I'm thinking of the word in its most ancient sense. Dignity means a sense of one's proper self-worth. The mystics of the Middle Ages tell us that a human being has only two tasks. The first is to appreciate his or own inalienable dignity. It is an awesome and holy thing to be alive and to be aware.
Life is a gift and our natural response is gratitude.
Jane is, whether she is aware of it or not, an icon of this deep kind of dignity. This dignity was hard-won through years of tough experiences, disappointments and triumphs as a scientist and as a human being. First, Jane is aware that she is a creature. Being a creature means being aware that you were created. Jane knows that she didn't spring forth spontaneously.