My Sister’s Keeper
WEDNESDAY JESSE
by Picoult, JodieThe chapter introduces Jesse, a rebellious and self-destructive teenager who recalls her childhood fascination with fire, sparked by stealing matches and igniting Jean Nate Bath Splash with her sister Anna. Despite their surface differences, Jesse feels a deep kinship with Anna, seeing her as the only proof of their shared family roots. Jesse’s reckless behavior extends to speeding in her Jeep, fantasizing about fatal crashes, and morbidly pondering the value of her organs. Her nihilistic outlook is underscored by her disdain for others, encapsulated in her recurring thought: “Fuck them all.”
Jesse’s journey takes her to an underpass where she interacts with Duracell Dan, a homeless Vietnam vet who believes batteries contain secret CIA messages. Their transactional relationship involves Jesse providing food in exchange for Dan safeguarding her stolen chemicals and sawdust. Dan delivers a cryptic message—“Think twice”—which Jesse dismisses, though it unsettles her. This encounter highlights Jesse’s reliance on outsiders like Dan, who exist on society’s fringes, much like herself. Their dialogue reinforces Jesse’s distrust of authority and her penchant for chaos.
Armed with perchloric acid and sawdust, Jesse proceeds to an abandoned warehouse in Olneyville, where she meticulously sets a fire, leaving her initials (JBF) as a fleeting signature. The act is both calculated and impulsive, mirroring her internal turmoil. As the fire erupts, Jesse watches from a distance, observing the arrival of firefighters, including her father, Fitzgerald. The scene evokes a childhood memory of her mother crying at dawn, a moment Jesse misunderstood but now sees as symbolic of deeper family pain.
The chapter culminates in a domestic crisis as Jesse returns home to find her sister Kate violently ill, vomiting blood. Her mother, overwhelmed and unable to reach Jesse’s father, demands Jesse drive them to the hospital. Jesse carries Kate, noting her frailness, which contrasts sharply with her own destructive energy. This abrupt shift from arson to family emergency underscores the duality of Jesse’s life—her outward rebellion and the latent responsibility she feels toward her family, however grudgingly.
FAQs
1. How does Jesse’s relationship with Anna contrast with their outward differences, and what does this reveal about their bond?
Answer:
Despite appearing as “polar opposites” on the surface, Jesse and Anna share a deep, unspoken connection rooted in their defiance of others’ expectations. Their bond is cemented when Anna, instead of reporting Jesse’s dangerous fire-starting, participates by drawing designs for Jesse to ignite. This moment reveals their mutual understanding of being misunderstood (“people think they know what they’re getting, and they’re always wrong”). Anna serves as Jesse’s only tether to their family, symbolizing a shared identity beneath their contrasting exteriors. Their relationship underscores themes of alienation and the search for belonging.2. Analyze the significance of Jesse’s interactions with Duracell Dan. What do they reveal about Jesse’s character and worldview?
Answer:
Jesse’s exchanges with Duracell Dan—a homeless Vietnam vet who believes in CIA conspiracies—highlight Jesse’s affinity for marginalized figures and their own sense of detachment from society. Their “deal” (food for safeguarding Jesse’s arson materials) reflects a transactional yet oddly respectful dynamic. Dan’s cryptic warning (“Think twice”) momentarily unsettles Jesse, suggesting a subconscious recognition of their self-destructive path. The interaction reveals Jesse’s nihilism (“I’m worth more dead than alive”) while also hinting at a craving for connection, even with those society deems unstable or expendable.3. What symbolic parallels exist between Jesse’s arson and their emotional state in this chapter?
Answer:
Jesse’s deliberate fire-setting mirrors their internal turmoil and desire for destruction/rebirth. The “big, hollow, forgotten” warehouse reflects Jesse’s own feelings of emptiness and neglect. The act of burning initials (JBF) symbolizes both defiance and a cry for recognition, while the acid’s corrosive effect parallels Jesse’s self-loathing. The fire’s rapid spread (“escape”) mirrors their impulsive actions, and the observation of their firefighter father arriving too late underscores themes of failed rescue and familial disconnect. The imagery of smoke eclipsing the sky echoes Jesse’s emotional suffocation.4. How does the chapter’s closing scene with Kate reframe Jesse’s earlier actions and mindset?
Answer:
Kate’s medical crisis abruptly shifts the narrative from Jesse’s reckless rebellion to a raw familial crisis, exposing their underlying vulnerability. Jesse’s visceral description of Kate’s frail body (“nothing but bones”) and the bloodstains contrasts with their earlier bravado, revealing a capacity for tenderness beneath the anger. Their mother’s immediate assumption of Jesse’s assistance (“I need you”) hints at an unacknowledged role as a caretaker. This scene complicates Jesse’s nihilism, suggesting their destructive tendencies may stem from helplessness in the face of real suffering, particularly within their family.5. Evaluate the chapter’s use of fire as both a literal and metaphorical device.
Answer:
Fire operates on three levels: as a tool of control (Jesse’s childhood experiments), as a destructive release (the warehouse arson), and as a symbol of inherited trauma (the father fighting fires). Literally, fire represents Jesse’s agency—their ability to create dramatic change instantly. Metaphorically, it reflects inherited pain (the mother “mourning” at dawn) and the cyclical nature of damage (Jesse replicating their father’s fire-related absence by abandoning the warehouse). The “blue flame” of bath splash signifies fleeting catharsis, while the warehouse’s black smoke mirrors Jesse’s obscured self-perception—both destructive and illuminating.
Quotes
1. “Anna is the only proof I have that I was born into this family, instead of dropped off on the doorstep by some Bonnie and Clyde couple that ran off into the night. On the surface, we’re polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we’re the same: people think they know what they’re getting, and they’re always wrong.”
This quote reveals Jesse’s deep connection with her sister Anna and their shared outsider identity. It captures the chapter’s theme of misunderstood personas and familial bonds that defy surface appearances.
2. “I’m sure I’m worth a lot more dead than alive—the sum of the parts equals more than the whole. I wonder what poor asshole would get stuck with whatever it is in me that passes for a heart.”
A powerful expression of Jesse’s self-loathing and nihilistic worldview. This quote showcases her dark humor and the chapter’s recurring motif of self-destructive tendencies.
3. “Dan and I have a deal: I bring him a McDonald’s Value Meal a few times a week, and in return, he watches over my stuff… ‘They gave me a message for you.’… ‘Think twice.’”
This exchange with Duracell Dan highlights Jesse’s unconventional relationships and the ominous foreshadowing in the chapter. The homeless man’s cryptic warning adds tension to Jesse’s reckless trajectory.
4. “It turns out that I learned something from my dear old dad after all: firemen are experts at getting into places they shouldn’t be.”
This ironic observation reveals Jesse’s complicated relationship with her firefighter father while explaining her arson skills. It represents the chapter’s exploration of inherited traits and rebellion.
5. “The first time I saw my mother cry I was five… It was not until years later that I realized I had heard her answer all wrong. That when she said mourning, she had not been talking about the time of day.”
This poignant memory reveals Jesse’s childhood misunderstandings and the family’s hidden grief. It provides crucial backstory for the current family crisis with Kate’s illness.