Lessons in Chemistry: Chapter 8: Overreaching Summary & Analysis

The first few times Elizabeth and Calvin row together, Elizabeth feels overwhelmed and annoyed. She can never get the movements right and even causes their boat to flip a few times. No matter what she does, it seems as though Calvin is asking her to do something else. At the end of a particularly frustrating session, Calvin suggests that she think of rowing in terms of the physics that dictate it. Elizabeth takes his suggestion to heart and reads about the physics of rowing. Then, the next time they row together, she performs flawlessly because she understands the physics governing the sport.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth continues to have a hard time at Hastings. She wants to work on abiogenesis, but Donatti will not let her because he does not think she is smart enough. While speaking to Elizabeth, Donatti sees bandages on her hands and realizes that she has been rowing with Calvin. The bandages make Donatti think back to the first time he met Calvin. Calvin rowed against him in college and beat him. After the race, Donatti and Calvin shook hands, and Calvin acted disgusted when he saw that Donatti was drunk. From that day forward, Donatti hated Calvin, and his rage only increased when Calvin became famous in the scientific community.

As much as Donatti hates Calvin, he dislikes Elizabeth even more because she is a smart and opinionated woman. He does not necessarily doubt that Elizabeth has the intelligence to work on abiogenesis, but he refuses to let her because she does not align with his idea of what a woman should be. 

Elizabeth walks away angry after her discussion with Donatti and runs into Dr. Boryweitz, one of her lab mates. Boryweitz, who Elizabeth finds to be an awkward but kind man, asks Elizabeth a question about his research. Elizabeth supplies him with the answer he is looking for. Such an occurrence is far from rare; Elizabeth’s colleagues often come to her for help when they think others are not paying attention.

Although Elizabeth repeatedly tells him not to, Calvin goes to speak with Donatti about Elizabeth’s research a few days later. Calvin warns Donatti that he will walk away from Hastings if Donatti refuses to let Elizabeth do work that they both know she is qualified to do. While Donatti would like nothing more than for Calvin to leave Hastings, his hands are tied. Recently, a large donor sent Hastings a lot of money that they demanded be put toward abiogenesis research. Donatti knows that funding Elizabeth’s research is the best answer to his problems, so he ultimately gives in. Elizabeth is overjoyed when she hears the news, though she is wary that Calvin might have influenced the decision. She asks Calvin to tell her the truth, but Calvin lies and says he had nothing to do with it.

Shortly after Elizabeth resumes her abiogenesis research, Calvin talks to Dr. Mason, the captain of the rowing team at their local boathouse. He knows there are openings on Dr. Mason’s boat and wants to know if he and Elizabeth can join his team. Dr. Mason feels unsure about letting Elizabeth join but trusts Calvin’s judgment enough to let it happen. When Elizabeth finds out what Calvin has done, she worries that she will not live up to the expectations he has set. However, Calvin assures her that she will do great and should not worry. Additionally, Elizabeth asks Calvin why everyone likes to say he holds grudges. Calvin reminds her that everyone at Hastings like to gossip and that almost nothing they say is true, including what they say about his propensity for holding grudges.