Skloot Book Report

She is very vivid in describing the events happening, especially with her medical terminology. In addition, she captures the horror in Henrietta Lack’s condition to truly describe the magnitude of the situation. However, Skloot is most successful when she is met with the surviving members of the Lacks family. “Henrietta’s family – particularly Deborah – and their lifelong struggle to make peace with the existence of these cells, and the science that made possible,” (Skloot, 2010, pg7) catches the readers emotions to help understand another side of the story. Developing a major ethics debate, Skloot’s implementation of pathos reveals the heavy gravity behind the

If Ms Skloot had not been a part of the story, the book would not have been as interesting. Ms. Skloot's inclusion to the life of the Lacks family allowed the viewers to be in her shoes. The readers were able to see through the eyes of the author, as she goes on the quest to earn the trust from the Lacks and later on show the world that Hela wasn’t just a world changing cell but a person with a family and a life. The faith healing scene in page 289 would also have felt different because Skloot's existence in the scene gave it a feeling of bond that she had made with Deborah and Gary. Some other scene that made a difference because of her presence is in chapter 6. She was so eager to connect with the Lacks family. Skloot constantly calls

Truthfully, before starting this book many people most likely have absolutely no idea who Henrietta Lacks. Some may have heard of HeLa cells before, but doubtfully the name of the person they came from. It was captivating to learn the ways it affected Henrietta Lacks children and their multiple different views on the situation at hand. Ultimately, her family most likely felt reassured, to know that there was someone who wanted to know all sides of the story and expose the truths. Obviously the family was not happy to find out so many years later about the situation, but Skloot coming to speak to them seemed to justify what had happened a little bit more. Skloot definitely kept me interested by changing it up every chapter and exploring all things having to evolve around the main subject. All the issues uncovered in this book were eye-openers on how much things have progressed, but also on the fact that many more people are probably struggling, than even known. If Rebecca Skloot would not have caught notice to the HeLa cells, people all around the world who have read this book, would have never been informed on this valid significant information. Everyone needs to know how certain cures came to be and not only is the book informational, it is also fascinating. For anyone interested in medicine, life sciences and history, it is a must

Rebecca Skloot, however, used a different perspective in her portrayal of Lacks. This is evident in the way in which she conducted her research and the way she wrote the book. Skloot’s book, The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, included both the “scientific element concerns the origin and the subsequent uses of the HeLa cell line of cultured cancer cells” (Harper, 2011, p. 463) and the social and

Henrietta Lacks is not a common household name, yet in the scientific and medical world it has become one of the most important and talked names of the century. Up until the time that this book was written, very few people knew of Henrietta Lacks and how her cells contributed to modern science, but Rebecca Skloot aimed to change this. Eventually Skloot was able to reach Henrietta’s remaining family and through them she was able to tell the story of not only the importance of the HeLa cells but also Henrietta’s life.

In expressing the power of privilege, Skloot talks about race, poverty, and the powerlessness that come from the absence of education. She discusses scientific ambition that Henrietta’s cells used to treat basic flu and cancers. The goal of taking the cells was

Skloot shifts between focal points of her individual research and Henrietta's story. The story begins with Skloot first learning about HeLa cells named after Henrietta Lacks; immediately he becomes enthralled with learning more about Henrietta and what she did for cell culture. However when Skloot learned about the abuse the Lacks family has endured even after Henrietta’s passing she becomes set

The non-fiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot, details the happenings and life of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman and tobacco farmer who became a medical miracle in the 1950’s. The book is written in an attempt to chronicle both the experiences and tribulations of Henrietta Lacks and her family, as well as the events that led to, and resulted from, research done on Henrietta Lacks’ cells. Henrietta was a very average African American woman in this period; she had only a seventh-grade level education, and followed traditional racial and gender roles by spending her time has a mother and caretaker, as well as working on farms throughout her life until the involvement of the US in World War II brought her and her husband, “Day” Lacks, comparatively better work opportunities in industrial steel mills. However, after her death in 1951 Henrietta became much more than average to doctors at John Hopkins when the discovered that cells extracted from her cancerous tissue continued to live and grow much longer than any other tissue samples. Further investigation and isolation of these thriving cells led to the creation of the first ever immortal human cell line in medical history. The incredible progress in medicine made possible by Henrietta Lack’s tissue cells were not without downfalls, though. The treatments and experiences received by Henrietta and the effects it had on her and her family demonstrate both racial and gender

