What is the main argument of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

Expert Answers In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot argues that the medical community cannot exploit people to further their research but rather must require informed consent and respect all people who are involved in contributing to their research.

What is the message in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

The problems of racism, classism, and sexism in America are crucial to understanding the narrative of Henrietta Lacks. A poor and under-educated black woman, Henrietta had essentially no say in her medical care during her life.

Why was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks banned?

Many books are challenged for sexual content. “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, for example, tells the story of a black woman whose cancer cells were harvested and sold without her or her family’s knowledge. The book was challenged as being pornographic.

What is the plot of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

A journalist named Rebecca Skloot recounts learning about an African American woman named Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951 of cervical cancer, but whose cancerous cells became the first immortal human cell line, called HeLa.

Why is Henrietta Lacks important?

Henrietta Lacks was one such woman who managed to achieve immortality, in a manner of speaking, although it came at a cost. A mother of 5, she died at the young age of 31, leaving behind her cells, which revolutionized the medical field. Her cells were used to make great advancements in medicine.

Who is Henrietta Lacks biography?

Henrietta Lacks Biography. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American in Maryland whose cell samples were taken without her consent in 1951 and are still used today in biomedical research.

Where was Henrietta Lacks from?

Life and Death. Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant on August 1, 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia. At some point, she changed her name to Henrietta. After the death of her mother in 1924, Henrietta was sent to live with her grandfather in a log cabin that had been the slave quarters of a white ancestor’s plantation.