Rebecca Skloot Analysis

Rebecca Skloot is the Hero to Deborah Lacks throughout this novel on the grounds that Skloot provided Deborah with closure. Skloot kicks off this novel with her discovering the history of HeLa cells. She contributes a detailed exposition of her journey through her discovery, including the contact of most of the Lack’s family including Deborah. She enlightens Deborah, as well as the whole Lack’s family, on what HeLa has completed in the scientific industry, such as the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, HPV studies, and countless more. Skloot additionally hits base with the story of Lucile Elsie Pleasant, Lawrence’s sister. “People wouldn’t use words like epilepsy, mental retardation, or neurosyphilis to describe Elsie’s condition until years later.