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Jason Posner, M.D.
The twenty-eight-year-old primary nurse in the Dr. Kelekian’s oncology unit who administers much of Vivian’s care. Unlike her peers, she is not academically minded, though she is an excellent nurse. She prioritizes Vivian’s human dignity and comfort over any kind of research gains, and Vivian begins to appreciate this more and more as she gets sicker. By the end of the play, Susie is Vivian’s greatest ally (and seemingly her only friend), and it is Susie that she seeks out at the very end of her life. Susie is on the front lines of Vivian’s care, unlike Jason and Dr. Kelekian, who mostly just call the shots from behind the scenes. When Jason calls a code team and gives Vivian CPR in the play’s climactic scene, Susie throws him aside and tries to stop the team from resuscitating Vivian—since Vivian had told Susie herself that she didn’t want to be resuscitated.
Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. Quotes in Wit
The Wit quotes below are all either spoken by Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. or refer to Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene 12
Quotes
Now is not the time for verbal swordplay, for unlikely flights of imagination and wildly shifting perspectives, for metaphysical conceit, for wit.
And nothing would be worse than a detailed scholarly analysis. Erudition. Interpretation. Complication.
(Slowly) Now is a time for simplicity. Now is a time for, dare I say it, kindness.
(Searchingly) I thought being extremely smart would take care of it. But I see that I have been found out. Ooohh.
I’m scared. Oh, God. I want…I want…No. I want to hide. I just want to curl up in a little ball. (She dives under the covers.)
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Scene 16
Quotes
SUSIE: (Pushing them away from the bed) Patient is no code. Get away from her!
(SUSIE lifts the blanket. VIVIAN steps out of the bed.
CODE TEAM HEAD: (Reading) Do Not Resuscitate. Kelekian. Shit.
She walks away from the scene, toward a little light.
(The CODE TEAM stops working.)
She is now attentive and eager, moving slowly toward the light.
JASON: (Whispering) Oh, God.
She takes off her cap and lets it drop.
CODE TEAM HEAD: Order was put in yesterday.
She slips off her bracelet.
CODE TEAM: —It’s a doctor fuck-up.
—What is he, a resident?
—Got us up here on a DNR.
—Called a code on a no-code.
She loosens the ties and the top gown slides to the floor. She lets the second gown fall.
The instant she is naked, and beautiful, reaching for the light—
JASON: Oh, God.
Lights out.)
(The bedside scene fades.)
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Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. Quotes in Wit
The Wit quotes below are all either spoken by Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. or refer to Susie Monahan, R.N., B.S.N. . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Scene 12
Quotes
Now is not the time for verbal swordplay, for unlikely flights of imagination and wildly shifting perspectives, for metaphysical conceit, for wit.
And nothing would be worse than a detailed scholarly analysis. Erudition. Interpretation. Complication.
(Slowly) Now is a time for simplicity. Now is a time for, dare I say it, kindness.
(Searchingly) I thought being extremely smart would take care of it. But I see that I have been found out. Ooohh.
I’m scared. Oh, God. I want…I want…No. I want to hide. I just want to curl up in a little ball. (She dives under the covers.)
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 16
Quotes
SUSIE: (Pushing them away from the bed) Patient is no code. Get away from her!
(SUSIE lifts the blanket. VIVIAN steps out of the bed.
CODE TEAM HEAD: (Reading) Do Not Resuscitate. Kelekian. Shit.
She walks away from the scene, toward a little light.
(The CODE TEAM stops working.)
She is now attentive and eager, moving slowly toward the light.
JASON: (Whispering) Oh, God.
She takes off her cap and lets it drop.
CODE TEAM HEAD: Order was put in yesterday.
She slips off her bracelet.
CODE TEAM: —It’s a doctor fuck-up.
—What is he, a resident?
—Got us up here on a DNR.
—Called a code on a no-code.
She loosens the ties and the top gown slides to the floor. She lets the second gown fall.
The instant she is naked, and beautiful, reaching for the light—
JASON: Oh, God.
Lights out.)
(The bedside scene fades.)
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
