Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the importance of empathy in academics and research. How can balance be achieved between pursuing knowledge and showing empathy? Are there fields in academia that are void of this connection? If so, how is a lack of empathy demonstrated?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider a central theme of the play: The Pursuit of Knowledge. Edson’s play follows an English professor, Vivian Bearing, as she struggles to adapt to life during her chemotherapy treatments. Throughout the scenes, Edson alludes to the problem of seeking knowledge at the expense of the individual. This contrast is represented through medical fellow Jason, who focuses on Vivian’s ability to produce results for his research but seems comparatively unconcerned about her physical, emotional, and mental anguish. Vivian understands and respects the medical team’s drive for knowledge and allows her treatment to be used as a case study for their research; in revealing this process, Edson makes references to the potential for a lack of empathy during medical treatment. Once readers reflect on and note their thoughts, they might engage in small group discussion regarding the prompt or conduct a Socratic seminar.