Tale Of The Flopsy Bunnies: Plot Analysis

In W;t by Margaret Edson, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies is referenced. In the seen that the book is introduced, Vivian is reminiscing about the one time that she felt close to her father; the only time that she felt loved and bonded to her father, as their relationship was never particularly close. Beyond this, this was the one time in the play that we were able to see a different side of Vivian. Through almost the entire play, Vivian was cold and rarely let down her sophisticated front (Edson, 1993). Vivian said that the first time she knew words would be her life’s work was when she learned the word soporific. This was the word used in the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies that represented the effect that eating the lettuce had on them. She was

Edson used this scene to reflect one of the stages as people approach the end of their lives. Reflection is something that most people do as they are about to pass away, they “balance their checkbook” of life and reconcile any unfinished business. Ideas like this can be seen in the morality play “Everyman”. Edson used this as Vivian was losing her battle with cancer. Vivian was reflecting back on her life. Her profession and her accomplishments relating to her career were some of the things that Vivian was most proud of. She remembered the first time that she ran across words and remembered that it was the first time she knew that words would be her life’s work. It just so happens that in remembering this, she also remembered one of the times that she had with her father, a time that she felt close to him and emotionally attached. Something as insignificant as her reading a book with her father nearby gave an idea of her relationship with him and one of the few times that she felt bonded to him. What is ironic about this is that they bonded over words, which later became her life. Her profession had her work with words every

All of the treatment was finally getting to her, but she decided that all of the medical terms and tests were a part of learning, so that there was not ignorance. At the end of the book, E. M. Ashford came to visit Vivian as she approached the end of her life. Vivian was at her lowest at this point, and even cried in this scene of the movie. I believe that Edson used the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies as a tool to evoke different sides of Vivian, as she made her such a strong female lead (Edson, 1993). Overall, Edson used the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies as a tool that both let readers see a side of Vivian that had her guard let down and a time that she felt close to her father, as well as see the side of Vivian that was not so sophisticated. The story acted as a link from Vivian’s childhood to who she ultimately became. This included who contributed to where she is, her father, who experienced a crucial time with Vivian. That one moment that Vivian and her father shared together was a time that Vivian remembered having the largest impact on who she wanted to become (Edson,