Wit

In many ways, Wit is a play about knowledge: who has it, how to gain it, and its personal costs. Edson explores the pros and cons of a life devoted to the pursuit of knowledge through both Vivian and Jason.

Vivian has been fascinated by knowledge and language since she was a child. She believes language is the key to answering life’s toughest questions, and Vivian has devoted herself to studying both as they appear in seventeenth-century poetry. Vivian has reaped the rewards of her single-minded dedication, too. Not only has she published multiple books and articles, she tells the audience that “no one is quite as good” at analyzing Donne as she is (20). The audience soon realizes Vivian is not bragging, either. Her lecture and the flashback to her time in the classroom prove her assertions. Even Jason vouches for her when he tells Susie that Vivian “was a great scholar” (74). But Vivian’s success has come with sacrifices, and her commitment to research has left her with no intimate relationships. She has no visitors during her stay in the hospital, and she tells Susie there is no one she can call to stay with her.