Guided Reading Questions Pt. 6

Chapter Twenty-One: Night Doctors

1. What does the author's choice of descriptive details reveal to the reader about her impression of Sonny Lacks?
2. Sonny and Lawrence repeat the refrain "That's a miracle," when discussing the scientific advances made possible by their mother's cells. What does this suggest about their worldview and values?
3. Give and example of indirect characterization that reveals that the Lacks family distrusts doctors.
4. The description "his light brown face had grown tough with age, cracked but soft, like a pair of well work work boots," conveys a strong impression of Day Lacks. What does it suggest about his life and personality?

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Face She So Richly Deserves"

1. Do Gey's attitude and actions after his own diagnosis of terminal cancer change your opinion of him? Explain your answer.
2. Do you agree that Henrietta should have been correctly identified in order to "give her the fame she so richly deserves," or do you think her anonymity should have been protected? Explain.

Chapter Twenty-Three: It's Alive

1. The title of this chapter contains an allusion to the classic horror movie Frankenstein. What does this allusion suggest about the tension between scientific discovery, and public perception and fear of suck discoveries?
2. From a legal standpoint, how is the fact that the doctors failed to obtain consent prior to taking blood from the Lacks family in 1973 different from their initial failure to obtain consent from henrietta in 1951?
3. Analyze the last paragraphs of this chapter. What does Hsu's request reveal about her attitude towards the Lackses? What does Skloot reveal by ending the chapter with Hsu's request?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Least They Can Do

1. What motivated Michael Rogers to find the Lacks family?
2. Explain how the sale of HeLa evolved into a business. Describe the extent to which the profits from that business are likely a direct result of the sale of HeLa cells. In what other ways do scientists, corporations, and individuals profit as a result of HeLa?
3. Why do you think Skloot ends this chapter with the introduction of John Moore's story?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Who Told You You Could Sell My Spleen

1. Describe the lawsuit that set a legal precedent for patenting biological "products" such as cell lines.
2. What was the Supreme Court of California's decision regarding the Moore lawsuit? Summarize the reasoning behind the decision.
3. Do you agree with the court's ruling? Why or why not?