 1997. This study by the Institute of Medicine evaluates end-of-life care, examining topics such as patient preferences, obstacles to high-quality care, and the current state of knowledge in the field. It concludes with recommendations for improvement.

Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying, 1969, reprinted, Collier Books, 1997. Originally published over thirty years ago, this book became a seminal psychological study of the late twentieth century. Dr. Ross explores the now-famous five stages of grief, providing a foundational reference for understanding the psychological experiences of those facing imminent death.

Miller, Sukie, and Suzanne Lvpsett. After Death: How People around the World Map the Journey after We Die. Touchstone Books, 1998. Written from case studies collected during Miller's psychotherapy practice, this book compiles stories about various cultural beliefs regarding death and the afterlife.

Mitford, Jessica. The American Way of Death Revisited, rev. ed., 1998, reprinted, Vintage Books, 2000. This informal anthropological study of the funeral industry humorously critiques the mortuary business. The first edition, published in 1963, quickly became a bestseller.

Spiro, Howard M., ed. Facing Death: Where Culture, Religion, and Medicine Meet. Yale University Press, 1998. This book unites healthcare professionals with experts in the humanities to contemplate medical, cultural, and religious reactions to death. Physicians share their experiences of witnessing death, while theologians, anthropologists, and other scholars explore cultural perceptions of death. The combined perspectives illustrate death as an inherent aspect of life.