Question #1 Some examples of the main characters not having access to a good education, specifically from the scientific field are in the beginning. It’s explained that when Henrietta was at the hospital that she had the education of an early middle schooler. She wouldn’t have a complete understanding of the “lump” she felt, but she would have a general assumption about what it is if she had a complete education. Later in the book, the reader is made aware that Henrietta’s husband, “Day” (Day, being a nickname for David) had “...only gone to school for four years of his life, and he never studied science”, not being able to understand the concept of immortal cells when asked for blood. Henrietta’s youngest son, Joe drops out of school arguing with teachers, …show more content…
This anger coming from the abuse and punishment given from Henrietta’s cousin Ethel. After Joe’s mother’s death, Ethel takes Henrietta’s house with her husband Galen and punishes Joe the worst. Elsie, (who had a mental disability, and epilepsy) early on was misunderstood by the Lackses for being different or “simple” due to their lack of education. This is another example that if that family had the option, or kept pursuing their education they could find out a general, basic answer to their situations. Which makes the story sadder because they went into their situation handicapped without details. Henrietta’s oldest child Lawrence who was drafted to war, dropped out of school as well to care for his family. These are just some examples of the lack of education limiting the Lacks family from being able to understand the events going on in their family at the time. Most of the main characters (under the Lacks family tree) had only a few years of education. Meaning they were limited to the options of help or advice they could be given that they would understand immediately because of this weakness in education in