The immortal life of henrietta lacks does more than one book ought to be able to do. It was the 2011 winner of the national academies communication award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics in science, engineering or medicine. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks characters gradesaver.
Test your knowledge on all of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Locate a passage that you found particularly effective or memorable, and explain why you selected it. The story of henrietta lacks and hela addresses not only the issue of racial exploitation and demonization, but also that of a patients humanity and his or her right to compassionate care and privacy. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Skloot describes, the dividing line between lacks town and the rest of clover was starck. Since henrietta s father, johnny pleasant, could not handle raising all 10 children, he took them back to clover, virginia to be divided among relatives. It is being translated into more than twenty languages and adapted into an hbo film produced by oprah winfrey and alan ball.
Jul 15, 2011 if i were henrietta lacks or a member of her family, i would feel proud that her tissue samples grew into something so priceless for future generations of people all over the world. Science writer rebecca skloot has always been obsessed with henrietta lacks, the africanamerican woman whose cancer cells were harvested and used to create an immortal cell line for scientific experimentation. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot the immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, including entertainment weekly, people, and the new york times. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The immortal life of henrietta lacks meet your next. Is the immortal life of henrietta lacks being made into a movie. Perfect prep for the immortal life of henrietta lacks quizzes and tests you might have in school. Oprah winfrey and hbo announced plans to develop a film based on skloots 2010 book and in. Chapter one is about when henrietta lacks is in the hopkins hospital explaining to the doctor that she has a lump.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on the. What you will read and come to know is nonfiction, based off something that took place in a time we are not familiar with except in history books. This study guide and infographic for rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. The immortal life of henrietta lacks a biography unlike any other, the immortal life of henrietta lacks tells the story of a woman who made a contribution to science that still reverberates to this day in laboratories around the world. How do you feel about a white woman creating the narrative of this story. The prologue of the book tells the story of how i learned about henriettas cells for the. She is pleased because she didnt want any more children. As much as this book is about henrietta lacks, it is also about deborah learning of the mother she barely knew, while also finding out the truth about her sister, elsie.
Henrietta lacks, born loretta pleasant, was an africanamerican woman who lived from august 1, 1920 to october 4, 1951. Descendants of henrietta lacks discuss her famous cell. I was more destitute of human qualities than the cavedweller. To order the immortal life of henrietta lacks for pounds 18. The immortal life of henrietta lacks the lancet oncology. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a heroic work of cultural and medical journalism. A summary of motifs in rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks. A biography unlike any other, the immortal life of henrietta lacks tells the story of a woman who made a contribution to science that still reverberates to this day in laboratories around the world. The immortal life of henrietta lacks questions and answers.
Henrietta got placed with her grandfather, tommy lacks. Bookpage named the immortal life a top pick for book clubs, calling it a deeply intimate look at one familys efforts to claim its legacy. Henrietta lacks with her husband who was henrietta lacks. At age 4, henrietta s mother, eliza lacks pleasant, died during the childbirth of her 10th child. Rebecca skloot uses royalties from her best seller, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, to help the descendants of the book s subject. Henrietta lacks and the debate over the ethics of biomedical. Which of henrietta lacks children was described as simple minded. Skloot uses vivid imagery and details to describe henriettas childhood in clover. Hela study guide community college of baltimore county.
Cells taken from her during that exam were used without her knowledge to develop the first immortal cell line. Life chapters 15 my personal thoughts on the chapters reading the introductory paragraphs to this book was really fascinating for me personally, and i really was interested in henrietta s background and the story of her childhood chapter 2. The immortal life of henrietta lacks timeline sutori. How old was henrietta when she had her first child with. Will general readers understand and enjoy the book if they dont have a scientific background. In this video, the author, rebecca skloot, and the lacks family are being interviewed about the woman behind the famous hela cells. The immortal life of henrietta lacks has 23 trivia questions about it. Hilary mantels wolf hall is published by fourth estate. Although she had some reluctance, i could tell she wanted this story to be told because of the questions she had about the mother she never really knew. Rebecca, when did you realize your book wouldnt be just a clinical account of henrietta s cells, but also a story about her family, specifically her daughter deborah. Sparknotes is here for you with everything you need to ace or teach. A set of 50 flashcards about the book henrietta lacks learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. The immortal life of henrietta lacks book quiz bookroo. The immortal life of henrietta lacks the new york times.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks chapter summaries. The first post appeared on this blog on february 27. In 1951 henrietta lacks, a poor woman with a sixthgrade education, decides to go to the gynecology department at johns. As much as this book is about henrietta lacks, it is also about deborah learning of the. A vocabulary list featuring the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot, part 1. Why did the author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. What vaccine was made using research from hela cells. But once there, henrietta took sicki got a knot inside me she confided to her cousinsand the pain. The cells, called hela, became one of the most important. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary shmoop. When i first called deborah and heard her excitement. She has returned home, taking her children on trips to clover and keeping house. And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldnt her children afford health. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary litcharts.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks quiz from one week. Describe the relationship between crazy joe and henrietta. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quotes shmoop. Henrietta lacks was a woman whose cancer cells were used as the source of hela cell line. This quiz has been created to test your knowledge about the procedures to gain access to information. One of the most graceful and moving nonfiction books ive read in a very long time. She had been a devoted mother, and the children suffered terribly. Check out this biography to know about her life and legacy. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a nonfiction book written by science journalist rebecca skloot, first published in 2010 by crown. Pullum explains that he and deborah used to be angry at rebecca, but that they now know that rebecca will help lacks children like jabrea know who their greatgrandmother was. Rebecca was a consultant on the film, as was the lacks. Henrietta lacks, american woman whose cervical cancer cells were the source of the hela cell line, research on which contributed to numerous important scientific advances, such as drugs used to treat polio, parkinson disease, and leukemia. She first learned about henrietta in a community college biology class, and from then on was fascinated by henriettas story.
