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Chapter 31: The Get-Well Card
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lessons in Chemistry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gender Inequality
Science vs. Religion
Overcoming Tragedy and Trauma
Family
Summary
Analysis
Harriet decides to sneak Madeline out of school to see Elizabeth live on the Supper at Six set. They plan to enter discreetly through the emergency exit and sit in the back row unnoticed. However, when they arrive, they find a massive crowd already gathered, hoping to get into the show. A security guard informs them that the audience has been pre-selected: they can’t enter, as people have been waiting since the early hours of the morning. Cleverly, Madeline asks the security guard to write his name in her notebook, under the pretense of telling her mother about his challenging job. When the security guard sees Madeline’s last name in the notebook, he immediately realizes who she is and takes her and Harriet inside.
Harriet’s decision to bring Madeline to the Supper at Six set shows her determination to support Madeline’s connection with her mother, despite the potential for disruption. Madeline’s quick thinking to gain access by leveraging the security guard’s recognition of her last name indicates her understanding of the influence her mother’s fame can wield. Although Elizabeth has tried to hide her professional life from Madeline, Madeline has some understanding of it because of her interactions with kids at school.
Themes
Once inside, Walter’s secretary offers Harriet and Madeline front-row seats, which they accept after ensuring that the bright lights will prevent Elizabeth from seeing them. Madeline watches her mother with pride but also feels a twinge of jealousy, realizing she has to share her mother with the show’s vast audience.
Harriet and Madeline’s discreet presence in the front row allows Madeline to witness her mother's success firsthand. Madeline’s mixed emotions of pride and jealousy reveal a sacrifice she did not know she was making—that is, sharing her mother with the world.
Themes
Walter, concerned, meets with Harriet and Madeline, questioning why Madeline isn’t in school. He warns that Elizabeth might be upset if she finds out Madeline is there, explaining that Elizabeth’s intention is to shield her daughter from the invasive nature of fame. Madeline, curious, asks Walter about Elizabeth’s popularity, to which Walter responds that Elizabeth is popular because of her exceptional cooking and her rare honesty.
Walter’s conversation with Madeline about Elizabeth's popularity reinforces the show’s appeal and Elizabeth's authentic approach, which resonates with the audience. Walter’s answer is something that Lebensmal never grasped or, if he did grasp it, did not care about it. Meanwhile, Walter shows here that he is aware of what Elizabeth is doing and considers it important work.
Themes
After speaking with Walter, Harriet and Madeline return to the audience to watch Elizabeth. In a bold move at the end of the show, Elizabeth, in response to an audience question, declares herself an atheist. This revelation leads to a flurry of phone calls to Walter as the episode wraps up. Unlike the previous phone calls Walter received about the show, many people are unhappy with what Elizabeth had to say.
The flurry of phone calls Walter receives as the episode concludes are not like the phone calls he received after the show first aired. Although Elizabeth’s audience accepts and enjoys her feminism, atheism is a step too far for many of them. At the time, the American public would have considered atheism a radical position—even more radical than feminism.
Themes
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