Vivian’s Relationships in W;t and How They Shape Her Illness Experience Anonymous College

In Margaret Edson’s play W;t, a variety of characters with complex, unique personalities are brought to life. Edson uses vivid imagery and poignant monologues in order to highlight and simultaneously criticize the social structure, doctor-patient relationship, and implicit stigmas associated with terminal cancer. Many themes, such as the ones aforementioned, are displayed within the elaborate rhetoric Edson uses to construct both the outer appearances and the inner thoughts of the characters, which often contradict with one another. Edson’s intricate blending of each character’s juxtaposed identities gives readers a deep connection to the personal struggles of each character’s past and present. The main protagonist in the book, Vivian Bearing, experiences an immense shift in mentality when she is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. Although Vivian understands the seriousness of her diagnosis, her thoughts remain consumed with maintaining her image as an accomplished and world-renowned literature professor. Through the reader’s journey with Vivian Bearing, we encounter several of her relationships that each serve to propagate Vivian’s spiritual awakening and acceptance of her diagnosis. Through her relationship with herself,...