The Other Einstein

by Marie Benedict

Her quietude was not weakness; it was an ardent watchfulness that would be replaced by a roar when required.

From her earliest years, Mileva was caught between her parents and the different paths they represented for her future: Her mother embodied tradition and the conventional woman’s life, while her father symbolized advancement and the possibility of a higher education and a career. This caused friction throughout her childhood, and alienated her from her mother, as Mileva desperately wanted the life of a scientist. But when Mileva’s dreams were derailed by an illegitimate pregnancy, her exam failure, and Albert’s resistance to marriage, her mother stepped in to protect and support Mileva with a ferocity that I think surprised her, as I described in this quote. She began to know and appreciate her mother in a way she hadn’t before, and understood that her mother—like many women—had to hide her strength within the facade of domesticity. It was an important lesson for Mileva to learn and brought her closer to her mother. I thought of this as one of the few positive outcomes for Mileva when she became pregnant with Lieserl—other than her love of her daughter, of course—and I thought Mileva certainly deserved that.