A Mother's Love

Jahren dedicates Lab Girl to her mother as a way of thanking her for giving her a foundation for science as well as reflecting on their family dynamic and creating the hope of a better relationship amongst the females in their family.

“Back at home, while my mother and I gardened and read together, I vaguely sensed that there was something we weren’t doing, something affectionate that normal mothers and daughters naturally do, but I couldn’t figure out what it was, and I suppose she couldn’t either. We probably do love each other, each in our own stubborn way, but I’m not entirely sure, probably because we have never openly talked about it. Being mother and daughter has always felt like an experiment that we just can’t get right.” (P. 41)

This quote explains a lot about the dynamic between Jahren and her mother. Throughout Lab Girl, Jahren talks about her affinity with her father. She even says that she felt more like a boy than a girl. Her father taught her about science, gave her a place to belong, and was basically the support of her life. However, there were inevitably times when she could understand and even connect with her mother. For example,Jahren wrote with reverence of her mother's meager past. You can sense a connection, as they both have the same stubbornness and will to continue with their dreams no matter what obstacles life puts in their way. Jahren writes, almost fondly, “My mother taught me that reading is a kind of work, and that every paragraph merits exertion, and in this way, I learned how to absorb difficult books.” This really stuck out to me, as reading is an integral part of science and research. Of course, her father laid the basis for Jahren's love of science, however, it is clear that Hope's mother made a great contribution to her knowledge by including Jahren in her pursuit of English Literature. 

Going back to the first quote, there is a connection later on in the book “Being a daughter was so difficult for both my mother and me; maybe our line needs to skip a generation in order to extinguish the cycle such that it cannot be repeated. So I’ve set my heart on a granddaughter—as always, my greed for love is unreasonably premature.” It is clear that Jahren has always wanted her mother's love, whether she was clear about it or not. However, it is also clear that she understand the hardships of having a daughter, somewhat because she did not have one herself. She obviously loves her son, but she cannot imagine having a daughter, attributing it to the fact that her relationship with her own mother was rocky. By dedicating the book to her mother, Jahren is reaching out to her, and letting her know that her efforts were noted and that she is thankful, however strange their relationship might have been.