Essay On Henrietta Lacks And Never Let Me Go

The best society is one in which every member is driven to lift an equal part, and no one is left with too little or too much of the weight. The books The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Never Let Me Go by Rebecca Skloot and Kazuo Ishiguro, respectively, illustrate the consequences of when this balance is broken. This arises as a result of the existence of people who give to, but do not receive from the common good. Contrary to how they function in these books, societies are most successful when everyone consciously and genuinely sacrifices for the common good, and receives reasonable and just compensation for their deed. In order for a society to be successful and flourish with equality and opportunity, its members must be willing to relinquish some of their individual rights for the sake of the common good. Unfortunately, in society there often comes a point when those offering their services to the common good are not granted any benefit in return. This is the case for the Lackses, a family which has experienced minimal benefit from a scientific discovery directly related to a family member. The Lackses, relatively poor and uneducated, must cope with many disadvantages, most notably an inability to pay for health care. This is an unfortunate aspect of their lives, and …show more content…
These sacrifices come in different sizes, and each individual sacrifice helps advance, and improve society. Small deeds should not be publically congratulated, and those who give should never actively seek repayment. However, the common good must be able to return a favor to those who give towards it. Once generous people stop benefitting from the common good is when something must be changed. This change does not have to be monumental, for quite often the society in which everyone contributes the smallest of sacrifices is the one that flourishes the