Deborah and the rest of the immediate family had refused to talk to her, but she continued on her wild goose chase for Henrietta's story. Deborah told Skloot "No interviews, you got to go away"(Skloot 54) From the very beginning Skloot faced many obstacles and hardships in her journey.
Another element of pathos is the struggle the author, Skloot, goes through in her attempts to find out more about Henrietta. As you read about Henrietta's radium, and radiation treatment you can't help feeling bad for her, and her family that has to watch Henrietta slowly die. Perceiving Henrietta as a kind and loving person only makes it all the more tragic as Skloot describes her battle with cancer, and the cruel treatments used by 1950's doctors. Skloot emphasizes how Henrietta continued caring for her family even while starting cancer treatment. In the book Henrietta is portrayed as a lovable, caring mother and wife. Skloot uses pathos by making us feel remorse for Henrietta. Skloot develops ethos through interviews with Henrietta's family and friends, and a decade of research. In the pages before the prologue Skloot says she used archival photos and documents, along with scientific and historical research, in the process of revealing Henrietta's story. Remarking on all the people she met and interviewed in her voyage to tell Henrietta's story "that phone call would mark the beginning of a decade long adventure through scientific laboratories, hospitals, and mental institutions, with a cast of characters" (Skloot 6) Ethos is further built from her decade of research Skloot did while writing her book. There's no better way of finding out about someone then from first hand accounts from people who knew them.
Skloot builds ethos by interviewing Henrietta's family and friends. "I'm so existed you answered because, I've been wanting to talk to you for years" (Skloot 52) It took years of persistence for Skloot to get into contact with Henrietta's daughter Debora. Skloot not only tells the tale of Henrietta but of the HeLa cell.
It's a detailed account of one of the most important discoveries in medicine that has effected everyone. The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks is a book about early medicine and science, and would appeal to anyone interested in those fields. Being published in a time were modern science makes everything seem possible, Skloot became curious about Henrieta, and wanted to find out who she was. Skloot first heard of HeLa cells in her biology class, but Henrieta was only mentioned briefly. Hela cells were fused with embryos to make the first cell hybrid, they have been infected with viruses to allow scientist to observe the virus, they have been used to test vaccines, and still play a critical role in modern medicine and science. Hela cells have contributed to many advances in medicine and science.
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