My Sister's Keeper is a 2004 novel written by Jodi Picoult. It tells the story of thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who sues her parents for medical emancipation when she discovers she was supposed to donate a kidney to her elder sister Kate, who is gradually dying from acute leukemia.
Video My Sister's Keeper (novel)
Summary
The story takes place in the fictional town of Upper Darby, Rhode Island in 2004. Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna was born as a savior sister specifically so she could save Kate's life. At first it is successful, but the cancer continues to relapse throughout Kate's life.
Anna is usually willing to donate whatever Kate needs, but when she turns 13, she is told that she will have to donate one of her kidneys due to Kate's kidney failure. The surgery required for both Kate and Anna would be major; it is not guaranteed to work, as the stress of the operation may kill Kate anyway, and the loss of a kidney could have a serious impact on Anna's life. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so she will be able to make her own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney.
This is done on the advice of Julia Romano, the court-appointed guardian ad litem whose job it is to decide what would be best for Anna. Julia was once romantically involved with Campbell when they went to high school together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. Unbeknownst to Julia, Campbell left her because he discovered he had epilepsy and thought she deserved better.
Meanwhile, Anna's older brother, Jesse, who has spent most of his life being ignored in favor of ill Kate or donor Anna, spends most of his time setting fire to abandoned buildings with homemade explosives and using illegal drugs. He is a self-confessed juvenile delinquent, which leads to their father Brian eventually confronting Jesse for his behavior.
During the trial, it is revealed that Kate originally asked Anna to sue for emancipation because Kate did not want Anna to have to donate her kidney now that Kate has been ready to die, but their mom Sara cannot seem to understand that (she later comes to terms when Anna tells her), and because Kate believes she will die anyway. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants Campbell a medical power of attorney. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is hit by a pick-up. The on-call firefighter who arrives at the scene, retrieves an unconscious and severely injured Anna from the wreckage of the crushed car.
She goes into cardiac arrest and is revived. Both she and Campbell are rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor informs Sara and Brian that Anna is brain-dead and asks them if they have considered organ donation. An injured Campbell steps in and declares that he has the power of attorney and that "there is a girl upstairs who needs that kidney." Kate is prepared for surgery, and Anna's kidney is successfully transplanted. Anna's life-machines are then shut off by her family. Kate survives the surgery and remains in remission. Jesse has reformed and graduates from the police academy, despite his criminal record.
Maps My Sister's Keeper (novel)
Characters
- Kate Fitzgerald, a frail teenage girl who was diagnosed with acute leukemia at a young age.
- Anna Fitzgerald, a baby who was scientifically engineered to help her elder sister by donating her some of her blood and body parts. She is the main protagonist of the novel. She is thirteen years old.
- Jesse Fitzgerald, the oldest child. He is a delinquent who is dyslexic.
- Sara Fitzgerald, the overprotective and domineering mother of Kate, whom she tries her hardest to keep alive and well.
- Brian Fitzgerald, Sara's husband who understands Anna's decision to not donate her kidney.
Development history
Publication history
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. Atria Books: New York, 2004; ISBN 9781416549178/ISBN 141654917X.
Critical reception
In review for The Washington Post, Katherine Arie described some of the characters as unconvincing, such as Brian, who is "too good to be true", Jesse, "a poster child for self-destructive behavior", and Kate, who is "as weak and wispy on the page as she's supposed to be in life", but ultimately called the book "a thrill to read".
In 2009 the American Library Association (ALA) and the office for Intellectual Freedom named My Sister's Keeper the seventh out of ten most frequently challenged books in the US. Schools and libraries attempted to ban the book for the following reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexual Explicitly, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuitability to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence.
Adaptations
New Line Cinema adapted My Sister's Keeper into a feature film, which was directed by Nick Cassavetes and released on June 26, 2009. It starred Cameron Diaz as Sara and Alec Baldwin as Campbell. Kate and Anna were played respectively by Sofia Vassilieva and Abigail Breslin.
The film features an alternate ending and more emphasis on certain subplots while entirely eliminating others. This was against the wishes of Picoult.
Differences between novel and film
- The novel's setting is in Rhode Island, while the film's setting is in California.
- Julia Romano is a central character in the novel and is Anna's guardian ad litem during the trial, while the film has written her out.
- Judge De Salvo is a man in the novel. In the film, De Salvo is a woman.
- Aunt Suzanne is also a central character in the novel and while she has come to the family's aid due to her wealth, her relationship with Sara is strained. In the film, she is replaced with Aunt Kelly.
- Campbell and Anna's relationship is more detailed in the novel than in the film.
- Jesse is a juvenile delinquent in the novel. However, his relationship with his parents improves when Brian finds out why he has been acting out and turning to a life of crime. In the film, Jesse is more neglected by his parents. He is stopped from going into a life of crime by Aunt Kelly, who talks to him.
- Sara is a brunette and cares for the well being of all of her children. In the film, she is blonde and more obsessed with saving Kate, neglecting Brian, Anna and Jesse's needs.
- Anna is 13 and plays hockey in the novel, while in the film, she is 11 and plays soccer.
- In the novel, Anna dies in a car accident with her useable organs being donated to Kate and she remains in remission for 6 years. In the film, Kate dies instead of her.
- In the novel's epilogue, Kate explains how her family has been trying to cope with Anna's death and their lives since the trial. In the film, Anna mentions their family goes to Montana every year to honor Kate and that Sara is proud of her for standing up for her own rights.
- In the novel, it was Judge's barking that got Campbell to ask Anna about her reasons in suing for medical emancipation and it leads to her confession. In the film, it was Jesse who exposed Kate's role in the lawsuit. His exposure angered not only Anna because she was trying to protect their sister, but also Sara for interrupting them.
- In the novel and before the verdict, Anna tells Sara about Kate's plans to die. While shocked at first, she comes to terms with it and wishes Kate had told her sooner. She even mentions that she understood why Anna tried to protect her sister. In the film, Sara is in denial and accuses Jesse of lying to her. When Brian comes to his defense by pointing out her own wrongdoing in not listening to their family as they knew Kate wanted death, Sara feels guilty for ignoring her family and finally accepts responsibility for her actions.
Trivia
The novel's title derives from the biblical tale of brothers Cain and Abel. After slaying his sibling, Cain is asked by God of his brother's whereabouts and replies, "I know not: am I my brother's keeper?"
References
External links
- My Sister's Keeper at the author's site
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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