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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Chapter Summaries + Thinking 

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Chapter Summaries + Thinking 

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Full Analysis: Part One: Life (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)

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Full Analysis: Part One: Life (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)

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Analysis: Part One: Life (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) + 2 Post-its!!

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Analysis: Part One: Life (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) + 2 Post-its!!

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I am continuing to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks!! I just finished the first part of the book, labeled as Life, where it talks about the life of Henrietta as she's been diagnosed with cancer. This section of the book also talks about Henrietta as a person with certain traits/characteristics given to her from her close friends and family. It switches back-and-forth from being a biography about Henrietta's life and the author's (Rebecca Skloot) personal journey to learn more about Henrietta, such as visiting her home town! I think it's going pretty well and I'm pretty excited about finally diving back into reading!

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How does the author sequence events/organize the text?
Throughout the entire book, the author switches from 3 point-of-views (POV's). The first POV is a 1st-person POV of the author and her journey to learn more about Henrietta. The second POV is a 3rd person POV of Henrietta and her family. The third POV is also a 3rd person POV, but it's of the scientific and medical community. This allows the book to be more interesting and help us (the readers) learn more about Henrietta and her impact throughout many different perspectives. The book is split into 3 parts, Life, Death, and Immortality, and at the start of each chapter, the author gives us the year(s) in which these events took place, which I think is really cool and intriguing.

"It called the research 'horrendous' and said the researchers should leave humans alone and "'go back to their yeasts and fungi."' (Skloot, pg. 143)
This sentence stood out to me because even though it's a simple remark, I find that it could impact many people specifically scientists. I know that the concern of breeding HeLa cells with animal cells is quite large and I somewhat agree with it, however, I think scientists are just doing their best to use HeLa cells to benefit the world, which they have been doing. I think that some people says harsh words to researchers/scientists when they probably don't realize how much the scientists impact the world.

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Ch. 21: Night Doctors
Rebecca meets Sonny and while he drives her to Lawrence’s house, he tells her that Lawrence is the only one who remembers their mom. As Rebecca arrives at the house, Lawrence talks about his entire life story except for Henrietta, in which he later tells her that he doesn’t remember her as much. Sonny comes back with Day, who told her that he didn’t sign any papers to get her cells removed, but he only agreed because he wanted to help his grandkids in the future with the research they could’ve conducted. Bobbette wakes up and starts ranting about how Hopkins is known to experiment on black people. The chapter cuts to a backstory, in which it tells us about the history of researchers abducting black people at night to experiment on (Night Doctors), however, Johns Hopkins (the person) wanted to do the absolute opposite. He wrote that his hospital should use their money to help those without any and will take in anyone in need. However, Johns Hopkins Hospital was known to conduct studies without consent, especially with Henrietta Lacks, who was known to be exploited by white scientists. The chapter ends with the family commenting about how many scientists profited from their mother’s cells that they didn’t inform the family on, while the family themselves were living in poverty.

*This is a really long summary, but there was so much to this chapter that I couldn't leave out!

Important People:
- Day (Henrietta's Husband)
- Lawrence, Sonny (Henrietta's Children)
- Bobbette (Lawrence's wife)
- Rebecca (The Author)

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Ch. 31: Hela, Goddess of Death
Deborah went back-and-forth between shutting out Rebecca from her life and treating Rebecca as her own, but the result was always going back to Rebecca. Rebecca taught Deborah how to use the internet, which allowed Deborah to learn more about her mother and random things associated with her mother, just like the words Henrietta, lacks, or Hela. It took a while, but eventually Deborah learned to learn from the internet, instead of terrifying herself with the information.

*After this chapter, I continued to read onto the next chapter about how Zakariyya, Rebecca, and Deborah went to Hopkins Hospital to see HeLa cells with researcher Christopher Lengauer!

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A "craft move" that the author makes in Ch. 22 is deciding to end the second part of the book with the death of George Guy (the gynecologist who first started growing HeLa cells) and the appearance of Henrietta's name finally being revealed to the public. As I analyze this more and more, I realize that ending the 2nd part of the book, titled Death, with a death of the person who created HeLa cells was clever in my eyes. I also think it's clever how this chapter marks the end of the era in which Henrietta was never known to world.

How would you describe the author's writing style? Do you think this style resonates with a large audience, or with a selective generation/age group/"type of person?"
I would describe the author's writing style as both writing a biography of Henrietta & her personal life and a biography of HeLa cells, including all the medical/scientific stories. With the biography of Henrietta, it's more dialogue heavy, which could intrigue any person and be easier to understand/follow along with. With the biography of HeLa cells, it does have more advance terms, in regards to the medical community, like carcinoma or epithelial. This style would resonate more of those in/going in the medical/scientific field or older people, who have this knowledge. I honestly think anyone willing to learn about Henrietta would enjoy this book and learn more about these terms as they read the novel anyways.

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Ch. 29: A Village of Henriettas
After Deborah finally met up with Rebecca after about one year, they started talking about Henrietta and Deborah showed her all the stuff that she had of her mother and her cells, such as different pictures, newspapers, and even the movies Jurassic Park and the Clone that were fiction, but talked about cells. The conversation stopped after Rebecca instinctively reached out for a folder of Henrietta’s medical records, which caused Deborah to storm out.

Important People:
- Deborah (Henrietta's Daughter)

*Then after I finished this chapter, I started reading a chapter about how Henrietta was going to meet Henrietta's hot-tempered son, Zakariyya.

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A "craft move" that the author makes is italicizing the words "of course" when talking about Henrietta's cells in connection with the bible. The author states, "Of course they were growing and surviving decades after her death, of course they floated through the air, and of course they'd led to cures for diseases and been launched into space. Angels are like that. The Bible tells us so" (Skloot, pg. 296) This adds meaning to the story because it recognizes that as they grew up without much education, they try making sense of their situation with all that they've got. It shows the connection that their family has between their religion and who they can count on when they have nothing left. The author italicizes these phrases because these are the straightforward thoughts that the Lackses think when it comes to why HeLa cells are continuing to grow.

"This child will someday know that her great-grandmother Henrietta helped the world...So will that child...and that child...and that child. This is their story now. They need to take hold of it and let it teach them they can change the world too." - Pullum --- (Skloot, pg. 304)
I think this quote from Pullum was very impactful. For context, this was during Jabrea's baptism where Pullum preached about how Henrietta's children will not benefit from her cells, but they will work toward bringing on the legacy of Henrietta to her grandchildren and have them continue it on!! Even though Pullum was preaching, I think his words were really impactful and motivational. "This is their story now" embodies such a strong connotation that brings up the energy. I can "feel" the words, while reading, which says a lot.

Important People:
- Pullum  (Deborah's ex-husband & preacher)
- Deborah (Henrietta's daughter)
- Rebecca Skloot (Author)
- Sonny (Henrietta's son)
- Jabrea (Sonny's granddaughter)

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Red Scarf Girl - Chapter Summaries + Extra Vocab Terms

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Red Scarf Girl - Chapter Summaries + Extra Vocab Terms

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*Today, I mainly just analyzed the book and read any extra parts that the author included, such as notes to the reader & pronunciation, foreword and prologue.

Note to the Reader talked about how surnames were common in China and how in China, people usually called others by their surnames. The foreword was a personal passage from David Henry Hwang talking about how Ji-Li's (the main character) story helped him understand what his distant uncle was feeling in China at that time. The prologue was a short passage that Ji-Li wrote about how she grew up very well/happy and always learned to adore Chairman Mao until the Cultural Revolution started.

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Ch. 1: The Liberation Army Dancer
Ji-li is a stupendous student and even is the student chairman of the entire school. She gets pulled out of her music class and tested on her flexibility by a liberation army dancer, who tells her that she should audition to be a dancer at the Central Liberation Army Arts Academy. Ji-li goes home excitedly telling her family, but gets told that she shouldn't audition because the academy will do a political background check and she probably won't get in. Ji-li feels devasted and wonders if all her dreams will be blown away, just like this opportunity.

