Lessons in Chemistry: A Book Review
As a young mind, I was enthralled by feminism, its theoretical waves informing not only my PhD but also my stance in life, with the voices of many influential writers, such as Angela Carter, echoing through my academic and broader academic experiences. Naturally, when trapped for hours at an international airport with nothing to do but browse books, I picked Bonnie Garmus’s debut novel.
Despite a feminist-centered beginning, my review will not focus on women's rights and injustices. Yes, the book talks plenty about female lives cursed by a male-centered society, forced to live on its fringes because of their sex and because of fear. What I found amusing was the fact that men, who have nothing but crude power to exhibit, are depicted as instinct-driven, jealous, and will-deprived excuses for human beings. No, it’s not me – the feminist bitch, it’s them – violent and tyrannic ‘men’. Only naturally, in such circumstances, a woman full of talents manages to overcome all the obstacles life throws at her. But make no mistake, Elizabeth Zott is far from perfect. She is not one of those pretty, spotless leads that almost no one can identify with; quite contrary, she lacks any ability to judge people for their behavior because she thinks scientifically.
Elizabeth is well-versed in science, but she is not equipped to deal with society. She does not conform, which makes her one of the most appealing book characters, whether she is a feminist or not. In a man’s world, Garmus’s heroine manages to show exactly how much women matter. She sets a personal example with her very own actions and decision-making. What’s more, she manages to turn a cooking show into a chemistry lab, where viewers tune in to take notes and educate themselves not only in introductory chemistry but also in live lessons on topics such as compassion, self-worth, mutual respect, and love.
Without intending to, Elizabeth serves as the inner voice, the guiding compass within us that nudges us to achieve, overcome, and become. Ideally, this is a voice the mother gives to her daughter, and of course, that is how Mad, Elizabeth’s daughter, grows to see her mother – as a role model, as an example, but also as a fragile human being who suffers but stands for her choices.
The role of society is inherently important in the book. It’s evident from the constant amazement at the fact that nobody knows of the anthropologist Margaret Mead's contribution to understanding humanity. It continues with Elizabeth’s belief that science should be the root of humanism and ends with each encounter the chemist has with both men and women throughout the novel. Because every one of us unintentionally reinforces certain aspects of society through our decisions, behavior, and language. To say and what to say are directly linked to the idea of how language creates the notion of self and the other.
The undertone of the novel is cultivating the ability to see the human in every man and woman. To see means both to observe, not to turn a blind eye to injustice and suffering, and to understand. That’s what makes us divine, not religion, nor politics, but understanding and compassion. Elizabeth has both – she sees the human in her brother, and she sees character and intelligence in her dog. Or, to put it in her own words, she always forms the covalent bonds, the strongest ones. So, let’s be like Elizabeth. Let’s understand (chemistry).
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