Glossary of Terms

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is the chemical name for a molecule that carried genetic instructions to all living things. The DNA molecule consists of two strands that wind around one another and this is known as the double helix.

A Form and B Form

There are many forms of DNA, but the two most common are A-DNA and B-DNA (also known as A-form and B-form). A Form is generally wider and is comprised of sugar phosphates that are linked continuously using phosphodiester bonds. One turn of the helix consists of 11 base pairs and is approximately 2.86 nm (nanometre) in length.

The slightly less common, B-Form is narrower than A-form and the double strands of B-DNA run in opposite directions. There are 10 base pairs, with a length of approximately 3.4 nm (nanometres). Its base, much like that of A-Form, consists of sugar phosphates but it has a core of nitrogenous bases.

Helix/Helical

A helix (plural: helixes or helices) is a corkscrew shape or spiral; a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are particularly important in the field of biology and are used to define the shape of the DNA molecule.

Atom

An atom is the smallest unit of ordinary matter that forms a chemical element.

Molecule

A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by chemical bonds. They have no electrical charge and are thus referred to as electrically neutral.

Crystallography

Crystallography is the branch of science that examines crystals, particularly the crystals that make up the inner structure of matter. These crystals are made up of atoms, molecules and/or ions that fit together in repeating patterns. To know the inner structure of the matter means to determine the positions of all the atoms and know how they are linked.

In the context of the play, Rosalind Franklin used a technique known as X-ray crystallography to ascertain the three-dimensional shape of molecules. She, and others who practised the same methods, would print these x-rays out as photographs and study them closely in order to interpret the information.

Summary

The play begins as Rosalind Franklin and the rest of the cast step forward into the stage lights and deliver the story of the ‘race’ to discover the structural components of DNA. The manner in which they set themselves up, as a chorus that stand in omnipotent retrospect means they share the role of narrator over the plotline. Noticeably, Rosalind is more often absent from this line-up.

It’s January 1951, and Rosalind (who specialises in the area of x-ray crystallography) arrives in London to work as a researcher at the prestigious King’s College in London. Initially, she believes the role offered is that of a co-research position but upon arrival she is informed that she will be operating as Wilkins’ assistant. Reluctant at first, her passion for the project supersedes the insult and she agrees to stay and work on uncovering the structure of DNA. It is clear from the first scene that Wilkins and Franklin conflict on many fronts – professionally, personally and ideologically. Wilkins’ refusal to take Rosalind seriously, to see her as a valuable asset to the ground-breaking project, creates tension and means that their partnership does not achieve the success it may have if they’d set aside their differences and worked in tandem. Rosalind’s research assistant Ray Gosling works as mediator to them but even his diplomatic skills cannot erase Wilkins’ insults. In an attempt to seek collegial support, Rosalind reaches out to fellow PhD student Don Caspar. Caspar and Franklin connect not only on a scientific level but also personally – Caspar is Jewish as well and shares Rosalind’s feelings of displacement. As they continue to work together, a rare moment of foreshadowing sees Gosling warn Rosalind about continued exposure to the radiography machine, but she remains head-strong and is insistent that nothing will stand in her way. Contractually, Wilkins must conduct a trip to Europe to lecture about the intricacies of DNA and it is at one of these lectures in the Italian city of Naples, that he is introduced to the ambitious American scientist James Watson. Although Watson offers a tempting partnership to him, Wilkins is reluctant to accept the terms, feeling suddenly protective about the work he and Rosalind are pursuing. In his narration over the scene, Wilkins is unsure whether he made the right decision to refuse a partnership with Watson and this continues to plague him throughout.

Watson soon partners with Cambridge researcher Francis Crick and they work tirelessly toward building an accurate model which they believe will help them map out the molecular structure. In the past, Wilkins had always denied the competitive nature of their craft, but after having met other researchers such as Watson, whose ambition and drive were astounding, when he returns to King’s College he encourages them to ‘push forward’ (p. 33) and put aside their differences for the greater good.

When Rosalind realises that Wilkins has been delivering lectures in Europe about their partnered research, tensions continue to divide them, and Rosalind refuses to collaborate with Wilkins. In reaction to her coldness, Wilkins seeks validation with Crick and Watson at Cambridge. Never is Wilkins’ disloyalty more pronounced than when he’s in the company of Watson and Crick; the three tease Rosalind’s research methods, her stoic approach to her work and even her appearance. Meanwhile, back in London, Rosalind and Gosling have developed a photograph that they’ve taken with their x-ray camera that seems to be portraying new information about the structure of DNA. Photograph 51 (named simply because it is the 51st photo that they had developed), clearly indicates a helical structure to DNA – a scientific breakthrough. Keen to curb their enthusiasm, Rosalind convinces Gosling to be more measured before publishing and to study the results a little more before sharing their findings. He reluctance is further explained when she opens up candidly to the audience and explains that, as a female scientist – and a Jewish one, she must ‘never be wrong’ (p. 46). Sitting on their findings for some time before presenting them seems like the right option. Gosling disagrees and believes Wilkins, as their partner, should be aware of their findings and shows him the photograph.

More time passes and Watson offers the group at King’s College one final opportunity to all work together in collaboration. Rosalind’s refusal makes Wilkins angry, and he decides to show Watson Photograph 51. Realising the importance of what the photograph shows, Watson retreats hastily to Cambridge where he and Crick begin developing a correct helical model that will change the tale of molecular science forever.

Meanwhile, Caspar and Rosalind’s relationship has deepened, and he arrives to work alongside her. Her attraction to him only serves as a distraction and allows Wilkins further opportunities to feed more of her work to Watson and Crick as they work tirelessly to complete an accurate model. It is worth noting at this point that it is only the play that implies that Watson continued to steal Rosalind’s work and share it with the Cambridge team; in history, no evidence had been found to support the claim that Wilkins ever shared anything more than the single Photograph 51 with others. After observing Caspar and Rosalind at a party together and seeing how enamoured she was with him, Watson and Crick rejoice that her infatuation will most likely take her away from her studies and afford them more time to perfect their model. In a cruel twist of fate, Rosalind falls ill and is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The two tumours, one in each ovary, have already grown quite large and little can be done to cure her. As she comes to terms with her prognosis, Watson and Crick publish their findings and are revered worldwide. By the time Wilkins explains what has happened, Rosalind is resigned to failure and holds a somewhat introspective view of what has occurred, ignoring the betrayal and choosing instead to acknowledge that society has been rewarded with this discovery. Rosalind reflects that if she’d had more time, she may have been able to see what was right in from of her all along, preluding a sense of self-pity.

Before Rosalind can continue to lecture, she succumbs to her cancer and dies. The narrative of the play fractures and Wilkins steps forward out of the action and demands the whole thing ‘start again… at the beginning’ (p. 81), desperate to make amends for what he has done. In a suspended moment in time, he and Rosalind connect, and he apologises for his behaviour toward her, acknowledging that he was too head-strong to try and make their partnership work. She, too, apologises and they both share a profound moment as they try to remember the name of the actress whose performance in the play The Winter’s Tale Rosalind liked. In reflection of how Rosalind’s name will disappear in history now that she’s been excluded from the research paper, Rosalind and Wilkins find that they simply cannot remember the actress’s name and resign themselves to the notion that ‘she simply didn’t stand out’ (p. 83).

Summary Quotes

‘When I was a child I used to draw shapes… I drew patterns of the tiniest repeating structures. In my mind were patterns of the tiniest repeating structures.’ (Rosalind reflecting on how she was always fascinated with science and structural composition) p. 11

‘I don’t like others to analyse my data, my work. I work best when I work alone. Of, for whatever reason, I am forced into a different situation, I should feel that I came here under false pretenses.’ (Rosalind) p. 13

‘No. No misunderstanding. Circumstances changed. You see… we now feel that if we discover this structure – this structure – we could discover the way the world works, Miss Franklin. What some are calling ‘the secret of life’. Can you imagine that?’ (Wilkins to Rosalind when they first meet) p. 13

‘You’re absolutely right that the Jews should be in a more grateful frame of mind these days.’ (Rosalind’s sarcastic reply to Wilkins) p. 16

‘Doctoral students are good people to work with, we’re like liquids – we take the shape of the vessel into which we’ve been poured.’ (Gosling to Rosalind) p. 18

‘And all I wanted to say was that I don’t like that things have got off to a… rocky start. I’d like to begin again.’ (Wilkins to Rosalind) p. 19

‘Sometimes she would just get away from the lab. I’d arrive in the morning and no one would be there.’ (Gosling about Rosalind) p. 24

‘I think one sees something new each time one looks at truly beautiful things.’ (Caspar in his letter to Rosalind) p. 24

‘It’s just incredibly exciting… to be born at the right time. There’s an element of fate to it, don’t you think? And I don’t believe in fate.’ (Watson to Wilkins at the Naples Symposium) p. 28

‘I saw how the males could court the females, singing the most elaborate songs. Sometimes the female joins in and it’s a duet. Sometimes he sings only for her.’ (Watson observing nature) p. 29

‘He said the worst thing is that it [religion] eradicates curiosity, because it solves everything. So, in my house there was no God. Which meant I needed to go looking for my own set of instructions for life.’ (Watson to Wilkins) p. 29

‘When I was five, my father told me religion was the enemy of progress, a tool used by the rich to give purpose to the lives of the poor… he said the worst thing is that it eradicates curiosity, because it solves everything.’ (Watson to Wilkins on his upbringing) p. 29

‘It’s all I can think of. All I can see. And I want in on it.’ (Watson about the race to solve the mystery of DNA) p. 30

‘I don’t think I’ve set my mind to something for more than five minutes in my entire life without wanting to put the kettle on…’ (Gosling) p. 31

‘But how can we get anything done if she’s constantly making me feel as though I’m being impolite to her? No, worse – offensive.’ (Wilkins) p. 32

‘…I mean does the X-ray camera ever seem like it’s just an extension of your own eye, as though you and you alone possess the superhuman powers that allow you to see into the heart of things?’ (Casper) p. 35

‘…it turned out that, before, they’d been looking at one on top of the other, like… well, a man and woman making love, at that point when one body is indistinguishable from the other… but now Rosalind had discovered how to separate man and woman, how to brush them off, get them out of bed and really see them, naked before her.’ (Caspar narrating at the moment of discovery) pp. 37-8

‘James [Watson] is many things but subtle is not one of them. So you must forgive him, over and over and over again.’ (Crick to Wilkins) p. 40

‘I mean, she could possibly be attractive if she took even the mildest interest in her clothes… there’s nothing gentle, nothing remotely tender about her. She’s a cipher where a woman should be.’ (Watson on Rosalind) pp. 42-3

‘When we shook hands, her handshake was far too firm. There’s nothing gentle, nothing remotely tender about her. She’s a cipher where a woman should be.’ (Watson) p. 43

As a girl, I prided myself on always being right. Because I was always right. I drove my family near mad proposing games to play that I’d win every time.’ (Rosalind) p. 46

‘You know, you really are unspeakably difficult. I’ve never encountered a woman with such temerity.’ (Wilkins to Rosalind) p. 48

‘I take a leap of faith every day, Maurice, just by walking through that door in the morning. I take a leap of faith that it’ll all be worth it, that it will all ultimately mean something.’ (Rosalind) p. 48

‘And what is a race anyway? And who wins? 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. Should we?’ p. 50

‘Maybe none of us really knew what we were searching for. What we wanted. Maybe success is as illusory and elusive… always just out of reach…’ (Crick) p. 50

‘Which leads me to believe that you’re here to insult me. That or you’re not aware of the fact that you’re insulting me, which is, perhaps worse. Do you think that if you demoralise me I won’t get it done?’ (Rosalind to Watson) p. 52

‘And we have to build another model. Right now. We have to start right now. We’ve got it, Francis. It’s ours. They’re sitting on it and they don’t know it. It’s ours.’ (Watson to Crick after surreptitiously spying Photograph 51) p. 56

‘But that’s not how it happened. I didn’t just give him the photograph. He asked for it.’ (Wilkins defending his action of giving Photograph 51 to Watson) p. 56

‘For a moment, everything stopped. Different ways our lives could go hovered in the air around us.’ (Rosalind finds that she cannot bring herself to trust and discuss her research with Wilkins) p. 71

‘I have this theory… I think the things we want but can’t have are probably the things that define us…’ (Caspar to Rosalind) p. 73

‘Odile has taken the guest room as her own. She moved her things into it slowly, gradually, over the last few months. She was clever. It was only when nothing was left that I realised she was gone.’ (Crick) pp. 77-8

‘We lose. In the end, we lose. The work is never finished and in the meantime our bodies wind down, tick slower, sputter out.’ (Rosalind) p. 78

‘…with a little bit more time, I like to think I would have [discovered the solution to DNA structure]… so then why didn’t I get those days?’ (Rosalind to Wilkins) pp. 79-80

ROSALIND: I mean, if I’d only…
GOSLING: Been more careful around the beam.
WATSON: Collaborated
CRICK: Been more open, less wary. Less self-protective.
CASPAR: Or more wary, more self-protective
WATSON: Been a better scientist.
CASPAR: Been willing to take more risks, make models, go forward without the certainty of proof.
CRICK: Been friendlier.
GOSLING: Or born at another time.
CRICK: Or born a man.
(The men in chorus discussing Rosalind’s shortcomings) p. 80

‘It’s the tricky thing about time, and memory. I tell my grandchildren: whole worlds of things we wish had happened are as real in our heads as what actually did occur.’ (Caspar) p. 81

And I have spent my whole life in regret.’ (Wilkins) p. 83