The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Quotes (chapter 2)

Notable Quotes from Chapter 2

"No one could have guessed she'd spend the rest of her life with Day--first as a cousin growing up in their grandfather's home, then as his wife" ( pg. 19).
Incest???? This would obviously affect the health of their children. Could this have affected her?

"They spent much of their young lives stooped in those fields, planting tobacco behind mule-drawn plows" (pg. 19).
Of course Henrietta and her family had no choice but to farm and perform other laborious tasks for a living because of the Jim Crow era, but the constant presence of tobacco may have imposed a lasting health issue for Henrietta, especially since she was exposed to the tobacco at an early age, making her more vulnerable to harmful effects.

"Night at the warehouse was a time of booze, gambling, prostitution, and occasional murders as farmers burned through their season's earnings" (pg. 21).
Sounds like there aren't many good adult influences for the children on the farm. This implies two things: the children learn independence and responsibility for themselves, and that some of them will grow up to be like these reckless farmers.

"People wouldn't use words like epilepsy, mental retardation, or neurosyphilis to describe Elsie's condition until years later. To the folks in Lacks Town, she was just simple. Touched. She came into the world so fast, Day hadn't even gotten back with the midwife when Elsie shot right out and hit her head on the floor. Everyone would say maybe that was what left her mind like an infant's" (pg. 23).
As present-day readers know, Elsie's conditions were not due to the fact that she hit her head coming out of the womb. It is because of the mix-up in Elsie's genetics that caused these problems. Fortunately, Henrietta and David's first child Lawrence was healthy. At the delicate age of eighteen, Henrietta has already given birth to two children. Over the course of her life, she will probably have a lot more kids.

"But Gladys always insisted Day would be a no-good husband" (pg. 24).
Day being a bad husband to Henrietta not only affects the stability of their family but also Henrietta's health. If Day catches STI's from sleeping around, then Henrietta would be infected with them, too. To make matters worse, Henrietta will not seek medical attention for these infections, as we can assume from her reluctance to get help with her tumor.