How does the introduction of Deborah Lacks into the narrative change everything for you, for us, the
readers? How would you describe her character? If we were to act according to the rules of fiction, we
might ask, “Is this a reliable narrator?” (We might even determine that she isn’t), but how does Skloot
demonstrate that we are not to be seduced by fictional elements, but to entirely trust Deborah’s reliability
as a narrator?
What does Chapter 7, “The Death and Life of Cell Culture,” tell us about the power public perception holds
over life and death? Overall, how does this book represent the media portrayal of the Lacks family and the
effects those portraits had on the family?