With Literary Analysis When sin entered the world, disease came with it. Sometimes sicknesses are an inconvenience and cause suffering, but other times they are fatal, so humans have long attempted to use medicine to cure or at least reduce the effects of disease. Unfortunately, sin also permeates the field of medicine. Margaret Edson’s award-winning play Wit explores these interrelated themes of disease, mortality, and the medical system. From the beginning of the action to the end, Wit displays the flaws and triumphs of modern healthcare. Immediately in the first scene, the audience begins to see the drawbacks of current medical practice, especially how it so easily becomes apathetic and impersonal. Vivian Bearing, the main character, is …show more content…
In sharp contrast to Susie’s kind touch, when Jason and the other doctors make their educational Grand Rounds, they seem to see nothing more to Vivian than a specimen to study as they point, prod, and in Vivian’s own words, “read me like a book” (Edson 37). Vivian concludes that Jason “presides over research on humanity” (Edson 58). Originally, when Kelekian told Vivian about her treatment, he said that “as research, it will make a significant contribution to our knowledge” (Edson 11). This is consistent with a Health Analytics’ article that shows how “Research is critical to the advancement of healthcare” and lists ten advantages of research, including the development of better care (“The Benefits of Research in Healthcare”). Indeed, without research, treatments that save lives would never be …show more content…
This objectification causes physicians to lose sight of individuals’ dignity and value, such as when Jason reduces Vivian to nothing but “research” in his mind (Edson 82). In the end, he is so obsessed with following protocol that the lights go out and he totally misses the “beautiful” moment when Vivian slips into eternity (Edson 85). Margaret Edson masterfully weaves into the action of a deep analysis of the modern medical system, displaying its successes and failures. She points out healthcare’s tendency to dehumanize people due to its impersonal and research-oriented style. Along with that, Susie stands out as an example to the audience of how to treat patients created in the image of God. These hospitalized image-bearers are usually suffering through their lowest moments and may even be at the end of their lives, therefore it is crucial to consider whether the healthcare system is properly supporting them through their suffering. Works Cited for: Edson, Margaret. 1961. The. “Wit”: a play on the mind. New York. Faber and
Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard Medical School graduate and writer for The New Yorker, phenomenally illustrates the unknown side of healthcare professions in his book, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science. By exploring the ethical and analytical aspects of medicine while entertaining readers with relatable anecdotes, Gawande impresses on his audience the importance of recognizing the wonders of the healthcare field, as well as the fallibility of those within it.
“Hospitals today are growing into mighty edifices in brick, stone, glass and marble. Many of them maintain large staffs, they use the best equipment that science can devise, they utilize the most modern methods in devoting themselves to the noblest purpose of man, that of helping’s one’s stricken brother. But they do all this on a business basis, submitting invoices for services rendered.”
While the majority of the book critiques the healthcare system, Chapter 13 focuses more on key actions and personality traits that help Dr. Stone relate to patients. Although this noteworthy, compassionate physician attempts to develop an understanding of his patients’ values and goals, he still fails Mrs. Jackson by trying to retain cultural competency by tiptoeing around end-of-life decisions. Conversations about feeding tube placement and DNR orders could have minimized Mrs. Jackson’s unnecessary
In Margaret Edson’s play Wit, a cancer patient promoted her end of life decision to her primary nurse rather than her supervisor doctor, and asks her primary nurse to take care of her till death. For result, there was one huge fighting between Vivian’s primary nurse Susie and doctor Jason when her heart stop beats.
Wit sheds light on the problems within the American healthcare system regarding patient care and making decisions based on the well being of the patient, and not focusing on the scientific developments that can be made by studying the effects of certain drugs and illnesses on patients - this is done through the interactions between Vivian and her two doctors: Dr. Kelekian and Dr. Jason Posner, as well as interactions between Vivian and her nurse, Susie.
