Why do you think Henrietta wasn't more vocal about her condition? Give support for your conclusion.

Henrietta did not express her pains over her conditions because she could not be weak, or at least she could not appear weak. She keeps her family stable by watching over the children, caring for Day, and cooking for all her family members. If Henrietta showed pain then the rest of her family would falter. Even when she decided to come out about her cancer, she only told two of her closest cousins, and lessened the situation by saying "Nothing serious wrong with me . . . I'm fine" (46). I think that Henrietta wanted to protect her family and not worry them, even if it meant silently suffering through the pains of cancer and cancer treatment.