My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - Essay Example

Her novel My sister’s keepers also deal with moral, ethical and psychological consequences of situation that have a contradicting point of views. This novel was published in 2004 initially and raises many contradicting issues pertaining to genetic engineering and rights pertaining to control of minor over her body. This novel tells the story of a family whose daughter has been suffering from extremely harmful form of cancer and genetically designed other daughter is brought to the world for sake of saving her sister and help in recovery (SparkNotes, n.d.).

The protagonist of the story was Anna Fitzgerald who plays a role that is argued by many. Her character is defined by her link to elder sister Kate, whose health depends upon her and her efforts for fighting for her rights as an individual and battle of getting freedom from this special link. These efforts and willingness can be seen in her chat with Campbell that how much she wanted to be a sister to Kate in all the past ten years and she couldn’t achieve that status in anyway. The tragic and sorrowful reality of Ana’s character can be seen in her efforts of getting freedom and treated as an independent person rather than being used for a purpose only, which was keeping her sister Kate alive.

These contradictory thoughts complicates her character and mind by making herself guilty for thinking of getting an independent identity unrelated to her sister when she knows only she can be source of health to her sister. It forces her to think of herself as a selfish person and feeling less. All of these negative feelings lead her to engage in harmful activities that could affect her health such as smoking with Jess. Anna is shown as a helpless and disputed soul as she is willing to help her sister as well to combat this disease by donating her kidney to Kate, but the Kate is destined to die in any way later or sooner.

And at the same time she is willing to be independent of this issue by filing a lawsuit against her parents that states and provides all rights of Anna on her own body and helps her in not donating her sister the Kidney. She is actually shown as fulfilling her sister’s desire as well as Kate herself wants to die because she is tired of fighting against this cruel disease. This represents the righteous side of Anna and love towards her sister. Therefore, it is the lawsuit filed by Anna that is targeted towards completing the wishes of both sisters at a time (SparkNotes, n.d.).

Since Anna is a product of genetic engineering and an unwanted and undesired child in her parents life, which is solely brought to this world by her parents with the help of science for sake of keeping her sister alive. Therefore she is also shown as a point of node between science and compassion through out the story. The extent of using Anna by her parents can be seen in Sara’s in form of desires for using Ana’s body organs for the health and safety of her elder daughter Kate only and she had never thought of Anna as a person or her own child.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the character of Anna has been represented as a person who is sacrificed her life and happiness for her sister to the readers and her family. Her character is respected for her great deed, loving and devoting attitude so she can be considered as a source of light and happiness to her family. She is also shown as a joyful person who is funny and a very sympathetic person. She has not only physically helped her sister to remain healthy