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Chapter 36: Life and Death
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
Elizabeth describes Calvin as her “soulmate” to Roth, who is surprised by her use of language. She highlights how Calvin valued her work, passion, and skills—a rarity among men, in her experience. Elizabeth also discloses how Donatti plagiarized her research. She also talks about her experiences at UCLA and opens up about her family. Additionally, she discusses Calvin’s upbringing and how she feels guilty about the role she played in his death.
Elizabeth’s candid conversation with Roth is an intimate portrait of her life with Calvin, marked by mutual respect and intellectual companionship. Her openness about their relationship and her accusation against Donatti for plagiarism gives Roth an intimate look into her personal and professional lives.
Themes
Although Elizabeth reveals considerable personal information, Roth decides not to include any of it in his article. He writes about abiogenesis instead. His editor, seeking sensational content about Elizabeth, pressures Roth for scandalous details, but Roth maintains that there aren’t any. However, two months later, when the article is published, it’s heavily modified. It focuses on Elizabeth’s physical appeal and includes comments from Dr. Meyers, Mrs. Mudford, and Donatti, who derogatorily refers to her as “Luscious Lizzie.” Mrs. Mudford contributes a picture of Madeline’s family tree that erroneously shows Walter as a family member, leading to misguided speculation about Elizabeth's relationship with him. The magazine issue quickly sells out within a day.
Despite the depth and authenticity of Elizabeth's revelations, Roth’s journalistic integrity comes into play as he opts to focus on her scientific endeavors rather than her personal life. This decision reflects Roth’s respect for Elizabeth's privacy and his commitment to highlighting her professional contributions. However, the editorial manipulation of Roth’s article highlights the media’s power to distort and sensationalize, while the focus on Elizabeth’s looks shows how the media objectifies and belittles women—even those as accomplished as Elizabeth.
Themes
