Search Jump: Comments
    Chapter Index
    Back to Story
    Cover of My Sister’s Keeper
    LiteraryLiterary FictionRelationshipYoung Adult

    My Sister’s Keeper

    by Picoult, Jodie
    “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodie Picoult follows 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who was conceived as a genetic match to donate organs and blood to her older sister Kate, who suffers from leukemia. When Anna is asked to donate a kidney, she sues her parents for medical emancipation, challenging the ethical boundaries of family obligation and bodily autonomy. The novel explores themes of sacrifice, moral dilemmas, and the complexities of love through multiple perspectives. Picoult’s narrative delves into the emotional and legal turmoil faced by the Fitzgerald family, raising profound questions about medical ethics and personal choice. The story is inspired by the real-life case of Anissa and Marissa Ayala.
    PreviousNext
    My Sister’s Keeper

    WEDNESDAY SARA

    by Picoult, Jodie

    The chap­ter opens in a hair salon where three preg­nant women, includ­ing the nar­ra­tor Sara, dis­cuss baby names in a light­heart­ed exchange. One woman con­sid­ers uncon­ven­tion­al names like “Sleet,” while Sara reveals she is expect­ing her third child—a girl. Though the con­ver­sa­tion is casu­al, Sara’s inter­nal mono­logue reveals deep­er stakes: this baby was genet­i­cal­ly engi­neered to be a per­fect match for her three-year-old daugh­ter, Kate, who suf­fers from aggres­sive leukemia. Sara reflects on her inabil­i­ty to name the unborn child, as she has only thought of her as a means to save Kate’s life, not as an indi­vid­ual.

    The nar­ra­tive shifts to Sara’s mem­o­ries of Kate’s bat­tle with can­cer. After a brief remis­sion, Kate relapsed, prompt­ing Sara and her hus­band, Bri­an, to pur­sue genet­ic screen­ing to con­ceive a sav­ior sib­ling. Sara admits she always feared the worst, even dur­ing hope­ful moments, and took proac­tive steps to ensure a donor match. The family’s ordi­nary routines—like dri­ving with Kate and their son, Jesse—are punc­tu­at­ed by Jesse’s inno­cent yet heart­break­ing ques­tions about death, high­light­ing the emo­tion­al toll of Kate’s ill­ness.

    Sara and Bri­an appear on a TV show to dis­cuss their con­tro­ver­sial deci­sion to genet­i­cal­ly engi­neer their unborn child. Bri­an defends their choice, empha­siz­ing they are not seek­ing a “design­er baby” but a life­line for Kate. The cou­ple faces crit­i­cism, but Bri­an argues their motives are pure­ly med­ical. Sara’s wit­ty response to the reporter’s ques­tion about the baby’s future under­scores her hope for nor­mal­cy, though the under­ly­ing ten­sion remains pal­pa­ble.

    The chap­ter con­cludes with Sara going into labor on New Year’s Eve, sym­bol­iz­ing both an end and a begin­ning. The jux­ta­po­si­tion of mun­dane moments and life-and-death deci­sions paints a poignant pic­ture of a fam­i­ly grap­pling with love, sac­ri­fice, and eth­i­cal dilem­mas. Sara’s jour­ney reflects the com­plex­i­ties of par­ent­hood, where hope and des­per­a­tion inter­twine in the fight to save a child.

    Down­load PDF Sum­ma­ry

    FAQs

    • 1. What is the significance of the narrator’s unborn child being a “perfect match” for Kate, and how does this reflect the ethical dilemma presented in the chapter?

      Answer:
      The unborn child was genetically engineered through IVF to be a perfect match for Kate, the narrator’s three-year-old daughter who has aggressive leukemia. This means the baby’s bone marrow will be compatible for a life-saving transplant. The ethical dilemma arises because the child was conceived primarily as a medical solution rather than for her own sake, raising questions about “designer babies” and instrumentalizing human life. The chapter highlights this tension through the TV interview scene, where the parents defend their choice as a desperate measure to save Kate, not an attempt to create a “superbaby.”

      2. How does the narrator’s interaction with the other pregnant women at the salon contrast with her own emotional experience of pregnancy?

      Answer:
      While the other women discuss baby names and gender preferences lightheartedly, the narrator realizes she hasn’t even considered names for her unborn child. Her pregnancy is framed by urgency and medical necessity, not joy or anticipation. The salon scene underscores her isolation—while the others fantasize about their children’s futures, she thinks of her baby only as a “miracle” for Kate. This contrast emphasizes the emotional complexity of her situation, where hope is intertwined with guilt and pragmatism.

      3. Analyze the symbolism of Jesse’s question about the cemetery and its impact on the narrator.

      Answer:
      Jesse’s innocent question—”Is that where Kate will go?“—forces the narrator to confront the possibility of Kate’s death, symbolized by the cemetery’s “yellowed teeth” imagery. The narrator’s visceral reaction (pulling over the car) reveals her suppressed fear. The scene juxtaposes childhood curiosity with parental dread, highlighting how Kate’s illness permeates even mundane moments. It also foreshadows the stakes of the unborn baby’s role: without her, Kate’s fate might mirror the cemetery’s stillness.

      4. How does the TV interview scene critique societal perceptions of “designer babies”?

      Answer:
      The interview exposes public backlash against the Fitzgeralds’ decision, with Nadya Carter framing it as controversial. Brian’s rebuttal—that they sought a match, not enhanced traits—challenges the assumption that genetic selection is inherently unethical. The scene critiques knee-jerk moral judgments by contextualizing their choice within Kate’s survival. The hate mail reflects societal discomfort with blurring lines between reproduction and medicine, yet the chapter humanizes the parents’ dilemma, urging readers to consider nuance over dogma.

