Essay on Discrimination Against Women as Addressed in Cantors Dilemma

Discrimination Against Women as Addressed in Cantors quandary In his novel, Cantors Dilemma, Dr. Djerassi uses fe mannish characters to address sexist issues arising from women integrating into the predominantly male science beingness. The characters, Celestine bell and Professor Arderly, are used to show examples of how women feel weensy voice in the sector of science. The effeminate characters suggest how women are often looked upon as sex objects rather than co-workers and they are scoren little opportunity to balance a scientific career with raising a family. By weaving these issues into his novel, Dr. Djerassi illustrates the following theme Discrimination against women in the field of science is harmful to the progression of scientific exploration. If women are excluded from science, then an artificial limit is put on human resources. (The field of science leave behind not utilize the potential womanly minds available.) The first issue that Dr. Djerassi casually m entions is that women are not adequately represented in the field of science. The character, Celestine Price strongly desires a career in chemistry. She faces the challenge of how to plot her use of success while taking into consideration the male dominated gentleman of science. Her old high school chemistry teacher advises Celestine that if she ever wants to reward an academic position at a top university, she has got to get out of use(p) into the old boys network. He says to her, Make no mistake about it. alchemy is still a mans world.1 Dr. Djerassi paints the picture of a boys clubhouse with a sign at the door reading, No girls allowed In this context, it is inferred that a muliebrity has to prove her worth before the society of men will give her the privilege of working wit... ...roblems of integration. If the science world takes advantage of undiscovered female talent, science as a whole will benefit greatly. For example, the professional group of ENIAC programmers consi sted of 6 women. In 1946, these women boostered to develop the first operating stored-program computer.6 If female talent such as this goes to waste because of social neglect, the science world will never know what possible discoveries that could have been made with the help of women. If Dr. Djerassi is accurate with his examples of discrimination, the science world should take note of these problems and attempt to sort out them. 1. Carl Djerassi, Cantors Dilemma (New York, New York. Penguin Books, 1989), 19. 2. Ibid. 45. 3. Ibid. 45. 4. Ibid. 45. 5. Ibid. 20-21. 6. network site women in science/ women in computer science/ women relate in ENIAC program.