
My Sister’s Keeper
THE WEEKEND ANNA
by Picoult, JodieThe chapter opens with Anna’s philosophical musings about the nature of Heaven, pondering what age people might assume in the afterlife. She speculates whether individuals can choose their appearance, imagining herself as a seventeen-year-old to compensate for her insecurities. Her father’s comment about feeling twenty-one at heart leads her to consider that people may eternally identify with a specific age or phase of life. This introspection transitions into practical concerns, such as how loved ones would recognize each other in Heaven if they appear differently than expected, highlighting the tension between personal identity and external perception.
The narrative shifts to a tense meeting between Anna, her mother, and Campbell, the lawyer. Anna’s mother arrives at the law office, visibly uncomfortable, and proposes a deal: Anna will donate a kidney to her sister Kate one final time, with no further medical demands. The interaction is fraught with unspoken emotions, as Anna observes her mother’s vulnerability and her father’s detachment. Campbell frames the discussion in legal terms, but Anna recognizes the deeper familial stakes beneath the formal negotiation. The scene underscores the emotional complexity of Anna’s decision, which transcends legalities.
Anna reflects on a childhood memory involving Santa Claus, drawing a parallel to her current disillusionment with her parents. Just as she once realized her parents couldn’t fulfill all her desires, she now grapples with their limitations in the face of Kate’s illness. Despite her mother’s heartfelt plea, Anna initially embraces her, creating a fleeting moment of connection. However, this tenderness shatters when Anna whispers, “I can’t,” rejecting the kidney donation. Her mother’s stunned reaction and abrupt departure leave Anna in a charged silence, emphasizing the painful rift between them.
In the final scene, Campbell confronts Anna, asking if her refusal is truly what she wants. The chapter ends ambiguously, with Anna poised to answer but leaving her decision unresolved. This cliffhanger underscores the moral and emotional weight of her choice, balancing familial duty against personal autonomy. The chapter masterfully intertwines existential questions with intimate family drama, revealing Anna’s internal conflict and the fragile dynamics of her relationships.
FAQs
1. What philosophical question does Anna ponder about Heaven, and how does she attempt to resolve it?
Answer:
Anna contemplates what age people appear as in Heaven, questioning whether individuals maintain their physical state at death or can choose their ideal appearance. She speculates that Heaven might offer a choice, like an application form where you select your preferred age and appearance. Anna uses personal examples, imagining herself choosing to appear as a developed seventeen-year-old rather than her current age or potential elderly future self. This reflection leads her to consider how personal identity and perception might function in an afterlife, suggesting that people might spiritually inhabit the age they feel most connected to, regardless of their physical state at death.2. How does the interaction between Anna and her mother during the legal meeting reveal their complex relationship?
Answer:
The meeting highlights their strained yet deeply emotional connection. Anna’s mother arrives professionally composed but visibly uncomfortable in the legal setting, contrasting with her past as a lawyer. Their interaction oscillates between formality and raw emotion—when Anna’s mother makes her plea for Kate’s kidney transplant, she shrinks emotionally, appearing childlike. Anna initially responds with physical affection, hugging her tightly as if reverting to a daughter’s role, but ultimately rejects her request. This moment captures their relationship’s complexity: love persists, but trust and understanding have fractured, particularly around Anna’s autonomy and the family’s focus on Kate’s needs.3. Analyze the significance of Anna’s childhood Santa Claus anecdote in the context of her current dilemma.
Answer:
The Santa story serves as a metaphor for Anna’s disillusionment with idealized expectations. Just as she learned that Santa (and her parents) couldn’t fulfill her desires perfectly, she now confronts the reality that her mother’s love is conditional—prioritizing Kate’s survival over Anna’s bodily autonomy. The anecdote underscores her realization that authority figures, whether parental or divine, are flawed. This parallels her legal struggle: Campbell frames the case as transactional, but Anna sees it as a test of her mother’s acceptance. The memory reinforces her resolve to assert her own needs, even if it means defying familial hopes.4. How does the author use physical descriptions and spatial dynamics to convey emotional tension during the legal meeting?
Answer:
Physical details heighten the scene’s tension. Anna’s mother is described as “tiny,” shrinking under the weight of the moment, while Anna’s hug momentarily reverses their roles. Campbell’s professional demeanor (“raps his fingers,” “ice”) contrasts with Anna’s vulnerable position on the floor with Judge. The mother’s aborted hug and stiff exit after Anna’s refusal amplify the emotional rupture. Spatial dynamics—like Anna’s father avoiding eye contact with the table grain—mirror the family’s emotional disconnection. These subtle cues underscore the unspoken conflicts: love strained by guilt, duty, and divergent needs.5. Evaluate Anna’s final decision to refuse the kidney donation. What might her unresolved answer to Campbell suggest about her internal conflict?
Answer:
Anna’s refusal reflects her reclaiming agency after years of medical coercion, but her hesitation (“I open my mouth. And find an answer”) implies lingering conflict. While she rejects being a perpetual donor, her tearful hug shows love for her mother and Kate. The unresolved answer hints at guilt, self-doubt, or fear of losing familial bonds. It also leaves room for growth: her decision isn’t purely rebellious but a painful assertion of identity. The open-endedness mirrors the chapter’s themes—Heaven’s ambiguities, familial roles, and the difficulty of choosing oneself over others’ survival.
Quotes
1. “What age are you when you’re in Heaven? I mean, if it’s Heaven, you should be at your beauty-queen best, and I doubt that all the people who die of old age are wandering around toothless and bald.”
This opening philosophical question sets the tone for Anna’s contemplative nature, introducing themes of identity, mortality, and the afterlife. It reflects her youthful attempt to reconcile abstract concepts with personal hopes (like choosing to appear older in Heaven to “grow boobs”).
2. “Maybe there is a place in your life you wear out like a rut, or even better, like the soft spot on the couch. And no matter what else happens to you, you come back to that.”
This metaphor captures the novel’s exploration of emotional anchors and personal history. Anna connects her father’s comment about feeling perpetually young at heart to the idea that people may psychologically inhabit defining moments of their lives.
3. “It is hard to believe that my mother used to do this for a living. I guess she used to be someone else, once. I suppose we all were.”
This realization underscores the novel’s theme of shifting identities and the way major life events (like Kate’s illness) transform family roles. Anna’s observation highlights how crisis can make past versions of ourselves seem foreign.
4. “I hug her twice as tight as I would normally, trying to hold on to this moment the same way I like to paint the slanted light of summer on the back wall of my brain, a mural to stare at during the winter.”
This vivid analogy demonstrates Anna’s poetic sensibility while illustrating the emotional weight of the scene. The imagery contrasts the temporary warmth of the embrace with the coming emotional “winter” of her difficult decision.
5. “I open my mouth. And find an answer.”
The chapter’s abrupt closing line creates powerful suspense while symbolizing Anna’s coming-of-age moment. The unfinished thought represents both her agency in making a life-altering decision and the narrative’s central mystery about her choice regarding Kate’s kidney transplant.