      5. What does the narrator’s due date (the 31st) represent in the broader narrative?

      Answer:
      The narrator cites “31” as her favorite number because it’s her due date, symbolizing both hope and a deadline. It marks the countdown to Kate’s potential salvation through her sister’s birth, but also the precariousness of time—a theme echoed in lines like “Sometimes I think it is all we ever do” (wait). The number embodies the tension between medical precision and emotional uncertainty, anchoring the narrator’s fragile optimism in a tangible milestone.

    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 profound medical and emotional significance of Sara’s pregnancy—not just a new child, but a genetically engineered savior sibling designed to save her daughter Kate’s life. It captures the central conflict of the chapter between scientific intervention and natural conception.

      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.”

      This juxtaposition highlights the differing parental perspectives on the unborn child—Brian’s hopeful normalcy versus Sara’s urgent medical purpose. It underscores the ethical weight of creating a child for a specific biological purpose.

      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… We don’t want a superbaby; we just want to save our daughter’s life.”

      Brian’s defense during the TV interview crystallizes the moral argument of their choice—distinguishing between vanity genetic selection and life-saving medical necessity. This represents the public debate surrounding their decision.

      4. “With any luck,” I say, “I’ll be able to tell her to stop bugging her sister.”

      Sara’s deceptively simple response to the reporter masks the profound hope that both daughters will survive to have a normal sibling relationship. This bittersweet line encapsulates the chapter’s emotional core—the fragile balance between hope and medical reality.

    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 profound medical and emotional significance of Sara’s pregnancy—not just a new child, but a genetically engineered savior sibling designed to save her daughter Kate’s life. It captures the central conflict of the chapter between scientific intervention and natural conception.

    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.”

    This juxtaposition highlights the differing parental perspectives on the unborn child—Brian’s hopeful normalcy versus Sara’s urgent medical purpose. It underscores the ethical weight of creating a child for a specific biological purpose.

    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… We don’t want a superbaby; we just want to save our daughter’s life.”

    Brian’s defense during the TV interview crystallizes the moral argument of their choice—distinguishing between vanity genetic selection and life-saving medical necessity. This represents the public debate surrounding their decision.

    4. “With any luck,” I say, “I’ll be able to tell her to stop bugging her sister.”

    Sara’s deceptively simple response to the reporter masks the profound hope that both daughters will survive to have a normal sibling relationship. This bittersweet line encapsulates the chapter’s emotional core—the fragile balance between hope and medical reality.

    FAQs

    1. What is the significance of the narrator’s unborn child being a “perfect match” for Kate, and how does this reflect the ethical dilemma presented in the chapter?

    Answer:
    The unborn child was genetically engineered through IVF to be a perfect match for Kate, the narrator’s three-year-old daughter who has aggressive leukemia. This means the baby’s bone marrow will be compatible for a life-saving transplant. The ethical dilemma arises because the child was conceived primarily as a medical solution rather than for her own sake, raising questions about “designer babies” and instrumentalizing human life. The chapter highlights this tension through the TV interview scene, where the parents defend their choice as a desperate measure to save Kate, not an attempt to create a “superbaby.”

    2. How does the narrator’s interaction with the other pregnant women at the salon contrast with her own emotional experience of pregnancy?

    Answer:
    While the other women discuss baby names and gender preferences lightheartedly, the narrator realizes she hasn’t even considered names for her unborn child. Her pregnancy is framed by urgency and medical necessity, not joy or anticipation. The salon scene underscores her isolation—while the others fantasize about their children’s futures, she thinks of her baby only as a “miracle” for Kate. This contrast emphasizes the emotional complexity of her situation, where hope is intertwined with guilt and pragmatism.

    3. Analyze the symbolism of Jesse’s question about the cemetery and its impact on the narrator.

    Answer:
    Jesse’s innocent question—”Is that where Kate will go?“—forces the narrator to confront the possibility of Kate’s death, symbolized by the cemetery’s “yellowed teeth” imagery. The narrator’s visceral reaction (pulling over the car) reveals her suppressed fear. The scene juxtaposes childhood curiosity with parental dread, highlighting how Kate’s illness permeates even mundane moments. It also foreshadows the stakes of the unborn baby’s role: without her, Kate’s fate might mirror the cemetery’s stillness.

    4. How does the TV interview scene critique societal perceptions of “designer babies”?

    Answer:
    The interview exposes public backlash against the Fitzgeralds’ decision, with Nadya Carter framing it as controversial. Brian’s rebuttal—that they sought a match, not enhanced traits—challenges the assumption that genetic selection is inherently unethical. The scene critiques knee-jerk moral judgments by contextualizing their choice within Kate’s survival. The hate mail reflects societal discomfort with blurring lines between reproduction and medicine, yet the chapter humanizes the parents’ dilemma, urging readers to consider nuance over dogma.

    5. What does the narrator’s due date (the 31st) represent in the broader narrative?

    Answer:
    The narrator cites “31” as her favorite number because it’s her due date, symbolizing both hope and a deadline. It marks the countdown to Kate’s potential salvation through her sister’s birth, but also the precariousness of time—a theme echoed in lines like “Sometimes I think it is all we ever do” (wait). The number embodies the tension between medical precision and emotional uncertainty, anchoring the narrator’s fragile optimism in a tangible milestone.

    Note