Jodi Picoult is a truly remarkable writer, who has been known for her novels, giving important insights into the inner world of her characters, exploring the crucial topics of today, and bringing up important issues. Her novel “My Sister’s Keeper” is being called her “best book to date” (Website) by the readers. Though it is definitely not the fast-paced one, it makes one take his or her time and reflect on the topics, being brought up within it. The author, as a mother has put a lot of her own reflection and her soul into the novel, still giving her readers the opportunity to form their own opinion about the things in the book. The most important is that she managed to put the realities so close and common for mankind within the book, that it simply can not leave the reader indifferent. As within the novel, there are the appeals for both the human in general and American in particular identity presented, revealed in the issue of the hard choice faced by confused people, civil rights defense, people’s relationships, and their ability to go through a hard time in their life.
Firstly, the characters reveal the ethical uniqueness of the nation, benefit to the reflections on the general values, family values. There are ten characters, who operate within the novel. Each of the characters is deeply thought over by the author, to be the one to be thought of, argued about. Take Anna Fitzgerald, she represents the real American spirit, being a thirteen-year-old girl, who sues her parents to defend her civil rights and maintain her kidney. This girl is a real old head on young shoulders. Her sister Kate is the one, who presents compassion to her dear sister and is ready to sacrifice her life for her sister (the reader finally finds out that it is Kate, who tells Anna to sue their parents as she can not live in the hospital anymore). Kate reveals an ethical act towards her sister, ready to abandon her hope for life for her sister’s sake. Parents of the girls are those, who are faced with hard decisions in their life. The reader is most likely to condemn their acts from the very beginning of the book, remembering a plan for “giving birth” to Anna, for their cruelty to a child. Nevertheless, they seem to be desperate people, trying to save their daughter at any cause. This state is close to the author herself, as she confessed in one of her interviews, saying that while her son was ill and was up to be operated on, her other two children knew, that they took second place. It is interesting to notice, that each of the characters has his or her right to say personal opinion, still giving the reader to obtain his own one. The device, used by the author is very democratic towards her readers, as she does not impose anybody to accept her own viewpoint, this looks like a truly American tradition.
Secondly, the themes, brought up within the novel are related closely to the American identity. The main theme, which crops up when one is thinking about this novel, is the civil rights defense. It is a wonder that a young teenage girl managed to pull herself together and sue her parents to maintain control over her body. The ethical choice of her parents is clearly devoted to Kate out of their “utter love for her” (Website). Still, Anna defends her right and the true desire of her sister Kate. The civil rights defense theme seems to have been an applicable issue for America since its discovery and this novel reveals that the topic is still being the question of the day. Apart from civil rights, family ties are another issue, put in the novel. The Fitzgeralds are the family, which comes through many obstacles in their lives. They could give up and live with the flow, but the spirit to resist or even to rebel sometimes dominates within this family. Not giving up sounds like a slogan for this American family with two children one of whom is sick and another one is “born” to be an “exact genetic match for her sister” (Genetically Engineered Teen Rebels, 34). Likewise, any other American family would struggle with the misfortune, as the nation of a strong spirit, living within the nation.
Thirdly, the whole plot of the novel, the devices including the narration, metaphors reveals the orientation of it on a certain reader, who is a confirmed democrat in his soul. The plot of the novel is rather unusual, so it is oriented not on every reader. This book aims at reaching its reader. And only a person, who is really into these problems can understand the message enclosed in it. The message is after being democratic in life while making some choices. The choice, which the characters of the book faced is very hard. From the part of the parents, it is either to make a child give his organs for another child’s sake or to ask what do children want first. The parents’ choice is arrogant, but this choice is opposed by the other one, made by their daughter Anna. Her choice is to decide for herself whether she is to give her kidney or not. The democracy of free choice wins and Anna is free not to give her organ. Still, after the car accident, her kidney is being taken from her. This unexpected turn reveals that her mission on the earth is to be completed. Kate did not want to live at the cost of her sister’s sufferings, but as Anna is dead, Kate has the operation made and lives with the warm recollections of her sister, having the scars from the operation.
Inferring, it is necessary to emphasize that Jodi Picoult is a remarkable author of today, who managed to breathe the spirit of American identity, values, and uniqueness in one of her best books “My sister’s Keeper”. All the characters within the book, starting with principally major to the minor ones are the deeply thought of complex personalities, who inspire a reader of the book to think of them and argue, who benefit to the values of the Americans and manage to go even beyond this. The topics of ethical choices, democratic choices, and civil rights defense are explored throughout the text are the topics, oriented on the truly democratic reader. Finally, the plot, the devices used within the text appeal to the democratic reader. The book is a remarkable novel, making the American identity stand out and its values.
Works Cited
- “Author Profile: Jodi Picoult” bookreporter.com. 1996. The Book Report, Inc. 2008. Web.
- “Freedom’s Advance; Christians Evangelize.” The Washington Times 2007: A02
- “Genetically Engineered Teen Rebels.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune 2005: G4.
- Jay P. Goldman. “Righting the Ship by Broadening the Base” School Administrator 2005: A63
- “Jodi Picoult. Novels about Family, Relationships and Love“. 2007. Hanover, New Hampshire. 2007. Web.
- Jodi Picoult. “My Sister’s Keeper: A Novel”. Washington Square Press. 2005