Aahana Swrup
The Netflix drama film ‘Joy’ presents the historical story of the birth of In Vitro Fertilization or IVF treatments. Jean Purdy, the woman often excluded from the history of the revolutionary medical process despite being a vital part of it, helms the narrative as a young nurse optimistic about bringing positive change into the world. As a result, she joins scientist Robert Edwards and surgeon Patrick Steptoe in their endeavor to treat infertility. However, once the trio embarks on this pioneering journey, they face massive backlash from the public, both religious and medical sectors. Even so, they remain steadfast in their mission, arriving at the birth of Louise Joy Brown, the first “test-tube baby,” in 1978.
As the film explores the context behind the development of IVF, it allows the viewers a glimpse into Jean’s life both within and outside of the lab. Arun, a work colleague who ends up starting a budding romance with the nurse, plays a part in both. However, does the character hold relevance in the real life of Jean Purdy?
Arun is Likely a Fictional Character
For the most part, ‘Joy’ refers to reality in terms of the central characters who are involved in Robert Edwards, Patrick Steptoe, and Jean Purdy’s IVF research. Nonetheless, the film also employs creative liberty and fictionalizes certain events in service of the cinematic narrative as necessary. In the case of Arun’s character, he seems to be one such fictionalization within the film. Arun is introduced into the narrative as one of Robert’s colleagues at Cambridge. His paths cross with Jean’s early on when the latter shows up for her interview and snags the job in one go.
Eventually, as Arun and Jean spend more time together, they develop a mutual attraction toward one another and enter a friends-with-benefits arrangement. The nurse seems insistent that no feelings get attached to their relationship. Yet, after months of dating, Arun inevitably proposes, which marks the end of their romance. Years later, as their paths cross again, he has settled down with a marriage and a baby. In Jean’s story’s on-screen narration, Arun’s character seems to serve the purpose of showcasing the nurse’s complicated love life.
However, the existence of a similar presence in Purdy’s real life cannot be confirmed. As per research scientist Kay Elder, Purdy’s colleagues remember her as a work-driven individual who never spoke about dating in the workplace. Furthermore, records about her suggest that she preferred her privacy. For the same reason, Purdy’s dating history remains an ambiguous mystery. Thus, Arun’s character ultimately seems to remain confined to the more fictional aspects of the film’s narrative.
Arun Informs a Defining Aspect of Jean’s Story
In ‘Joy,’ Arun’s primary purpose is to allow the film to explore the personal life of on-screen Jean Purdy. The film employs Jean’s experience with endometriosis as an instrumental complication that informs her motives. Despite her efforts to fight for a way to treat others’ infertility, Jean has to make peace with the fact that her own complication with reproduction persists. As such, her devotion to IVF research—which demands many personal sacrifices from her—gains a new layer of nuance.
In real life, it remains unclear whether or not Jean Purdy faced similar issues with endometriosis or infertility difficulties of any kind. Nonetheless, the real-life nurse remained similarly devoted to the research despite the backlash it earned her, even from her own Christian faith. Therefore, Arun’s character—an inherent extension of Jean’s on-screen experiences with infertility—seems to contribute toward more speculative and fictional aspects of the film.
Read More: Netflix’s Joy (2024) True Story, Explained
