Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Double Helix, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Research, Adventure, and the Thrill of Discovery
Scientific Collaboration, Competition, and Community
DNA and the Secret of Life
Academic Life and the University
Summary
Analysis
James D. Watson explains that in this book, he wants to capture the human drama of science. Therefore, he has tried to write it from the perspective of his adventurous younger self. He admits that others might remember events differently, but he believes that it’s important to tell his story, even if it’s incomplete. He also wants to show readers how scientists do their work and negotiate the tension between “ambition and the sense of fair play.” To complement his memory of the events, he has revisited old letters and interviewed old friends and colleagues. He thanks them and all the others who have assisted his writing.
Watson opens by setting his readers’ expectations. This book isn’t a technical explanation of the biology behind DNA, but rather a personal narrative about what it’s like to be a scientist and make a major discovery. He emphasizes that this discovery depended on a wide range of colleagues and collaborators, and he also addresses the controversies surrounding his book. Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and several of Watson’s other collaborators objected to his plans to publish it, and reviewers and fellow scientists widely criticized his portrayal of Rosalind Franklin. In fact, Watson and Crick’s unauthorized use of Franklin’s data is still controversial today. This is surely what Watson is referring to when he talks about the tension between “ambition and the sense of fair play.” Clearly, he and Crick chose their ambition—and while it paid off, he is not certain that it was the right ethical decision.
Themes
