![]() “Can you tell me what my mama’s cells really did?” he whispered. researcher rights regarding cellular matter and technology developed from that matter. Gey’s possessiveness foreshadows the court cases and legal debates surrounding patient rights vs. Not Henrietta’s, or her family’s, but his. Gey’s annoyance that someone else was in control of HeLa demonstrates how possessive he grew over Henrietta’s cells, and how he considers them his own property. “Gey was relieved that companies had taken over HeLa distribution so that he didn’t have to do it himself, but he didn’t like the fact that HeLa was now completely out of his control.” Pg. This quote exhibits the complexity of the conversation surrounding Henrietta and the HeLa cells. On the other hand, by referring to the HeLa cells as “pieces” of Henrietta, Cootie affirms that the cells are remnants of his cousin, not just bits of matter manipulated by scientists in labs. They have reached a size and mass that she never approached in life. On one hand, it stresses how separate Henrietta is from her cells. This quote from Henrietta's cousin Cootie is somewhat contradictory. “And Henrietta never was a big girl.” Pg. “You know, they said if we could get all the pieces of her together, she’d weigh over eight hundred pounds now,” he told me. Lastly, the quote illustrates Henrietta’s generous and selfless spirit. Second, it introduces the idea of Henrietta’s cells making her immortal. First, it shows that at some point Henrietta was told of her cells’ importance and role they would play for civilization. If this exchange between Gey and Henrietta actually occurred, it’s significant for several reasons. She told him she was glad her pain would come to some good for someone.” Pg. “George told me he leaned over Henrietta’s bed and said, ‘Your cells will make you immortal.’ He told Henrietta her cells would help save the lives of countless people, and she smiled. Skloot passes Patillo’s test, because he puts her into contact with Henrietta’s family. ![]() If she truly wishes to tell Henrietta’s story, she should already know that science has a past of misusing Black bodies. When he asks Skloot what she knows about the relationship between Black people and science, he is testing her intentions. Seemingly perfunctory, Patillo’s question masks a relationship fraught with violence, deceit, and racism. “What do you know about African-Americans and science?” Pg. Is it ok to use humans as research without their consent? At what point should the rights of the individual supersede their possible contributions to the human race? This quote also foreshadows Henrietta’s story-George and Margaret Gey acquired Henrietta’s cells from John Hopkins hospital, which treated her for free. ![]() This quote introduces the topic of medical ethics to Skloot’s work and sets up many of the questions Skloot explores throughout the book. Many scientists believed that since patients were treated for free in the public wards, it was fair to use them as research subjects as a form of payment.” Pg 51 “Like many doctors of his era, TeLinde often used patients from the public wards for research, usually without their knowledge.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |