CHAPTER 8 "OVERREACHING"

The first few sessions that Elizabeth has with Calvin are a complete and utter failure, and she is the one who is consistently responsible for their boat capsizing. After being informed by Calvin that she has a misunderstanding of physics, she decides to educate herself further on the subject of rowing's application of physics. Elizabeth rows flawlessly during the following session because she is able to put the conceptual understanding that she has internalized into practice.

Elizabeth's request to work on abiogenesis was turned down by Donatti, who stated that she did not have the necessary intellectual capacity for the project. He learns that Elizabeth has been rowing after noticing the bandages on her fingers and discovering that she has been rowing.

Donatti was a rower himself, and he and Calvin had competed against one another while they were both in college. His animosity towards Evans had begun at that time, and it had been further fueled by Calvin's stellar reputation in the world of chemistry.

Donatti dislikes Elizabeth even more due to the fact that she is intelligent and opinionated, which is the exact opposite of what he thinks women should be like. He is trying to lower her self-esteem, and as part of this plan, he tells Elizabeth that she is not intelligent enough to work on abiogenesis. He does this because he wants to humiliate her. As Elizabeth storms out of Donatti's office, her colleague, Dr. Boryweitz, approaches her with a query concerning the latter's research.

Elizabeth is beside herself with rage. Boryweitz is not very skilled at his job, and he frequently asks Elizabeth for assistance when no one else is around, just as many of the other employees do as well.

In spite of the fact that Elizabeth has made it abundantly clear to Calvin that she does not require his assistance, Calvin storms over to Donatti in a rage and demands that he allow Elizabeth to continue her research, threatening to leave Hastings in the event that Donatti does not comply. In spite of Calvin's interference, Donatti is compelled to reassign Elizabeth to the abiogenesis research because a major benefactor unexpectedly showed up at the institute and expressed an interest in funding the investigation of this specific subfield of science.

Elizabeth is ecstatic, as is Calvin, who is convinced that he is the mastermind behind this plan; Elizabeth asks Calvin if he had anything to do with it, and Calvin tells her a lie, saying that he has never spoken to Donatti. Elizabeth is thrilled. Calvin is convinced that he is the mastermind behind this plan.

Calvin approaches Dr. Mason, the captain of the men's rowing team at the boathouse, with a request that he allow Calvin and Elizabeth to join the team. Elizabeth is also interested in participating in the sport. Dr. Mason, despite his reservations, grants permission for Calvin and Elizabeth to participate in the team's rowing, and the two of them do so. Elizabeth is under the impression that she did a poor job, but Calvin is in complete disagreement with this assessment.