Rebecca Skloot Analysis

Rebecca Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks and all those involved by shifting between first and third person perspectives. The novel is mostly a reminiscence perspective written in both present and past tense. The narrator who speaks in first person and analyzes in the third person is Rebecca Skloot, an observer in the novel. The book is “not only the story of HeLa cells and Henrietta Lacks, but of Henrietta’s family” (Skloot 7). The novel is full of Skloot’s observations, experiences, and knowledge from her pursuit of the truth, which is why the novel shifts from third to first person point of view (and vice versa). While in the third person, Skloot is clearly omniscient. The third person point of view is used to express facts, history,

This is not only informative, it also strengthens the ethos by proving the author is knowledgeable and supporting the first person experiences of the novel. Instead of stating “this is the family of the patient,” the author uses personal experiences and specific facts to characterize all members explicitly (Skloot 273). The details and experiences are connected by and transitioned with the shifting point of view. Although Skloot was an important character, her main purpose was to report and tell “everybody in the world about [Henrietta Lacks]” (Skloot 206). As a result, the third person is more prevalent than the first person aspects of the novel. By shifting between first and third person perspectives, Skloot is able to connect with her audience, accurately tell the story of Henrietta Lacks (along with her family), and create an informative, controversial novel. The varying point of view is a critical aspect of the novel that makes the novel stand out from other

The moral dilemma of the novel is the fact that “no one had told Henrietta that TeLinde was collecting samples” (Skloot 33). In addition, the cells were used, sold, and developed without the consent of Henrietta or informed consent of any family members. These cells, which were illegally obtained and the doctors “were sure Henrietta’s cells would die just like all the others,” that was not the case (Skloot 33). After her death, Henrietta’s cells “kept growing like nothing anyone had seen, doubling their numbers every twenty-four hours” and were coined as immortal (Skloot 40). The title might appear misleading because Henrietta is not immortal, her cells are. However, the title is very interesting and it shows that Henrietta’s legacy will live on forever. The title is not only a tribute to Henrietta Lacks, it is also a technique to intrigue viewers and lead to them purchasing the novel. Regardless of how meaningful the title is, its meaning clearly changes from the pre to post reading. Before reading the novel, the only message or meaning of the title is that the novel is intriguing and that Henrietta Lacks appears to be the main character. Once the novel is read, the title is so much more than just five words. The title conveys a message of clarity and honor that compliments the novel’s peaceful conclusion: Henrietta has “eternal life, and [she] shall