The Dying of the Light is an article by Dr. Craig Bowron that captures the controversy surrounding the role of medication in prolonging life. The author describes that many medical advancements have become a burden to particularly elderly patients who in most instances are ready to embrace the reality of death. Dr. Bowron believes that dying in these modern times has become a tiring and unnatural process. “Everyone wants to grow old and die in his or her sleep, but the truth is most of us will die in pieces,” Bowron notes (Bowron). The article does not advocate for euthanasia or the management of health care costs due to terminal or chronic illness. Bowron faults humanity for not embracing life and death with dignity as it was in the past. He blames the emergence of modern medical advances and democracy as the sole reason why everyone is pursuing immortality or prolonging of life rather than embracing the natural course of things. The article is very articulate and comes out rather persuasive to its target audience that happens to be health-conscious. Craig Bowron uses effective rhetorical strategies such as logos, ethos, and pathos to pass on his message. The article’s credibility is impeccable due to the author’s authority in health matters as he is a hospital-based internist. A better placed individual to dissect this issue by analyzing his experiences in the healthcare profession. The article incorporates a passionate delivery that appeals to the readers’ hopes, opinions, and imagination.
After arriving at the hospital with severe facial and cranial injuries due to a car accident, Pansy Vanneman began to lock herself away within her head in silent, unspoken hopes of escaping the terrible pain that surged throughout her body. She spoke mainly to herself within her head and very rarely graced the nurses or attendants with any words at all. She began to wrap her entire existence around what she thought was her one true reason for living: her brain. She did not necessarily worship her mind, but it was the organ itself that intrigued her. In the accident, her brain had been unscathed and she now believed it was some magnificent being that was above anything or anyone that came in contact with her.
Joshua Nealy, a prominent medical school graduate, died last night from complications of losing his dream of becoming a practicing physician. He was 39 years-old. Soft-spoken and borderline obsessive, Joshua never looked the part of a “professional”, but, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the last three years of pursuit of his long reputed dream profession, a position, which he spent nearly 10 years attaining. Sadly, the protracted search ended this past March 18th in complete and utter failure. Although in certain defeat, the courageous Nealy secretly clung to the belief that life is merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. It’s not a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of her dear friend, Emily, the girlfriend turned fiancé and dPT expert of Berkshire County, described Joshua as a changed man in the last years of his life. "Things were worse for him; not following his dream left him mostly lifeless, uninspired," Sammons noted. Ultimately, Joshua concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess the powerful ability to change ourselves and the world around us; the choice to make ours from nothingness.
Margaret Edson’s Wit is a touching play that takes the reader through a woman’s critical journey from being diagnosed with stage-four metastatic ovarian cancer to gaining an understanding of life and its many intricacies. This woman is Dr. Vivian Bearing, and she tackles the incredible challenge of cancer with her unique relationship with words. Her wit and intimacy with words are what cause enormous upheaval in her life up until the very end. Words were the keystone of Bearing’s profession, but they turn on her during her experience with cancer. Then, this reversal gives her a true understanding of the poet John Donne, and finally the doctor can see the value of human beings and relationships. Through these events, Edson produces a resounding
Question Quote "I doubt that these experiences are unique to the hospitals or the medical school at which I have thus far trained. I expect that they pervade health care systems throughout the country. I give credit to my medical school for teaching me to be critical of the culture of medicine, apply interdisciplinary perspectives to clinical quandaries, and reflect on my experiences." (Brooks KC. 2015.)
Instead of being a rehabilitation institution, it was a patient’s deathbed. This was an accurate representation of John Hopkins and many other hospitals during the twentieth century before medical reforms and guidelines were set in place. During the 1950’s, John Hopkins was a segregated health institution
... Joe, and Paul Barr. “Call to Action Through Tragedy.” Modern Health Care (2012). Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Perhaps the most conspicuous example of the hospital environment’s detrimental impact is Billy Bibbit’s suicide after Nurse Ratched threatens to tell his mother about his night with Candy, the prostitute McMurphy brings onto the ward (Kesey 302-304). While this event can be interpreted as merely a tragedy between a manipulative nurse and an overwrought patient, it can also be interpreted as a representation of the harm that can result from an economy that encourages
Conrad, Peter, and Joseph W. Schneider. 1992. Deviance and Medicalization: From Badness to Sickness. St. Louis: Mosby.
Mona Counts works in the village of Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. It is a medically underserved area and a HPSA (health professional shortage area). The town has an extremely poor economic base and majority of Mona’s patient population are poverty level. Mona is not worried about the money and will tell a patient to come in for a check up, regardless of whether or not they have health care. One patient said, “she is old-fashioned, she talks to you and tells you what you nee...