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What can this story (or these characters) teach us about human nature?
Even though I am only 3 chapters in, there is a drastic conflict that involves the whole country of China, which is that Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong) conducted a campaign to help restart the country with a "revolutionary" start by tearing away from China's old ways completely. Since the very first second of the campaign, people have immediately started causing havoc throughout Ji-li's (the main "character") community. They try to get back at people that "did them wrong," personally attacking them and saying that it's for the campaign. They are using this "campaign," as a way to conduct violence for their own benefit. This campaign to get rid of old ideas, culture, custom, and habits is, to be frank, really stupid to me. In addition, the fact that everyone joins in says that in society, everyone seems to bandwagon on to each other, even if they don't agree, scared of what will happen to them.

What is the impact of the setting or society upon the character?
This campaign that's going on also happens to tie into Ji-Li, the author of this memoir. In Ch. 2, her friend An Yi gets accused of using fourold “language” when she was just using the term umbrella in Chinese and when Ji-Li stands up for her friend, she also gets attacked about having a housekeeper. They were also accused for being fourold because they support their teachers and respect them. At the end of Ch. 3, Ji-Li gets written a da-zi-bao, which are posters, criticizing anyone who “followed” the old 4’s, specifically about having a "relationship" with her closest mentor, Ke Chen-li. She breaks down and gets dizzy as soon as she sees it. This will soon cause ruckus throughout her family and her mental state. As I answered in the last question, many people just want to use this campaign as an excuse to intentionally hurt someone and Ji-Li happens to be in the middle of it because she is a top student and just wants to protect her friend.

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Ch. 5: Graduation
The junior high school exam is gone for the students and they automatically graduate. Teacher Gu (Ji-li’s homeroom teacher) gives good news that the teachers at their school were able to recommend each student to go to a certain high school and they recommended Ji-li and An Yi to Shi-yi Junior High, the best Junior High School there is. Ji-li and An Yi are ecstatic and go on a shopping spree for school supplies, however, it was later revealed that the teachers’ recommendations were invalidated and all of the people in the same neighborhood will go to the same high school at Xin-zha Junior High. The students graduate without a ceremony.

A Little of Ch. 6: The Sound of Drums and Gongs
The Red Guards are now rummaging through people's homes to get rid of their personal 4 old items. A specific person named Mrs. Rong (a widow to a capitalist) was taken of her whole house and had da-zi-baos all over it.

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Who is the author's intended audience? Do you think s/he fulfills their goal of reaching that audience?
The author's intended audience is younger people in middle-high school, like me! I think that Ji-li Jiang does fulfill her goal of reaching this audience because I am reading it myself! The words (vocab) and particular age that Ji-li chose to write her perspective from really pertains to us, younger people, as we can understand her thoughts/thought process. This autobiography also includes lots of dialogue that really intrigues the reader and honestly makes them forget that it's non-fiction (in a good way).

"You guys better be careful, or they'll say you're allying yourself with a bad class, with a suicide and all." - Man, working for Chairman Dao, who wheeled out An-yi's grandmother after she died (Ch. 7, pg. 116)
For a bit of context, this was when An-yi's (Ji-li's best friend) grandmother jumped out of a window and committed suicide after supposedly trying to avoid getting punished by Red Guards. Even though this was just a quote from one of the outsiders of this story, I find it impactful in a horrible way. It's disappointing and depressing. When An-yi and her father wanted to show grief and real emotions after their grandmother/mother passed away, this is the reaction given by the worker. Although suicide is a bad thing, the family members should still be able to show their grief. They shouldn't need to be held back or told at. The society truly was messed up. I'm sure everyone assumed that the grandmother had a reason to want to die, which was to escape the horrible communistic conditions of China, so shouldn't that say something about Chairman Mao and how he's treating them?

