View a FREE sample

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 wearing as the play begins?

2. What causes Jason to lose his composure at the end of Vivian's physical exam?

3. How much does Vivian vomit in Scene 5?

4. What is the title of the book Vivian published?

5. Why does Vivian go into the hospital at the beginning of Scene 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Vivian think the process would be if she barfed her brains out?

2. Explain the cycle of Vivian's chemotherapy treatments as it relates to her overall feeling.

3. Why is Ashford unhappy that Vivian used the translation of Donne that she did? Why does Ashford prefer Gardner's edition?

4. What does Vivian like about grand rounds?

5. How does Vivian's father teach her the word “soporific?”

6. Why does Susie note that Vivian has not had many visitors? How does Vivian react?

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

8. Why does Vivian recite Donne's Holy Sonnet Six while she is waiting for Jason to examine her?

9. Why does Vivian explain her career while the technicians perform their tests?

10. What are three things Vivian think about while Kelekian is explaining her diagnosis?

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

Define characterization. Give at least one example of each type of characterization used in Wit to describe Vivian. Write a brief character biography of Vivian.

Essay Topic 3

Explain Vivian's relationship with Ashford. What does Vivian's relationship with Ashford reveal about Vivian? Why is this relationship important to Vivian? Why is it important to the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 726 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample