Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Introduction
The 2016 memoir “Lab Girl” written by Hope Jahren tells the story of a young girl interested in the world of science, the adversity she goes through to become a well-established woman in STEM, and a lifelong friendship that was created along the way. Jahren gives the reader a look into the way she sees the world around us, a deeper and personified way of looking at plant life. She also talks about living with bipolar disorder and how she deals with mental illness in her everyday life.
“People are like plants: they grow toward the light. I chose science because science gave me what I needed — a home as defined in the most literal sense: a safe place to be” (Jahren p.25).
Significant Events/Incidents
In the book “Lab Girl”, one of the most significant events is when the author realizes that her path in life is one with science. Jahren talks about how she felt pressured to follow in her mother’s footsteps, to study English and literature. Quickly, she realizes that this is not the right step for her, and decides undoubtedly to pursue a career in science. This is a significant event in the memoir of Hope Jahren because it is one that has a huge effect on the rest of her existence, and is unquestionably the best decision of her life. Having a career in science gave Jahren a job that she loves, therefore it never feels like work. This decision eventually leads her to finding her lifelong bestfriend, Bill, as well as her husband Clint.
“Science didn’t talk about books that had been written to analyze other books… it talked about what was happening now and of a future that might yet be” (Jahren p.25).
Another crucial event or incident that occurred is when Jahren meets her lab partner and eventual life-long friend Bill. The author describes meeting Bill on a trip to the Central Valley of California in 1994. Jahren talks about their awkward, but amusing first encounter on that trip. She also describes their synergy 15 years later down the road, and how well they work together to get the job done efficiently. She talks about how Bill made her feel like she was never alone, even when she thought everything was going to come crashing down on her. This is a significant event because Bill will play a crucial role in her life acting as her best friend and support. Later on, Bill will end up losing his father and Jahren will be there for him through it all. They are platonic soulmates and one half of the other.
“He is strong where I am weak, and so together we make one complete person, each of us gaining half of what we need from the world and the other half from each other” (Jahren p.32).
The last significant event in “Lab Girl” is when Hope Jahren is pregnant with her son. This is a very significant point in the memoir because she talks about how she had to cease medication for her bipolar disorder and how it led to her suffering from severe episodes. Jahren met her husband Clint while working at John Hopkins’, and the two eventually decided to have a child together. Jahren was on medication for her mental illness prior to being pregnant, but instantly stopping the intake of her medication had severe effects on her well being. This led to the author being at an extremely low point in her life.
“I know that I am supposed to be happy and excited…But I don’t do any of this. Instead I grieve long and hard for the part of my life that is over now that this baby has come” (Jahren p.240).
Not only was she suffering from bipolar disorder episodes, but she was also kicked from her own laboratory during her medical leave by the boss of her department. They had deemed her a liability while she was pregnant, and was forced to leave the laboratory that she herself had built up. This was devastating news to her, but this is an important event in Jahren’s life because it eventually led to her, Clint, and Bill all moving on from Hopkins and finding bigger and better things in Hawaii. She also went back on her medication and found happiness in being a mother after her son was born.
Historical Contexts
One of the bigger themes in this memoir is sexism and the way that some women may feel turned away from pursuing a career in the science field. Jahren talks about when her mother tried to go to school for a degree in chemistry, but was sadly unable to pay for it as a woman with the only job option as a babysitter. This is something that a lot of women were forced to deal with, having to marry a man just to be able to have some semblance of wealth, and feeling like their job is in the home, having children and caring for them. When Jahren was a child in the 70s, there was still forms of sexism in society, where men were able to do things that women weren’t exactly able to, like getting their hands dirty or doing science experiments. In recent years, women and men’s societal expectations have changed drastically, and now people don’t tend to care what you do in regards to your gender. Not only in the 70s, but still to this day there are different standards for men and women in science. Women are severely under represented in STEM fields. Jahren also talks briefly about her struggles as a woman with bipolar disorder, and how negatively it affected one of the points in her life where she felt as if she should have been the happiest. In the year this memoir was published, the Mental Health Act of 2016 was passed which built on the ones in previous years. Mental health is still stigmatized, society seems to accept only certain mental illness and disorders, such as anxiety or depression. Less frequent, sometimes more severe disorders like personality disorders or mood disorders are less represented in media, and less talked about. Jahren speaking up on her struggles with this disorder is insightful on the issues that people with different mental illness suffer from. Lastly, there were many climate strikes taken place in 2016 and years prior, people protesting for change to help protect our home. Jahren has a deep love and understanding for plants and the natural world as a whole, and has dedicated her whole life to the field of science and researching botany. This could be a contributing factor as to why she wrote “Lab Girl”, inspiring others to get into the field of science, maybe even botany, and advocating for a greener Earth.
“When I was five I came to understand that I was not a boy. I still wasn’t sure what I was, but it became clear that whatever I was, it was less than a boy” (Jahren p.24).
Works Cited
Jahren, Hope. Lab Girl. Knopf, A. Alfred, 2016.
Newitz, Analee. — May 12, 2016 11:30 am UTC. “How Two Determined Scientists Built a World-Class Lab out of Radio Shack Parts.” Ars Technica, 12 May 2016, arstechnica.com/science/2016/05/how-two-determined-scientists-built-a-world-class-lab-out-of-radio-shack-parts/.
“Clint Conrad.” The Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, www.mn.uio.no/ceed/english/research/news-and-events/new-faces/clint-conrad.html.
