In this review, Emily Beswick discusses Bonnie Garmus' bestselling and engaging novel, Lessons in Chemistry, which exposes the world of academia as a woman in the 1950s.
Although ostensibly a work of fiction, Lessons in Chemistry uses the story of a chemist, called Elizabeth Zott, to represent the realities of many women in 1950s America. Women who were unable to continue with their education or pursue the careers that they wanted to. Women who were discouraged from being independent, and their only role in society was to be a wife and mother. The exclusion from education and the workplace meant many years of women’s talent, innovation and contributions were lost. Whilst progress has been made in science and society, there is still much that can be done to further address the imbalance.
"The experiences of Elizabeth, and the other characters in the book, remain relatable today, and their stories of discrimination and exclusion still resonate"
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, and a great one at that. Her passion and aptitude are evident, but as the only female scientist at the company, she is excluded by her colleagues and disparaged by her employers. Ultimately, she is unfairly dismissed from her job and has to give up her research into abiogenesis.
Centred around the love story of Elizabeth and her colleague Calvin (a chemistry prodigy himself), the book also deals with more difficult topics such as academic misconduct, sex discrimination in the workplace and lack of equal opportunity for women in science. The author weaves these broader social topics into the main storyline, ensuring that readers remain engaged whilst also being able to take time to reflect on the issues she raises.
Elizabeth’s senior male colleague even goes as far as to publish her research under his own name. The bias of attributing the work of female scientists to their male colleagues was first addressed by suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage in her 1870 essay “Woman as an Inventor'', and termed ‘The Matilda Effect’ by science historian Margaret W Rossiter in 1993. History is full of examples of the bias illustrated by Zott’s experience in Lessons in Chemistry, with Rosalind Franklin’s contribution to understanding the structure of DNA often forgotten and Lise Meitner’s exclusion from receiving a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on nuclear fission.
A key part of what makes this book so engaging, and so easy to recommend, is the relatability. Although there has clearly been progress made, and women now have many more opportunities, gender equality in science and society is still the chimaera. For some women, the reality of the 1950s housewife’s denied independence is their current reality.
For example, after being fired from the chemical research company for being pregnant out of wedlock, Elizabeth is invited to host a new tv show, Supper at Six. Elizabeth has reservations about this but takes on the role because she is under pressure to provide for her daughter. Despite repeated attempts from the production company to pigeonhole her into being an archetypical cooking show host, Elizabeth insists on bringing her background as a chemist to everything that she cooks. Supper at Six becomes a platform to remind women that their current roles as homemakers and caregivers are valued, and that they are just as capable of pursuing careers in science and medicine as men are.
The experiences of Elizabeth, and the other characters in the book, remain relatable today, and their stories of discrimination and exclusion still resonate. Organisations, such as Women in Neuroscience UK, are so important in driving the progress towards equality. These organisations provide community, support and representation to reiterate to women that they do belong in science. The reason that things have progressed is because women, like the character Elizabeth Zott, have paved the way, taken up space and encouraged other women to do the same.
This article was written by Emily Beswick and edited by Rebecca Pope, with graphics produced by Lilly Green. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.
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