Video book trailer for the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The film stars oprah winfrey as deborah lacks, renee elise goldsberry as henrietta lacks, and rose byrne as rebecca skloot. It includes multiple choice, matching, and short answer. Henrietta lacks was born loretta pleasant, on august 1, 1920 in roanoke, virginia. The book raises troubling questions about the way mrs.
Questions have been gathered into categories to make it easy for you to find. Rebecca skloot and jeri lacks whye oprah magazine interview. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quizzes gradesaver. Her cervical cancer cells helped develop what is now known as the hela cell. Given how deeply this nonfictional account delves into medical ethics, politics, racism, and scientific discovery as they. Mckusick directed susan hsu to contact henriettas children for blood. My month of madness part three has this quote from which book. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the immortal life of henrietta lacks, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
A bestselling book chronicling lacks life, the medical developments wrought by hela cells and ethical issues of consent the cells were taken without henrietta s consent and the lacks. What is the relationship between deborah and her grandson. What role did race play in henriettas and her childrens experiences. Important questions about many disciplines, and full of great history as well. Rebecca skloot seeks to help henrietta lackss descendants. Deborah doesnt trust anyone with henrietta s medical record. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the immortal life of henrietta lacks and what it means.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot is a nonfiction book that describes skloots efforts to find out more about the history behind the hela cell line, and especially the woman. On one side of the twolane road from downtown, there were vast, well manicured rolling hills, acres and acres of wideopen property with horses, a small pond, and wellkept house setback from the road, and minivan, and a white picket fence. Born loretta pleasant it is not clear how henrietta became her first name, henriettas mother, eliza, born in 1886, died in childbirth in 1924. Who protected the lacks children from ethel and galens abuse. Race and racism are woven throughout the book, both in the story presented and in the process of the research for the book. In the the immortal life of henrietta lacks which describes in detail the history. Imagine discovering similar information about one of your family members.
In the immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot introduces us to the real live woman, the children who survived her, and the interplay of race, poverty, science and one of the. Henrietta had felt this lump for a long time but though it was because of her pregnancy of her 5th child. See a complete list of the characters in the immortal life of henrietta lacks and indepth analyses of deborah lacks, rebecca skloot, henrietta lacks, and george gey. In 1950, henrietta lacks, a young mother of five children, entered the colored ward of the. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot quiz. See more ideas about henrietta lacks, biology and cell line. But for the lacks family, those cells were the essence of their lost mother, whom scientists had infected with viruses, shot into space, crossed with mice, and generally condemned to everlasting torment. Henrietta s father, johnny pleasant, was not able to care for his 10 children and they were split up among the family in clover, virginia.
Henrietta lacks was born in roanoke, virginia to a family of 10. The immortal life of henrietta lacks study guide course hero. Skloots debut book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, took more than a decade to research and write, and instantly became a new york times bestseller. Question about the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Perfect prep for the immortal life of henrietta lacks quizzes and tests you might have in. There the family farmed tobacco fields that their ancestors worked as slaves. Laura miller, no dead woman has done more for the living. Charles pleasant, gladys pleasant lacks, henry pleasant, john randall ii, lawrence pleasant, lillian pleasant. Henrietta lacks august 1, 1920 october 4, 1951 1 sometimes erroneously called henrietta lakes, helen lane or helen larson was an africanamerican woman who was the unwitting source of cells from her cancerous tumor, which were cultured by george otto gey to create an immortal cell line for medical research.
While waiting in vain for sonny to call back, skloot decided to start calling every lacks in the phone book to see if they knew henrietta. Meanwhile henrietta has no idea that her cells are growing in a lab. According to, the immortal life is consistently in the top 10 book club picks of 2011. About the book the immortal life of henrietta lacks libguides at. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is an ideal book for classroom. August 1, 1920 october 4, 1951 was an africanamerican woman whose cancer cells are the source of the hela cell line, the first immortalized human cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. Henrietta and days middle son, the peacemaker of the family and the first lacks sibling to meet with skloot in person. Biography of henrietta lacks and medical cell research for elementry and middle school students. The immortal life of henrietta lacks study guide in 1951 a poor young black woman, henrietta lacks, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at john hopkins hospital. Nov 19, 2012 henrietta lackss story was resurrected in magnificent detail in the immortal life of henrietta lacks, the 2010 best seller by freelance science author rebecca skloot.
