Her Hidden Genius

The corrupting impact of personal ambition on scientific integrity is one of Her Hidden Genius’ most overt and important themes. A commitment to exposing the erasure of women’s labor within science, politics, and the arts runs through Benedict’s work, and this novel’s depiction of the “lost” story of scientist Rosalind Franklin’s contributions to early DNA research place Her Hidden Genius in dialogue with the rest of the author’s oeuvre.

The contrast between Rosalind’s rigorous, evidence-based methodology and her colleagues’ ethically dubious shortcuts runs through much of the novel. The author establishes a critical juxtaposition between Rosalind’s commitment to the scientific process and Crick, Watson, and Wilkins’s willingness to present unfinished research and steal data from their colleagues. Although Rosalind is both the more insightful and more methodologically rigorous scientist, Crick and Watson are ultimately credited with having mapped the structure of DNA because they are happy to engage in professional subterfuge and announce their discovery first. Through this juxtaposition, the text suggests that while a commitment to integrity is essential for true discovery, the race for glory often rewards those who are willing to compromise both personal and scientific integrity.

Rosalind’s scientific practice is defined by her unwavering commitment to empirical proof.