My Sister’s Keeper
WEDNESDAY SARA
by Picoult, JodieThe chapter opens in a hair salon where three pregnant women, including the narrator, discuss baby names. The casual banter contrasts with the narrator’s hidden reality—her unborn child was conceived through genetic screening to be a perfect match for her three-year-old daughter, Kate, who suffers from aggressive leukemia. While the other women exchange lighthearted naming ideas, the narrator reflects on how she hasn’t chosen a name, having focused solely on her baby’s potential to save Kate’s life. This moment underscores her emotional detachment from the pregnancy itself, viewing the child primarily as a medical solution.
The narrative shifts to reveal Kate’s relapse after a brief remission, prompting the narrator and her husband, Brian, to pursue IVF with preimplantation genetic testing. The narrator recalls the careful planning behind this pregnancy, acknowledging she never allowed herself to envision this child beyond her role as Kate’s donor. Interspersed are mundane family moments—driving her children, answering her son Jesse’s innocent questions—which starkly contrast with the gravity of Kate’s condition. A particularly poignant moment occurs when Jesse asks if the cemetery they pass is “where Kate will go,” forcing the narrator to confront her deepest fears.
The story then transitions to a TV interview where the couple defends their controversial decision to conceive a “savior sibling.” Brian explains their desperate attempt to find a bone marrow match for Kate, emphasizing they aren’t creating a “designer baby” but simply trying to save their daughter’s life. The narrator’s witty response about sibling rivalry lightens the tone, yet the underlying tension remains—this child’s existence is inextricably tied to Kate’s survival. The interview highlights societal ethical debates while humanizing the family’s painful dilemma.
The chapter closes with the narrator going into labor on New Year’s Eve, symbolizing both an ending and a beginning. This pivotal moment encapsulates the chapter’s central tension: hope for Kate’s survival weighed against the moral complexities of bringing a child into the world for medical purposes. The narrative masterfully balances everyday family dynamics with profound ethical questions, leaving readers anticipating the consequences of this carefully engineered birth.
FAQs
1. What are the ethical implications of the Fitzgeralds’ decision to conceive a genetically matched baby to save Kate, as presented in the chapter?
Answer:
The chapter presents a complex ethical dilemma where the Fitzgeralds use genetic screening and IVF to create a “savior sibling” for their daughter Kate, who has aggressive leukemia. While their primary motivation is to save Kate’s life (Brian emphasizes they aren’t seeking “a superbaby” but a genetic match), the act raises questions about instrumentalizing a child for medical purposes. The hate mail they receive suggests societal concerns about “designer babies,” though the Fitzgeralds argue their case is morally distinct—focused on survival rather than enhancement. The chapter implicitly invites readers to weigh parental love against the potential psychological impact on the unborn child, who may grow up feeling like a means to an end.2. How does the narrator’s perspective on her pregnancy differ from the other women in the salon, and what does this reveal about her emotional state?
Answer:
While the other pregnant women discuss baby names and gender reveals lightheartedly, the narrator admits she hasn’t considered names or personal details about her unborn daughter. Her focus is solely on the baby’s role as a donor for Kate (“I plan for her to save her sister’s life”). This contrast highlights her emotional detachment from the pregnancy as a joyful experience; instead, she views it pragmatically, even clinically. Her description of the baby as “a miracle” refers to its medical utility, not its individuality. The salon scene underscores her singular focus on Kate’s survival, which overshadows typical maternal anticipation.3. Analyze the significance of Jesse’s question about the cemetery and how it reflects the family’s underlying tensions.
Answer:
Jesse’s innocent question—”Is that where Kate will go?“—reveals his subconscious awareness of his sister’s mortality, despite his parents’ efforts to shield him. The narrator’s visceral reaction (weak legs, pulling the car over) shows how the family’s unspoken fear of Kate’s death permeates daily life. Jesse’s query follows a series of childlike questions (“Do buses fall on people?”), making its gravity more jarring. This moment exposes how Kate’s illness affects even the youngest family member, forcing the narrator to confront the possibility of loss she’s trying to avert through her high-stakes pregnancy. The cemetery’s imagery (“yellowed teeth”) foreshadows this tension between hope and mortality.4. How does the chapter use irony in its portrayal of the Fitzgeralds’ media appearance?
Answer:
The media segment is deeply ironic: the Fitzgeralds, who conceived a child to privately save their daughter, become public figures in a debate about “designer babies.” Their scientific solution—meant to protect Kate—ironically exposes them to scrutiny and hate mail. Brian’s refusal to wear makeup (“I’m not going on national TV wearing blush”) contrasts with the gravity of their story, highlighting the absurdity of reducing their trauma to a soundbite. The narrator’s quip about telling the baby to “stop bugging her sister” is also ironic; it masks the profound expectation that this child will serve Kate indefinitely. The interview frames their personal crisis as a societal controversy.5. What literary purpose does the opening salon scene serve in establishing the chapter’s themes?
Answer:
The salon scene introduces key themes of expectation versus reality and the commodification of life. The humorous name debate (“Sleet” vs. “Jack”) contrasts with the narrator’s unnamed, purpose-driven pregnancy, emphasizing how her child’s identity is secondary to its function. The physical image of three pregnant women as “Buddhas” suggests reverence for life, yet the narrator’s internal monologue reveals her transactional view of her own pregnancy. This juxtaposition foreshadows the ethical conflicts later explored in the media interview. The scene also establishes the narrator’s isolation—she smiles at others’ conversations but cannot share their uncomplicated joy, mirroring her family’s fraught relationship with hope.
Quotes
1. “I know everything about this baby, from her sex to the very placement of her chromosomes, including the ones that make her a perfect match for Kate. I know exactly what I am having: a miracle.”
This quote reveals the protagonist’s scientific precision and emotional conflict—she sees her unborn child both as a meticulously engineered solution to save her daughter Kate and as a profound miracle, highlighting the ethical complexity of her choice.
2. “I haven’t admitted this even to Brian, who lies at night with his head on my considerable belly, waiting for the twitches that herald—he thinks—the first female placekicker for the Patriots. Then again, my dreams for her are no less exalted; I plan for her to save her sister’s life.”
Here, the contrast between Brian’s hopeful, ordinary parental dreams and the mother’s urgent, life-saving purpose underscores the moral weight of their decision to conceive a “designer baby” for medical reasons.
3. “We didn’t ask for a baby with blue eyes, or one that would grow to be six feet tall, or one that would have an IQ of two hundred. Sure, we asked for specific characteristics—but they’re not anything anyone would ever consider to be model human traits. They’re just Kate’s traits. We don’t want a superbaby; we just want to save our daughter’s life.”
Brian’s defense during the TV interview clarifies their ethical stance: their genetic selection was driven by medical necessity, not vanity, reframing the debate around parental love and survival rather than eugenics.
4. “Sometimes I think it is all we ever do.”
This hauntingly simple line, reflecting on waiting for life-altering outcomes, encapsulates the family’s emotional limbo—caught between hope and desperation, science and fate.