Analysis Of The Movie Wit

The movie “ Wit “ is a heart-breaking story about a middle-aged woman named Vivian Bearing who has been diagnosed with metastasized stage four ovarian cancer. She agrees to a vigorous “ full dose” experimental treatment of chemotherapy where she is treated less like a human but more like a guinea pig by her oncologist Doctor Kelekian and her former student Doctor Jason. She experiences harsh side effects from the chemotherapy that causes her to reflect upon her life through flashbacks. The flashbacks travel to various periods of her such as her childhood, graduate school and professional career, prior to her cancer diagnosis, where she comes to a realization that she too could have been more kind to individuals.

Vivian Bearing is a single, middle-aged woman who prides herself on being an uncompromising and extremely difficult college professor of 17th century English poetry. When she receives her diagnosis from Doctor Kelekian, she appears to take it very well and is realistic to her prognosis, but as her harsh treatment and illness progresses she wishes that she had asked more questions regarding the treatment. She experiences harsh side effects from the “ full dose” chemotherapy treatments such as nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. In the movie Vivian states how she has been asked “ How are you feeling?” while throwing up into a basin. She is asked that question so often and regularly that it begins to loose its true meaning entirely.

The treatment Vivian receives from both Doctor Kelekian and Doctor Jason is almost intolerable. At various points within the film we are exposed to the harsh care given from both doctors but mostly from Doctor Jason. She is painstakingly and carelessly treated for and less like a human being ...

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... research experiment and not like a patient or with the decency she deserved. Some of the things that the doctors did to Vivian were so unethical and so inhumane that it makes one cringe just thinking about it. Fortunately for Vivian, Susie was the light at the end of the tunnel. She provided care that was compassionate, kind and professional. One hopes that in the future I can embody the qualities that Susie had and display them to my patients on a daily basis. In nursing school we are so focused on knowing the science behind everything or getting our medication out in time that we forget why we became nurses in the first place. We became nurses so we could care for others that could not care for themselves. Susie was the true definition of a nurse and provided patient centered compassionate care to Vivian allowing her to die in a dignified and meaningful way.