Photograph 51
Essay Prompts
‘If life is the ultimate race to the finish line, then really we don’t want to win it. Shouldn’t want to win it’ (Crick, p 50).
Ziegler’s play is about the importance of prioritising what matters in life over any other pursuit. Discuss.
Ziegler’s play Photograph 51 suggests that self-satisfaction is more important than the accolades of the industry. Do you agree?
‘…maybe the race is for something else entirely. Maybe none of us really knew what we were searching for. What we wanted (Crick, p 50).
In discovering the structure of DNA, the characters of Ziegler’s play experience mostly bittersweet success. To what extent do you agree?
Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler is a play condemning the post-war era and celebrating the progression of modernity. Discuss.
More than anything, the root cause of tension between Wilkins and Rosalind is communication. Do you agree?
‘In Britain we don’t actually believe in turning our sinners into saints’ (Wilkins, p 44).
Does the nobility of Wilkins’ intentions excuse his actions of betrayal?
In addition to celebrating an unsung heroine, Ziegler uses her play to comment on mankind’s connection to nature and time. Discuss.