Marie Curie

Marie Curiehttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Marie-CurieThe Mother of Radioactivity- How She Cared For Us All

“The simple acts of heroism are often overlooked—that’s very clear to me not only in war but in peace. I’m not debunking all of history; Crossing the Delaware was a magnificent action. But I am saying that I think the meaning of heroism has a lot to do with evolving into a higher human being” (Stone). In the article, “Where I Find My Heroes,” Oliver Stone argues that the definition of the word “hero” has been clouded over the past few years. Society turns to celebrities, people who value material wealth over morals and often associate riches with success. However, true heroism isn’t found in wealth or accomplishments; instead, it is found in one’s morals and actions. A teacher who ensures that a student is ready for success, a mother who works night shifts so her family will have another meal, a girl who donates her spare change to the homeless man  across the street - all of these people embody the characteristics of a hero. Heroes strive to make the world a better place, no matter how big or small their contribution might seem. To me, an individual who will persevere and inspire others, without arrogance, to achieve his or her vision, deserves the title of hero.

Marie Curie demonstrates both tenacity and humility which allows her to stand out as a hero among the billions who have lived. Born as Manya Sklodowska on November 7, 1867, she grew up in a poor family, living in Russian-occupied Poland. Despite the stigma against education for citizens at the time, her father always encouraged his daughter’s enthusiasm for learning. He allowed Curie’s passion for science to grow by letting her pursue a higher education at Sorbonne, a university in Paris. Along with her husband, Pierre Curie, a physicist she had met at Sorbonne, she decided to build on Becquerel’s observations of the element uranium. During her research, she discovered the ore pitchblende emitted the same rays. By isolating the source of these rays, she discovered polonium and radium. She later coined this phenomenon “radioactivity.”  As a result, she became the first woman to earn a PhD in physics and both Curies eventually shared the Nobel Prize with Becquerel in 1903. She was later awarded another Nobel Prize in 1911 for introducing medical procedures involving radium. Even years after her death, many remember her as the motherly figure of science. As a female scientist in a male dominated field, Curie demonstrated that heroism comes from one’s perseverance and humility: a combination of the continuous effort to achieve goals and the ability to not boast about one’s own achievements. Despite the existing patriarchal scientific community of her time, Marie Curie’s passion allowed her to persevere and develop a modest nature, making her an exemplary role model in fighting for female scientific advancement.

Marie Curie’s love of science was the “light at the end of the tunnel” that motivated her to persevere through the hardships of accomplishing her research. In the book, Madame Curie A Biography (1937) Eve Curie describes her mother’s struggles with her studies when transitioning to Sorbonne University:

Lights were at a minimum: as soon as night fell, the student took refuge in that blessed asylum called the Library of Sainte-Genevieve… [where] a poor Polish girl could work until they closed the doors at ten o’clock… She wrote figures and equations without noticing that her fingers were getting numb and her shoulders shaking… For weeks at a time she ate nothing but buttered bread and tea.” (Curie 108-109)

Marie Curie working with radium at her labhttps://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2014/12/the-curie-laboratory-and-chemsafety/At a young age, not only did Curie had to deal with long nights of studying, but she also had her own struggles with money. She constantly had to deal with the lack of food and lighting. Other students in the same situation as Curie, would immediately drop out to find a less demanding workload. Despite her own failing physical health, she let nothing deter her from receiving recognition from the world of her capabilities. Curie’s admirable work ethic in her adolescence carried on in her research, resulting in several breakthroughs in the field of science. After discovering the properties of radium, she was challenged by Ludwig Boltzmann, who claimed that pitchblende’s radioactive properties didn’t come solely from radium, but rather a combination of elements. As a result, Curie’s next four years would be spent on isolating radium. However, only way to isolate radium during that time was through countless hours of dissolving pitchblende with nitric acid. After four years of back aching work, Curie was finally able to obtain one gram of pure radium (“The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit Up the World” 00:28:12-00:29:03). Due to Curie being the only woman in her field, she often faced criticism that threatened her entire career. However, she did not let her critics dissuade her, as she endured through years of tedious tasks to obtain so little in return. Like a hero, Curie fought for what she believed in: undeterred by others’ own opinion on what could be possible. Armed with her passion for science, Marie Curie heroically persevered through many mundane tasks, which allowed her to test the limits of science itself.

Pierre and Marie Curie in their labhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-quirky-facts-about-marie-curie-180967075/Marie Curie was honored with many awards for her discoveries; however, she did not flaunt these titles. She stayed modest and dedicated her own accomplishments to others. When Missy Meloney, an American reporter, learned that the Curies only had a single gram of radium, she set out to America to raise money to purchase radium for Curie’s continuing research. Marie Curie, however, disapproved of the publicity campaign. In lectures, she reminded her audience that her discovery of radium was the work “of pure science...done for itself” rather than with “direct usefulness” in mind. (Jardins) Curie refused to accept the generous donations, even though she was in desperate need of money. She simply educated the public of her breakthrough and made no effort to financially profit or to acquire fame. In Curie’s later years, she was approached by many other reporters hoping to publish a biography about her. However, she always turned them down, stating: “[My life] is such an uneventful, simple little story. I was born in Warsaw of a family of teachers. I married Pierre Curie and had two children. I have done my work in France.” ("Marie Curie" Contemporary Heroes and Heroines) Curie believes that her life was not worthy of being reporting on, despite making many revolutionary discoveries. She demonstrates heroism as she takes no interest in displaying her achievements for everyone to admire. By rejecting the luxurious life of constant recognition and praise, Curie demonstrated modest qualities by placing the needs of science over the wants of a materialistic lifestyle.

Through her perseverance and humility, Marie Curie establishes herself as an inspirational hero who shattered countless records with her groundbreaking contributions in the field of science. Curie lived in a world where the odds were stacked against her. Yet she was able overcome her challenges through a selfless drive to help other people. Curie always prioritized her need to improve humanity over her own safety: “Marie was plagued by ailments—burns and fatigue—that, in retrospect, were clearly caused by repeated exposures to high doses of radiation. She, too, was resistant to the suggestion that their research materials caused their ailments” (Jardins). Curie willingness to expose herself to harmful radioactive substances opened the door for many medical advancements. Society needs more heroes like Marie Curie to constantly strive for scientific advancement. That’s why I plan to follow in Curie’s footsteps, choosing the path of helping others through science. Pursuing a male dominated field comes with its hardships. I have been told on multiple occasions that science is “for boys” and I should choose a different career path that doesn’t involve getting my hands dirty. Sometimes, I even question whether choosing a career in science is really worth the trouble. But Curie’s legacy as the first female scientist to break through the walls of the patriarchy reminds me that background doesn’t define one’s capabilities. Through her quiet determination and tremendous strength of will all while remaining modest, Marie Curie pushed humanity across her own Delaware River, making the first move toward a brighter future for men and women alike.

Works Cited

Curie, Eve, and Vincent Sheean. Madame Curie, a Biography. Perseus Book Group, 2001. Des Jardins, Julie. "The Passion of Madame Curie." ["Smithsonian"]. Smithsonian, vol. 42, no. 6,

Oct. 2011, pp. 82-90. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=65922936&site=ehost-live.

"Marie Curie." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1992.Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Sancton, Julian. “Why America Worships Superheroes.” The Hive, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2016, www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/07/why-america-worships-superheroes.

The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit up the World. Directed by Gideon Bradshaw, performance by David Malone & Geraldine James. British Broadcasting Corporation, 2003.