Lengthy Shadows
Apr 20, 2017
All of the events of Marie Curie's life depicted in this episode are true, based on historic records.
HISTORIC NOTE #1: I can't say for sure if Marie felt "haunted by death," but she did suffer severe depression throughout her life as a result of the deaths of Zosia and her mother. For months after her mother's death, she would often creep away, finding a secluded spot to hide herself and cry endlessly. Her depression would manifest in later years, after her marriage to Pierre, as "nervous exhaustion" and panic attacks.
HISTORIC NOTE #2: Marie's father was struggling for money because he had lost his good teaching job after upsetting the Russians who occupied Poland at that time. Their family did, in fact, have upwards of 20 boarders living in their rented home. The crowded conditions were a perfect breeding ground for rats, fleas, lice, and the bacterium (Rickettsia typhi, depicted) that carries typhus. Typhus was commonly referred to as "jail fever" due to its tendency to occur in overcrowded situations.
HISTORIC NOTE #3: The stained glass window on Page 1 is Saint Stephen, considered the first martyr, stoned to death in the early days of the church, even before Saul converted to Paul.. I searched for a Saint of self-sacrifice to match Marie's prayer. Stephen was a possible match. He is often depicted with palm leaves (symbolic of martyrdom) and stones. Perhaps for the latter association, he has also come to be the patron saint of--I kid you not--bricklayers! So, he was the obvious choice. :D
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