Discussion questions the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Rebecca skloot later wrote a popular book on the subject, called the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks study guide contains a biography of rebecca skloot, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The immortal life was selected for the first nonfiction edition of the atlantics 1book140 reading club. Buy the immortal life of henrietta lacks 1 by skloot, rebecca isbn. Her name was henrietta lacks, but scientists know her as hela. What hospital did henrietta lacks get treated at when she had cancer. Henrietta lacks was a poor, africanamerican tobacco farmer and mother in the 1950s when physicians, following protocol at the time, took a tissue sample of her cells without her knowledge just prior to treatment for cervical cancer.
Teachingbooks the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 1 the immortal life of. For more information, visit her website at, where youll find links to follow her on twitter and. In january 1951 she went to johns hopkins hospital the only hospital in the area that treated black patients at the time. Pretty clever how she links the contamination of the cells to the one drop policy of racial identification. Discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca. If not we ask that you purchase a subscription to continue. Guided reading and discussion questions are provided for each chapter. But when i got to the lot where the grocery store was supposed to be, i found a gray, ruststained mobile home, its broken windows covered with wire. The immortal life of henrietta lacks launches on february 2, 2010 and is currently available to preorder on amazon uk or us site. Where was henrietta lacks living when she was diagnosed with cancer. Henrietta lacks name became public knowledge after her family sued johns hopkins for taking her cells without them knowing false it was first and incorrectly reported that the hela cell line came from helen lane and the cells were cultured after she had died. It is january 29, 1951, and david lacks, henrietta s husband, is waiting with his three children outside johns hopkins hospital.
She was a poor southern tobacco farmer, yet her cellstaken without her knowledgebecame one of the most important tools in medicine. The first immortal human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. When did henrietta first begin to feel a knot inside. Carinne gee i actually would say no on middle school kids reading this. Information literacy means the ability to know how and when to use information, as well as able to identify, locate, and evaluate that information for the issue or problem at hand. A lawyer representing the eldest son and two grandsons of henrietta lacks, whose immortal cells have been the subject of a bestselling book, a. Quiz below is a link to a short video that summarizes the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Skloot was yet another white person asking the lacks family about henrietta. The immortal life of henrietta lacks study guide contains a. She was born in 1920 in virginiatobacco countryand like many thousands of other black americans of the time, she and her husband moved to the industrial north east. The newspaper article where id gotten henrietta s address quoted a local woman, courtney speed, who owned a grocery store and created a foundation dedicated to building a henrietta lacks museum. How was day related to henrietta 4 skloot uses vivid imagery. It centers on cancer patient henrietta lacks and her.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks ebook charlotte. Oprah winfrey and hbo announced plans to develop a film based on skloots 2010 book. Premade quizzes on the immortal life of henrietta lacks one week quiz a that include 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions for a quick inclass quiz. An immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely under specific conditions, and the hela cell line continues to be a source of. The immortal life of henrietta lacks essay questions. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The nervous rebecca does so, talking about henrietta as deborah weeps. Rebecca explains that hela made possible some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century, but that we know.
That damn doctor, rages henriettas son in this book, done raped her cells. Deborah decides to go through the medical records with skloot, but she still hasnt calmed down from the upsetting day at crownsville. A few minutes earlier, henrietta had entered the hospital, gone. She is the founder and president of the henrietta lacks foundation. On the eve of an oprah movie about henrietta lacks, an ugly. In pursuit of eyecatching headlines, science journalists, and especially medical journalists, frequently overdramatize each new drug or treatment, each successful basic science experiment, as a historic breakthrough. Because there isnt much information about henrietta and her family, skloot wants to tell their story. The immortal life of henrietta lacks was adapted into a book of the same name for hbo and released on april 22, 2017.
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. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary, sample of term. Can the immortal cells of henrietta lacks sue for their. I had only the most rudimentary sense of existence, such as may lurk and flutter in the depths of an animals consciousness. If you are a current subscriber please click get started to activate your digital access. Skloot, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full. I urge you to do so preordering will help to determine the books fate in the first few weeks of sale, when much of its future is set. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary of part 3 of. In fact, its ethical issues suggested those raised in the immortal life of henrietta lacks, the tale of an africanamerican woman whose cells, collected without her permission in 1951, led to profound scientific discoveries. Beginning in part 3 of rebecca skloots book, chapter 23 details the studentshare our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a matter of giving an example of the work to be done. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quiz 1 gradesaver. Henrietta lacks, born loretta pleasant in roanoke, virginia, on august 1, 1920, is the ninth of 10 children. The author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks, and the narrator of the book. Should patients in henrietta s condition be given the right to physicianassisted suicide.
862 299 970 1464 141 1495 1150 1214 588 1082 398 120 1377 1325 1246 1278 234 1063 705 767 695 1448 736 1323 558 204 382 1498 476 775 1286