W;t's Wit.

Personally, I found Edson's W;t to be a very interesting and clever way to capture a character in a manner that is not, perhaps, as dark as it could have been made to be. The synopsis located on the back cover of the book describes the protagonist of the story as "intensely rational", which I too find to be an apt phrase to use. I will, however, point out a few details on form that interested me. (I tried very hard to back down on my gushy tendencies in this post.)


Language (scheme?): I am sure that others have made this observation, but the use of a semicolon in the title of the text is indicative of the author's intent with the play. To me, a semicolon has always represent a sentence that a writer could have chosen to end, however, did not. Edson undoubtedly had a purpose in mind when she inserted this symbol into the title of her play, one that can allow readers a wide variety of opinions. She also uses wit to portray wit, in a way, saying "Life, death...It's a metaphysical conceit. It's wit!" (p.15)

Narrator: Because this is a play, the style of narration in this text is different from how a written story might ordinarily be formed. Vivian, the protagonist, is often shown giving a backstory or explanation, seemingly regardless of what may be going on around her--in a somewhat disjointed or disconnected fashion. For example, as a technician is performing an exam on her, she is narrating (perhaps to an audience, perhaps to the technician, or perhaps to herself) an earlier happening in her life or her reaction to something. This works very well with the overall tone that this play intends to exude.

Tone and Style: W;t is a play that relies heavily upon a thorough style and, unsurprisingly, wit throughout. Many lines and passages seem somewhat snappy, as the spoken/dialogue-reliant format tends to allow. It reads quickly, with characters often having lines of two or three words, and feels realistic if read aloud.

Setting: Seeing the play would make it easier to tell exactly what happens where, but the majority of the play takes place in a hospital or medical center. Time-wise, the setting is quite modern and set, which may cause the play to become unfortunately dated in the future.

Various Observations: Like real life scenarios such as this, the play runs its course quickly. While its topic is a dark one, the cleverness contained inside provides a juxtaposition that the author clearly wanted to put across. It is a play that would require a few readings to fully understand and appreciate.