Thematic Discussion of Vern Thiessen’s Einstein’s Gift

Upon reading Vern Thiessen’s Einstein’s Gift, my impression of the play was that of a realist production intended to depict the historical events of the German chemist, Fritz Haber, and his life and career, as recalled through the memories of Albert Einstein. A memory play of sorts, Thiessen’s play explores topics of science, morality, religion, and national identity during the turn of the 20th Century. As such, this response will focus on the application of these differing yet complementary themes as they surface throughout Thiessen’s play.

Science is a very powerful tool, which, without it, life would be very different. Although not explicitly stated in his play, Thiessen lends a great deal of attention in demonstrating the capability of science to be used for good versus evil, and how the search for fame and acceptance can distort one’s morals, and thus, the way in which science is applied. This is a concept that becomes increasingly apparent throughout Thiessen’s play as we follow Haber through his scientific endeavours. Haber’s practical application of his scientific innovations gradually shifts from one of good intentions (such as his creation of nitrogen fixation to assist in agriculture) to one that instead serves to satisfy his selfish desire to achieve fame, success, recognition, and national acceptance (such as his creation of chlorine gas to be used as a lethal weapon during the First World War). In other words, Haber, initially a man who sought to use his science for the betterment of society, became so preoccupied with his career ambitions and achieving fame and acceptance as a recognized German that he began to use his science for his own personal gains, even if it meant acting against his moral principles. This is demonstrated in the following excerpt from the play:

HABER: …the smell of chlorine gas, that will shock everyone. The fear of chlorine will be worth two thousand shells.
CLARA: I was under the impression we were using science to help people.
HABER: Clara, I am to be the first chemist in the history of Germany to run a war department. Privy Council to the military. Me.
CLARA: You’ll never convert yourself to what they are Fritz. Never. No matter how many religions you adopt, no matter how many government official you bow to, or medals you win, or discoveries you make, you’ll never be a real German. In their eyes, you’re one thing and one thing only.
HABER: I’ll prove it to you, I’ll prove that my science—
CLARA: This is my science. My work is your work, your work is mine. Mine. And now you are betraying all that.
(Thiessen 52, 53)

This moral corruption, for lack of a better word, ultimately led to the loss of Haber’s friend and assistant, Otto, and his first wife, Clara, who committed suicide due to Haber’s unwavering and dissolute ideals.
Throughout the play, Haber alludes several times to a story about his Uncle Ludwig who engaged in a dual with a samurai in which they exchanged weapons. Although each time Haber tells the story it has a different ending ending, the final time he tells it, both his uncle and the samurai end up killing each other with their own weapons. This story, in a sense, is an allusion to the above-discussed concept in that it demonstrates how the very things one loves, values, and/or creates can be the very things that ultimately lead to their downfall. Relating this back to Haber and his science, this represents how his scientific creations and innovations were, in a sense, used against him and his original intentions of serving humanity.

This brings the discussion to the next point: science and religion. Although Theissen’s play does not focus on the debate between science versus religion, it is still worthy to note that these two facets of life do not operate in opposition of each other, but rather, complement each other. “Science and religion are friends in the quest for truth. …Science addresses the “how” question, while religion asks the “why” question. …Both areas of study are valuable and serve a purpose” (Polkinghorne). Although this point could warrant a rather lengthy, in-depth discussion, it is not the focus of the discussion at hand.
In terms of Thiessen’s play, religion is presented in the context of identity. Born and raised a German Jew, Haber knew that in order to achieve his career ambitions and the fame he so desired; he would have to convert to Christianity. During this time period, those of Jewish decent were not viewed in the same light, to put it politely, as those of Aryan, Christian decent, and as such, were discriminated against. Such discrimination based on one’s heritage and religion, as explicitly illustrated throughout Thiessen’s play, was a demonstration of the power struggles and pursuit for dominance and control so prominent during the time period featured in the play. As such, the concept of religion and national identity in Thiessen’s play incites several questions: the first being how far one is willing to go to be accepted; what they are willing to do to serve their country and demonstrate their national patriotism; and if it is deemed appropriate or acceptable to “neglect” or “betray” one’s identity for purposes of fame and acceptance. Such questions, as addressed in Thiessen’s play served as spark for debate between Haber, Otto, and Clara, and are what ultimately led to Haber’s downfall.
To further support the idea of power struggles as mentioned above, women were not seen as equal to men, and thus, were not permitted the same social or occupational standing as their male counterparts. This is illustrated with Haber’s first wife, Clara Immerwahr, who was also an esteemed scientist, yet she was not recognized as such due to her gender. Although, unfortunately, such discriminative issues are still present in current day society, in no way are they an indication of one’s knowledge or ability. Clara, through her work, demonstrated this fact. Although such gender differences were not a central focus and were only briefly touched upon in Thiessen’s play, he was sure, nonetheless, to make eminent the intellectual equality and potential between both men and women.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Thiessen’s Einstein’s Gift. Not only did I enjoy it for its realist qualities (I am partial to realism), I also enjoyed it because I found it rather simplistic yet very informative and relatable from both a scientific and historical standpoint. Thiessen, in my opinion, did a brilliant job depicting the social environment (i.e. culture, religion, values, etc.) of the time.
One thing that particularly stood out for me while reading the play is that Thiessen included minimal stage directions in regards to set design, costumes, etc. I particularly liked this, for it permits any director or designer creative license to produce the play as they desire, thus, giving it the potential to be turned into something different and more interpretive stylistically speaking. Furthermore, the manner in which Thiessen employed character development not only made his characters relatable and interesting, it also revealed in a unique manner the human character and just how fragile and susceptible to temptation and persuasion we as human beings truly are.
Through his play, Thiessen demonstrated that no matter one’s heritage, religion, social status, intellect, etc., and despite all scientific inquiry, we are all still human beings with the same fundamental wants, needs, and desires.

 

Citations:

Polkinghorne. “Science and Religion are Friends in the Quest for Truth.” Christian Today. 21 June 2011. Web. 10 January 2012.<http://www.christiantoday.com/article/science.and.religion.are.friends.in.the.quest.for.truth.polkinghorne/28189.htm>

Thiessen, Vern. Einstein’s Gift. Playwrights Canada Press, 2003. Print.