Red Guards: Chairman Mao's loyal supporters and enforcers of the new movement of getting rid of the 4olds

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"I felt like a small animal that had fallen into a trap, alone and helpless, and sure that the hunter was coming" - Ji-li (pg. 227)
I find this simile that the author associates with how she's feeling in that current moment very powerful to the story. It encompasses all of the fear and helplessness that the author is feeling. For context, this was when the Cultural Community told Ji-li to turn away from her family and testify against her father to show her alliance to Chairman Mao. I think it's awful how they are making her have to turn away from her family. In addition, her father did not even do anything wrong. This simile shows the pure emotion coming from Ji-li. Keep in mind, Ji-li was barely in middle school and just turned 14 years old when she was being told all of this. She was being very much peer pressured into everything.

How is the character different now then s/he was at the beginning of the story?
I would say that Ji-li was quite different from how she was at the beginning of the story. At the beginning of the story, she was confident and was willing to do anything to support the Cultural Revolution without any hesitation. Now with her status of being a landlord's granddaughter, she is facing many injustices and getting pressured away from her family. She is getting peer pressured into supporting this cultural revolution and doing anything people say because Chairman Mao "says to." This is only to show her alliance and so that she can fit in with everyone without feeling left-out or getting treated unfairly/harshly. Furthermore, Ji-li is not as confident and is quite timid now. She's scared to see anyone in her neighborhood and is always second-guessing herself when people tell her that she is a good person because she believes she can't get anything good because her status is bad. However, despite all of this harsh qualities, I think Ji-li has learned to become more independent and is growing on her mistakes.

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Divergent - Chapter Summaries + Extra Vocab Terms 

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Divergent - Chapter Summaries + Extra Vocab Terms 

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What is the impact of the setting or society upon the character (Beatrice)?
In a world of division between five factions, the society becomes balanced, but improper and disjoint. As Beatrice reaches the age of sixteen, she must choose between leaving and betraying her family for a different faction, risking a chance of being a factionless (poor and mistreated for not fitting into any faction) or sticking with her family in Abnegation, despite having certain characteristics, pointing to other sides. She has heavy bias from her family to choose and stay as an Abnegation, however, her personality, proven with her aptitude test, shows that she can be in either Abnegation, Erudite, or Dauntless. Already convincing herself that she can't choose Erudite, in favor of her father disliking them, she's now stuck between being an Abnegation and feeling out of place or a Dauntless, betraying her family. In Ch. 4, she hears the story about how Marcus, her father's coworker, has a report written out about how his violent actions have caused his son Tobias to choose Dauntless. Hearing this story, Beatrice might feel guilty, if she were to choose Dauntless.

For minor characters: What purpose does this character (Caleb) serve in this story? Is the character static or dynamic?
Caleb is Beatrice's older brother by a few months. He still does his aptitude tests and choosing ceremony the same days as Beatrice. In the eyes of his own sister and many others, he is said to be selfless and often be kind. For example, in Ch.1, he gives up his seat on the bus to a Candor man without a second thought (Roth, pg. 3). He serves a clear example of someone who portrays specific qualities for a certain faction, in this case, an Abnegation. This contrasts with Beatrice as she is divergent, containing characteristics for multiple factions. I believe Caleb and Beatrice are foil characters, highlighting each other's qualities! Continuing on with Caleb, in Ch. 4, he tells Beatrice, "But we also must think of ourselves" (pg. 36). This completely contrasts with his selfless personality, leaving even Beatrice surprised. I think this shows how Caleb is a dynamic character, even in the first few chapters of the book. I look forward to seeing how he continues to progress and which faction he chooses!

