Rebecca Skloot attempts to do justice in Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks differs from Toni Morrison's efforts in Beloved by the author participating in the moral act of listening and conducting extensive research on Henrietta's story. Whereas Morrison does justice in her novel by actively refusing to investigate the life of the woman who inspired her work — she invents Margaret Garner's life and incorporates her knowledge of the historical context that played a role in the major events of her piece, such as the underground railroad and the abolitionist movement (New York Times). Howard Brody's "Who Gets to Tell the Story" of Narrative in Postmodern Bioethics, sheds light on the significance of storytelling; to simply state, "storytelling is
…show more content…
She continues to investigate the institutions that contributed to the discovery of HeLa cells and how this has impacted Henrietta's relatives. When the author includes information about the unethical actions of human experimentation from the past, it becomes apparent that she has extensive knowledge on the topics that enhances her biography of Henrietta Lacks. In addition, Skloot participates in the moral act of listening by granting the space for Henrietta's relatives to talk about their experiences of living with illness as well as the intergenerational trauma they have endured from Henrietta's suffering at the hands of medical professionals. The relationship that is formed between Rebecca and Henrietta's youngest daughter, Deborah, provides insight on the value of listening and its power to heal and give her suffering meaning. The act of Deborah telling her own story essentially commences her path to healing and it serves as proof that she has reclaimed ownership of her voice — this represents Skloot's attempt at justice. Conversely, the author includes herself in the biography and there are some points in the work that her thoughts and opinions come to the forefront, which detract from the main focus that is Henrietta's legacy. On top of that, Skloot is portrayed as someone who is a "taker-in of information, [rather than someone who is] a potentially suffering body that receives the testimony of suffering" (Brody
She continues to investigate the institutions that contributed to the discovery of HeLa cells and how this has impacted Henrietta's relatives. When the author includes information about the unethical actions of human experimentation from the past, it becomes apparent that she has extensive knowledge on the topics that enhances her biography of Henrietta Lacks. In addition, Skloot participates in the moral act of listening by granting the space for Henrietta's relatives to talk about their experiences of living with illness as well as the intergenerational trauma they have endured from Henrietta's suffering at the hands of medical professionals. The relationship that is formed between Rebecca and Henrietta's youngest daughter, Deborah, provides insight on the value of listening and its power to heal and give her suffering meaning. The act of Deborah telling her own story essentially commences her path to healing and it serves as proof that she has reclaimed ownership of her voice — this represents Skloot's attempt at justice. Conversely, the author includes herself in the biography and there are some points in the work that her thoughts and opinions come to the forefront, which detract from the main focus that is Henrietta's legacy. On top of that, Skloot is portrayed as someone who is a "taker-in of information, [rather than someone who is] a potentially suffering body that receives the testimony of suffering" (Brody