ONA
Description
Dr. Emma Nora Darwin Barlow is a Darwinist scientist of significant reputation who serves as the head keeper of the London Zoo. She is introduced as a key figure brought aboard the airship Leviathan as part of a secret diplomatic mission to the Ottoman Empire. Her background is distinguished by her lineage as the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, a connection that has opened doors for her in a male-dominated field, a fact she acknowledges with pragmatic awareness. She is also established as one of the original fabricators of the Leviathan itself, the massive whale-like airship, giving her an intimate and authoritative knowledge of its biology and operation.
In terms of personality, Dr. Barlow is consistently portrayed as no-nonsense, realistic, and highly intelligent. She is a woman of science who deals in facts and direct observation, famously stating that as a scientist, she does not deal in surmise. Despite her formidable intellect and somewhat aristocratic bearing, she is not unkind. She shows a particular interest in Deryn Sharp, the young midshipman secretly disguised as a boy, recognizing her abilities and offering her quiet encouragement. Her demeanor is often mysterious and reserved, revealing information on a need-to-know basis, which makes her intentions and the full scope of her mission unclear to many of the crew. She is also highly observant, and while she does not immediately reveal it, she deduces Deryn's true gender very early in their acquaintance.
Dr. Barlow's primary motivation is the successful execution of her diplomatic and scientific objectives to prevent the escalation of the Great War. She is deeply invested in her work, particularly in the care and protection of a clutch of perspicacious loris eggs, which she believes are crucial to her mission. She views her fabricated creatures not just as tools but as vital to the cause, and she is visibly distressed when one of the eggs is destroyed. Her actions are driven by a calculated and often secretive pragmatism, leading her to create backup plans such as the vitriolic barnacles, which are designed as a destructive fail-safe if her primary diplomatic gifts fail to sway the Ottoman Empire from entering the war on the side of the Clankers.
Within the story, Dr. Barlow serves as a mentor, a strategist, and a source of crucial scientific knowledge. She is one of the few adults who commands respect from all quarters, including the Clanker prince Alek and his guardian Count Volger, with whom she develops a mutual respect based on intelligence and a shared interest in the larger political game. Her role evolves from that of a passenger with a secret mission to an integral part of the Leviathan's inner circle. She is often the one to uncover key secrets, such as the true nature of Nikola Tesla's machine and the events at Tunguska, directing Deryn and Alek to investigate further.
Key relationships define much of her role. Her connection with Deryn Sharp is central; she acts as a quiet protector and offers the young woman a future career as her assistant with the Zoological Society of London, acknowledging Deryn's potential and her struggles as a woman in a man's world. In a touching moment, she reveals that she always knew Deryn was a woman and encourages her not to give up fighting against adversity. Her relationship with the perspicacious loris, Bovril, is also notable, as she is its creator and relies on its remarkable intelligence as a super-calculator to solve complex scientific problems. Her dynamic with Nikola Tesla is one of conflict, as their scientific philosophies and goals clash when the inventor comes aboard the Leviathan.
Dr. Barlow undergoes subtle but important development. While she begins as an enigmatic figure holding her cards close, she gradually reveals more of her personal history and emotional side, particularly during a heart-to-heart with Deryn following the death of her uncle, the renowned astrologer George Darwin. Her initial offer of a job to Deryn is rescinded when she fears Deryn's secret will be exposed by the press, but she renews the offer once the threat is neutralized, showing a practical, if initially cautious, sense of loyalty. Her respect for Deryn grows from seeing her as a capable "cabin boy" to recognizing her as a strong woman who has survived through ingenuity and courage.
Her notable abilities lie in the field of genetic fabrication. She created the species that makes up the Leviathan and is responsible for the creation of the perspicacious lorises, which possess heightened intelligence and calculative abilities. She also fabricated the vitriolic barnacles, a type of creature designed to corrode metal, which are used in a mission to destroy the Kraken nets blocking the Dardanelles Strait. Beyond her scientific prowess, she is a shrewd diplomat and a skilled observer of human nature, able to manipulate situations and people to achieve her goals without resorting to force. Her name and reputation grant her access and influence, a tool she wields effectively throughout the series.
In terms of personality, Dr. Barlow is consistently portrayed as no-nonsense, realistic, and highly intelligent. She is a woman of science who deals in facts and direct observation, famously stating that as a scientist, she does not deal in surmise. Despite her formidable intellect and somewhat aristocratic bearing, she is not unkind. She shows a particular interest in Deryn Sharp, the young midshipman secretly disguised as a boy, recognizing her abilities and offering her quiet encouragement. Her demeanor is often mysterious and reserved, revealing information on a need-to-know basis, which makes her intentions and the full scope of her mission unclear to many of the crew. She is also highly observant, and while she does not immediately reveal it, she deduces Deryn's true gender very early in their acquaintance.
Dr. Barlow's primary motivation is the successful execution of her diplomatic and scientific objectives to prevent the escalation of the Great War. She is deeply invested in her work, particularly in the care and protection of a clutch of perspicacious loris eggs, which she believes are crucial to her mission. She views her fabricated creatures not just as tools but as vital to the cause, and she is visibly distressed when one of the eggs is destroyed. Her actions are driven by a calculated and often secretive pragmatism, leading her to create backup plans such as the vitriolic barnacles, which are designed as a destructive fail-safe if her primary diplomatic gifts fail to sway the Ottoman Empire from entering the war on the side of the Clankers.
Within the story, Dr. Barlow serves as a mentor, a strategist, and a source of crucial scientific knowledge. She is one of the few adults who commands respect from all quarters, including the Clanker prince Alek and his guardian Count Volger, with whom she develops a mutual respect based on intelligence and a shared interest in the larger political game. Her role evolves from that of a passenger with a secret mission to an integral part of the Leviathan's inner circle. She is often the one to uncover key secrets, such as the true nature of Nikola Tesla's machine and the events at Tunguska, directing Deryn and Alek to investigate further.
Key relationships define much of her role. Her connection with Deryn Sharp is central; she acts as a quiet protector and offers the young woman a future career as her assistant with the Zoological Society of London, acknowledging Deryn's potential and her struggles as a woman in a man's world. In a touching moment, she reveals that she always knew Deryn was a woman and encourages her not to give up fighting against adversity. Her relationship with the perspicacious loris, Bovril, is also notable, as she is its creator and relies on its remarkable intelligence as a super-calculator to solve complex scientific problems. Her dynamic with Nikola Tesla is one of conflict, as their scientific philosophies and goals clash when the inventor comes aboard the Leviathan.
Dr. Barlow undergoes subtle but important development. While she begins as an enigmatic figure holding her cards close, she gradually reveals more of her personal history and emotional side, particularly during a heart-to-heart with Deryn following the death of her uncle, the renowned astrologer George Darwin. Her initial offer of a job to Deryn is rescinded when she fears Deryn's secret will be exposed by the press, but she renews the offer once the threat is neutralized, showing a practical, if initially cautious, sense of loyalty. Her respect for Deryn grows from seeing her as a capable "cabin boy" to recognizing her as a strong woman who has survived through ingenuity and courage.
Her notable abilities lie in the field of genetic fabrication. She created the species that makes up the Leviathan and is responsible for the creation of the perspicacious lorises, which possess heightened intelligence and calculative abilities. She also fabricated the vitriolic barnacles, a type of creature designed to corrode metal, which are used in a mission to destroy the Kraken nets blocking the Dardanelles Strait. Beyond her scientific prowess, she is a shrewd diplomat and a skilled observer of human nature, able to manipulate situations and people to achieve her goals without resorting to force. Her name and reputation grant her access and influence, a tool she wields effectively throughout the series.