Her Hidden Genius

Discuss Rosalind’s characterization. How would you describe her personality, relationships, work ethics, and values? How does her characterization impact her work and her career trajectory?

The novel is described as a “corrective” to the narrative established in James Watson’s memoir, The Double Helix. Analyze how Benedict uses the conventions of historical fiction, such as interior monologue and constructed dialogue, to reclaim Rosalind Franklin’s agency and challenge the historical record.

Discuss Rosalind’s complicated relationship with her ethno-religious identity. She does feel an affinity for other Jewish scientists, but she also does her best to distance herself form the post-war Jewish community in London that her parents are proud to be a part of. Which aspects of faith, community, and culture does Rosalind still value, and which does she reject, and why?

How does the novel’s tripartite structure, moving from Paris to King’s College to Birkbeck, mirror the distinct stages of Rosalind Franklin’s professional and emotional journey?

Are Watson, Crick, and Wilkins true antagonists? To what extent are their actions shaped by the culture of sexism in both their individual labs and the scientific community as a whole? If they have been inculcated into inherently prejudicial systems and structures, does that absolve their behavior? Why or why not?

Discuss Rosalind’s relationship with her family. How does her desire to distance herself from tradition and the kind of philanthropic work that her family prioritize shape her character’s narrative arc? How would you compare and contrast Rosalind’s values, beliefs, and practices with those of her family?

Trace the motif of mountain climbing from its initial role as a metaphor for Rosalind’s scientific method to its final transformation in her deathbed vision. How does the evolution of this motif encapsulate the theme of science as a form of faith and legacy?

Contrast Rosalind’s romantic relationship with Jacques Mering with her later connection to Don Caspar. What do these relationships reveal about her personal growth and her ability to accurately judge character?