After reading 80 pages of, “Skud,” by Dennis Foon, I felt motivated by the actions and determination shown by the main characters of the story, especially Andy. In the book, all the characters had a goal or objective and worked hard to reach that goal. Although most people would not advise someone to center their life around one certain thing, I think that when one finds a purpose or objective in life they should always do their best to reach this goal regardless of what others say or thinks of it. In the book, Andy dream was to become a popular actor.Although the possibility of getting cast is low and although he was hurt and unwell, Andy still went to the audition because of that small possibility. After reading about this, I felt determined and motivated by actions like this.

Skloot’s powerful message and use of literary devices should make her book common in a high–school classroom. Unlike the labs who classified her as simply “HeLa”, Skloot took the initiative to reveal who the woman of the immortal cells truly was. As stated by her daughter Deborah,“[e]verything [is] always just about the cells and [people] don’t even worry about her name and [if] HeLa was even a person” (Skloot 52). In order to achieve her purpose of revealing the immortal life of not only the cells but the person, Skloot uses ethos, pathos, and logos within her research of the Lacks and scientific community, to write her book accurately and sufficiently. Skloot is able to justify her story based on years of research and interviews, which a student can mock to write a research paper (to note, at the end of the book Skloot has 21 pages of notes to validate all sources of information). A example of this is regarding the Lacks family who questioned, “if our mother cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can’t afford to see no doctors?” (9). In order to complete this book, Skloot had to explain herself and her research to them, while simultaneously forming “a deep personal bond” (7). Similarly, the author had to sift through medical journals and family reflections to

After her death in 1951, for six decades, Henrietta Lacks did not exist in the eyes of the society, but her cells did. How? Well, the answer is quite simple. HeLa Cells are the first immortal human cells. These cells never die and multiply every twenty-four hours. After spending 10 years to perfect her first book, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot essentially captured the life, the death, and aftermath of Henrietta Lacks’ life. With controversial issues regarding science, ethics, race, and class Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey. From the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover,

When I first heard about the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", I thought it was just a reading assignment when I was in high school that I had to complete for a grade. As I began reading I became particularly interested in Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells. In "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", Rebecca Skloot talks about Henrietta Lacks and how her cells were taken without her permission, and how her family suffered afterwards. Skloot shows how medicine and science were seen back in the 1950's compared to now.

The effect the discovery and creation of the HeLa cells made on the science community and Henrietta’s family had a domino effect. Both had different opinions and beliefs on the matter; this led to some difficult questions asked of the family and of the medical community. Due to the new and advanced methods of experimentation, the HeLa cells made to to the field of science, the scientific community and the media failed to remember that Henrietta and her family were not abstractions but actual people. Rebecca Skloot, however, took into account the Lack’s family, she inquired both the history of the HeLa cells as well as the Lacks family, treating them as actual people with inalienable rights.

She looks straight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed, lips painted deep red” (1). Skloot captivates her readers through these first few sentences. A million things run through the reader’s head when first picking up this astounding novel. Who is the woman? Why haven’t you met her? Why do you have the photo to begin with? These questions are answered shortly after. This photo is of Henrietta Lacks, often referred to as Helen Lane or Helen Larson. This strong woman that is posing for this photograph is the complete reason why medicine has evolved so greatly in the past half century. Her cells have saved an overwhelming number of lives throughout these years; however, the only problem with this is she will never get the recognition she

“The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks” written by Rebecca Skloot exposes the truth about a colored woman, Henrietta Lacks, who died from cancer leaving five children and a husband behind. Before her death doctors took her cells,without her or her family consent, to do there own research and experiments. They discovered that her cells were immortal, they became the first immortal cells known as the HeLa cells..After the discoverment the Lacks family were never told that Henrietta Lacks cells were used, bought and sold. Through the HeLa cells the scientist had made money while Henrietta kids were mistreated and were in poor situations.It wasnt till 25 years later that the Lacks family found out about the HeLa cells doing miracles. Rebecca Skloot though “The immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” was able to explain the unethical situations that the Lacks family faced after Henrietta’s death.