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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Vivian's first appointment in Scene 4?

2. How does Vivian handle unfamiliar medical terms?

3. Who published Vivian's dissertation?

4. What does Susie take with her when she leaves Vivian's room at the end of Scene 5?

5. How does Vivian occupy herself while she waits for her physical exam?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jason suddenly stop as he is talking about Vivian during the examination?

2. How does Vivian foreshadow, or hint at, her fever prior to Scene 8?

3. Why is Vivian's diagnosis so concerning?

4. Why does Vivian appreciate Kelekian's thoroughness as he explains the situation to her?

5. How does Ashford describe Vivian's essay?

6. How does Vivian link what she learned in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and her career work in Donne?

7. What are the two examples Vivian gives of being asked the standard greeting?

8. Give two reasons Vivian looks up medical terms she does not know?

9. Why does Jason not want to lower Vivian's dose of chemotherapy?

10. How does Vivian describe the introduction her colleagues would write?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define metadrama. Explain Edson's use of metadrama in Wit. How does Edson use metadrama? How does the use of metadrama affect the audience's perception of the story? Is Edson's use of metadrama effective? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the importance of John Donne to the play. What role does Donne play in the story? What is Vivian's relationship with Donne? What is the parallel between Donne's works and Vivian's experience with cancer?

Essay Topic 3

Define allegory. Give one example of an allegory used in the play. Explain how this is an allegory. Is the allegory effective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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