Meet Ms. Isabelle Franklin!

For the character dossier assignment this week, I drew inspiration from a couple scientists I view as having noir qualities: Rosalind Franklin and Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton was a loner for most of his life. When he did come forward with his discoveries he was often ridiculed by the scientific community which made him often feel despair and hopelessness. Furthermore, his relationships with his family were very much strained because of his great dislike for his stepfather. These characteristics and experiences create a certain level of mystery for Isaac Newton, which I tried to use to create a similar effect for Isabelle Franklin.

I also pulled traits and experiences from Rosalind Franklin (note: the last name). Rosalind was fairly involved with many feminist issues yet was still very realistic. When her data was used without her permission by Watson and Crick, she recognized the reality of her situation. She could not retaliate and was therefore in a rather hopeless situation.

So without further ado, meet Isabelle Franklin;

Physical Description:
Isabelle Franklin is a short woman. She stands at about 5 feet tall. She is very much a plain Jane, dark brown hair always neatly pulled away from her face and pale blue eyes that always give her the appearance she’s uninterested. Constantly rushing around and often forgetting to eat, she is so petite she looks as though the wind could blow her away.

Biography:
Isabelle Franklin was born in Notting Hill, London on Christmas Day in 1942. Her mother passed away when she was three years old. She has no recollection of her mother and holds onto a locket of her mother’s that her father later gave her. Her father became depressed after her mother’s passing, so when she turned four years old she moved to America to grow up with her Uncle and Aunt. Her Uncle and Aunt lived in a small apartment in New York. They were free spirited individuals and in that environment Isabelle was able to thrive in her studies. She went on to study science at the College of St. Rose in Albany and subsequently became a floor chemist  at Fisher Scientific. Despite a fairly happy childhood, Isabelle remains bitter that her father could not care for her and their relationship remains strained.

Personal Motto:
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” -Marie Curie