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How is the character different now then s/he was at the beginning of the story (Tris)?
Being born into the Abnegation family, where they honor selflessness, Tris has changed a lot by choosing to join the Dauntless. You can see this change automatically occur. Starting from the first day of joining, Tris already changes her name from Beatrice to Tris because she felt as if she should change herself. In addition, in Ch. 14, after getting embarrassed by fellow Dauntless initiatives, named Peter, Drew, and Molly, she feels an urge to get back at them. Usually, she would disregard the actions and refer to taking revenge as being selfish and petty, but now she wants to fight for herself, which she does do. Choosing the Dauntless was a way for Tris to be able to express herself freely  and show true emotion. She feels as if she belongs with the Dauntless. She no longer is a timid and frigid person, but rather an outgoing and brave one.

How would you describe the author's writing style? Do you think this style resonates with a large audience, or with a selective generation/age group/"type of person?"
The author's (Veronica Roth) writing style is more a dialogue heavy with descriptive details. Being a fiction novel, it makes sense. I think this style could resonate with anyone. It's an interesting book that many could enjoy for fun, specifically those who enjoy fiction! The vocabulary is not as hard, so I think that any person, young or old, could enjoy this book. This book includes many different elements, such as incorporating fiction, relationships, mental and physical struggles, and many more.

Terms:
- Initiatives: Those who have just chosen a faction, but have yet to prove themselves
- Faction: A specific group that someone lives with, based on their actions and personality
- Abnegation: A faction who honors selflessness
- Dauntless: A faction who honors courage

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What is an underlying message that the author is conveying through this story?
Through this story, an underlying message is that people will use their power to an advantage. They will also do anything to keep everything in their favor. You can learn this through the character of Jeanine, who is the leader of the Erudite, the faction of knowledge. She teams up with other leaders, in order to get rid of a "corrupt" government in her eyes. She values herself more than others. I think Tris's quote to Caleb, her brother, was also another lesson. She says, "There are liars here, Caleb. These are people who are so smart they know how to manipulate you" (Roth, pg. 354). This shows how people tend to use their capabilities for their own benefit, even if it could hurt another person.

What do you think is the author's purpose in writing this story?
Not only do I think the author wrote this to keep people entertained and "on their toes" while reading this novel, but I also think they wanted to portray the idea of a dystopian world, where everyone is separated into separate livelihoods based on their personalities. The book illustrates all of the different economic problems if this were to happen. With every faction, there is a balance between good and bad. I think the author wanted to talk about different fundamentals of life that everyone should have, but in this story, some are honored more than others. This story teaches us about how many problems would occur with separate groups of individuals. The novel helps us stay interested, while learning deep life lessons.

Erudite: A faction that honors knowledge

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One strong idea that I had that I didn't get to voice aloud was actually about Mercutio and how he lives up to his name. I wanted to talk about how Mercutio is mercurial because in the start of the act, he was accusing Benvolio of starting violence, but when he met Tybalt, he switched up immediately and even provoked Tybalt to start a fight. I found the fact that many people liked the '96 adaptation more than the '68 adaptation compelling because it contrasted with what I thought. I loved hearing from those perspectives!! I think this discussion ran a score of 7/10 because it was organized and everyone spoke, however at times where we asked for volunteers, not many people wanted to speak anymore. I think we could work on volunteering and being comfortable with sharing our ideas! It's also the first time in a while where we had a whole-class discussion, so that might explain why most of us were quiet.

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KATHLEEN DONG - Activity_ Character Study

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KATHLEEN DONG - Activity_ Character Study (1)

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Discussion on Act 1.5 & Film Clips (3/16)

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Discussion on Act 1.5 & Film Clips (3/16)

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Final Teens & Phones Argumentative Essay

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Final Teens & Phones Argumentative Essay

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Argumentative Unit + Final Debate Reflection!!

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Argumentative Unit + Final Debate Reflection!!

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Not much, but notes from discussion day 2!!

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Not much, but notes from discussion day 2!!

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Blood, Sweat and Tears -- Sonnet About Money

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Blood, Sweat and Tears -- Sonnet About Money

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KATHLEEN DONG - Practice_ Iambic Pentameter - Google Docs