Her Hidden Genius

Rosalind Franklin is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. Rosalind is characterized in large part through her unwavering dedication to science. Her career is the most important facet of her identity. She is drawn to science because of her unwavering commitment to truth, logic, and reason. She eschews her parents’ faith because she believes in what is observable and measurable rather than what she would characterize as the ambiguity of spiritual answers. She also enjoys the methodical nature of scientific work and becomes increasingly dedicated to scientific rigor. This creates conflict with her colleagues as they view science as a “race” and are willing to sacrifice scientific integrity for speed.

Rosalind is highly intelligent and a gifted scientist, but she struggles because she is a woman in a sexist, male-dominated field. Rosalind does encounter male scientists who respect her and value her work, but the majority of the men she works with dismiss her and treat her poorly. While they afford one another professional respect and use the honorific “doctor” when addressing a new colleague, they repeatedly address Rosalind as “miss” and refer to her by “Rosy,” a nickname she dislikes. Rosalind does demonstrate her strength of character and self-awareness in professional settings, however: She remains resolute in the face of discrimination and never allows the sexism of her colleagues to impact the way that she sees herself.