The Character Of Dr. Vivian Bearing In Margaret Edson's Wit

Have you ever had a professor who was cruel and inconsiderate? At times you felt like their humanity switch was turned off? Perhaps you wonder since they were mean in the classroom, what were they like outside of the classroom? At some point in our lives we will all encounter a professor who fits such questions. In the movie “Wit” we come to know a professor who does not care about her students and their struggles. The protagonist, Dr. Vivian Bearing is brilliant, uncompromising, and cold-hearted. In Margaret Edson’s “Wit”, we see several motifs that supports the idea of Dr. Vivian Bearing as being a dynamic character.

In the beginning of “Wit” Dr. Bearing’s love for poetry takes over her life. In fact, poetry becomes her personality. She studies and analyzes John Donne’s poems line for line. Achieving her degree with poetry, she becomes an English college professor.

Bearing is an inconsiderate English Professor. For instance, one of her students tries to gain an extension on the essay, due to the death of his grandmother. “Do what you will, but the paper is due when it is due”, Dr. Bearing replies. She does not have any sympathy towards this student at all once she receives the news. There are many more instances where she either embarrasses or shames a student for not doing exactly what she wants. She expects her students to have the same amount of knowledge on poetry as she does. Throughout the story heartless Dr. Bearing will soon convert into a caring and kind Dr. Bearing. This begins to take place once she becomes the victim and her Doctors are disrespectful towards her. She begins this process when she is diagnosed with advanced ovarian