Sexual violence against women becomes rife in the book when the author reveals how Henrietta’s daughter is sexually abused. More tests were conducted against black women patients using Henrietta’s cancer cells that were popularly known as HeLa cells. Henrietta’s family misfortunes are systematically conducted for medical gains that also oversaw torture and abuse of other patients. The manner in which Elsie is abused disturbs Henrietta and her family. Eventually, the suffering and torture subjected on Elsie causes her death. Such acts were done in a mental asylum, where no one seems to care. Although Elsie is disabled and cognitively incapacitated, she is abused through draining of her brain and probing of her brain using metals. It is alleged “doctors kidnapped black people for medical research” (165).Ībuse against women and Henrietta’s family is further aggravated when Elsie, one of Henrietta’s daughters is abused. History of non-consensual experiments on black patients is a common feature when racism and women discrimination are debated. Considering that Henrietta s was a poor black woman, the white doctors thought it better to experiment on her body as a form of payment. However, this perspective considers the historical injustices made against black women from slavery years to segregation of black people at social places. The white male doctors at Johns Hopkins hospital would not have made the decision for Henrietta’s if she were a white woman. Such a heinous act only shows how the public alleges ownership of women bodies and their reproductive lives for years.Īnother perspective to gender issue in Henrietta’s case is how white males in authority abuse black women. The worst case of sexual violence is removing Henrietta’s cervix while she was unconscious. This is a disturbing aspect of sexual violation considering that the cervix is part of woman’s reproductive organ. In this context, the author reveals how the medical doctors removed Henrietta’s cervix. The violation of women bodies has always been a subject of discussion whenever gender violence is mentioned. Sexual violation against women has been a gender issue for years. Although this may not entirely be ignorance, the author portrays them as unconcerned until Deborah discovers her mother predicament. Henrietta’s mother, sisters, and daughters live for years without knowing what happened to her. The fact that Henrietta does not protest for the mistreatment she gets from the medics at the John Hopkins hospital is still debatable. The assumption that women are ignorant species is frantically emphasized by the author. Nonetheless, the frantic efforts by Deborah are perceived to be desperate by the author. The author only tries to take a gender perspective by describing Deborah Lacks as an advocate for her mother recognition. It was assumed “black people cannot question white people’s professional judgment” (63). Henrietta lived in a time when racism was rife in America. Moreover, the fact that Henrietta was a black woman contributed to her mistreatment. Ironically, this would not have happened to a male patient. This is an example of how women have been a subject of mistreatment for years. Medical doctors removed and experimented on Henrietta’s cancer cells without consent. Today, she remains a celebrated figure and a great contributor to medical achievements. Perhaps it is the reason why Henrietta dies without knowing the value of her cancer cells. Historically, women have always been oppressed from a gender perspective. An aspect of gender role can be pointed out in the book, despite the fact that the author does not mention it. In this regard, sexism in the form of gender discrimination, women sexual and abuse can be deciphered from Henrietta Lack’s story.įeminism plays a role on how Henrietta is portrayed as a mystery figure.
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