Rosalind Franklin is a name that has gained some noted recognition in the last decade or so. She was a British biophysicist and she is famous for her work in Xrays that contributed to the deciphering of the DNA double helix structure by Francis Crick and James Watson. Through their incredible model, Crick and Watson were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, and honor Rosalind Franklin did not share.
In the Dignifying Science graphic novel, we are presented and image of Rosalind Franklin that often goes unseen when discussing her achievements. In this the images in this book, one can quite literally see Franklin’s personality, that being a strong, confident and loud scientist, a sharp difference from what was at that time considered ladylike. This story highlights the difficulties women such as her faced in a predominately male run industry. In the opening pages of the book we are treated to a scene in which Dr. Wilkins first meets Rosalind Franklin. His immediate assumption as he callously addresses her ‘Miss Franklin’ is that she is there to assist. She immediately corrects him and states that she is not there to assist, but rather she her own important research to attend to. This shows the constant struggle she had to endure to just be noted as an equal researcher. It can be argued that her seemingly short temper and kurt attitude may have actually been the defense to successfully exist in that field for so long.
Her work and creative deduction on photograph 51 is what led to the eventual understanding of the double helix structure. Had she not contributed her finding, there is no certainty Crick and Watson would have finished their model when they did. Her dedication was an inspiration. While fighting two fronts, one to demolish sexist views and the other to unlock the secrets of science, she was able to create a bridge that led people to question, if science is the search for truth, why is there room for abhorrent behavior like sexism and even racism? I feel that her contributions have helped pave the way for female scientist to be fully recognized for their achievements and capacities.
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