Emotional Growth In Margaret Edson's Wit

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The play “Wit” by Margaret Edson shows the emotional growth of the main character Vivian Bearing as death draws near. As Vivian signs up for the chemotherapy sessions, she relies on her wit and applied knowledge to contend with her ordeal with cancer. As she recalls past events, there is a sense of how her relationship with her father negatively impacts her life decisions and her relationships to others. The childhood flashback she describes about her father is a pivotal moment in the play. This flashback shows a confusion of intelligence as a substitute for emotional closeness. The emotional growth of Vivian develops as her cancer progresses. As she remembers her childhood with her father, instead of her daddy reading her a children’s book,

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