Lessons in Chemistry

Chemistry is a consistently recurring motif throughout the book, significant enough that it finds its way into the title. It is deeply tied to the theme of The Circumscription of Women’s Ambition by the Patriarchy. Elizabeth and Calvin are both evidently brilliant at the subject, and yet it is Calvin who consistently receives appreciation for his work, even receiving multiple Nobel nominations. Elizabeth does not have a fraction of the clout that Calvin does in the workplace despite her own comparable talents. In contrast, she is initially ousted from the group research that she herself spearheaded, before eventually being fired and pushed out of any scientific work at all. She is then forced to help her former colleagues with their work to earn a living, unable to take any credit at all. Elizabeth perseveres and triumphs over the many limitations placed on her aspirations and finds her own creative ways to use and share her love for chemistry in her cooking. In a redemptive arc, she eventually returns to the subject completely, replacing Donatti as the head of chemistry at Hastings. On a more symbolic level, chemistry involves combinations, relationships, and reactions between different substances which is an overarching metaphor for the relationships, obstacles, and decisions Elizabeth faces throughout the novel. Every decision she makes, every relationship she has, every recipe she makes is an alchemical concoction that creates something brand new. Thus, Elizabeth’s mastery involves both literal and metaphorical chemistry lessons.