My Sister's Keeper Essay

Kate decides to have Anna make a decision that can destroy a family. When one child in a family is sick. It can lead to the other children in the family to feel neglected. Parents often tend to focus on the child that needs more attention.

Kate is also very tough and modest like most men, who are raised and taught to hide their emotions in public. However deep inside Kate is still a female. In the second investigation which Kate had with Ellen, Kate does end up allowing herself to break down with tears in the midst of her conversation about her dead lover Anne. Here, Forrest shows that even though some women are masculine, they are limited to an extent because they are in custody to the biological determinism which determines the limits for the advancing of success based on sex (Rubin Thinking Sex). It is important that Forrest was able to show both sides of Kate: the tough masculine side and the soft elegant feminine side.

I believe Anna was right to listen to Kate because she passed away knowing that she was not going to live and was not going to be put someone’s life in danger to save her own. I believe what she did was right because Anna was brought into the world to be a genetic match for her older sister, Kate, who suffers from acute leukemia. Her sister's dependency on her, Anna was unable to live the life she wants. Anna in and out of the hospital constantly, she cannot take part in extracurricular activities such as cheerleading or soccer. Knowing that she will have to donate one of her kidneys to her sister, Anna sues her parents for medical emancipation and the rights to her own body. Believing that she would not survive the surgery, Kate wants to die. Anna wins the case, and due to her sister's wishes does not donate her kidney. In conclusion , it shows that Anna not only fulfilled her sisters wishes, but also stood up for herself because she did not want to go under the knife, and go through a painful process not knowing what could possibly happen to her. It not only shows a symbolic sisters role, but also elaborates on equality for justice, and personally rights. Therefore, I do believe what she did for herself and her sister was the right thing to do because she did not deserve to go through such a difficult

A Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a test that “allows future parents to detect genetic defects that cause inherited disease in human embryos before they are implanted.” One of the most ethical questions that one might ask before considering the PGD is whether the benefits of genetic knowledge outweigh harmful effects that occur to the embryo? Is it really worth manipulating embryos genes in order to achieve the desire of the parents? Often times we have to take into considerations the risk and benefits of each situation. I believe that the PGD test should be only be done to detect genetic defects, but it should not be used to manipulate genes in order to make what to them is a “perfect” child. As stated in our text, “ In the united Kingdom alteration of an embryos genes, even for gene therapy or cloning embryos is illegal.” By manipulating genes its like going against Gods wishes. In the eyes of God every person that comes into this world is equally seen as a human being because they are all created in “ the image of God.” In this case the parents should not be allowed to manipulate the genes of their unborn child just to accommodate to their

Later in the story, it is revealed that is was Kate’s idea to not want Anna to donate anymore. Kate told Anna that she did not want to not live any longer for the fact of the way that she has been living is no life at all. Kate shows that she is sincerely apologetic toward Anna for always dragging her down with her when she is sick.

Firstly, Kate is noticeably affected almost immediately after the death of her mother and father. We see this by her descriptive quotes about how she was feeling and the observations she made about others in her life. Some instances include “I remember being rigid with fear, not daring to look at him” (19), “it was like being at the bottom of the sea” (53), and “...there was a whirlwind howling through me” (54). These quotes represent how Kate felt overwhelmed by unmanageable emotions; she felt almost numb and empty. She even ends up cutting her finger just to feel something and it hardly hurt at all. This is a confused, traumatized little girl. Next, Kate is affected by the basic principles her parents taught. The simple memory of her parents provoked thought of the Presbyterian Commandments they would follow. These principles shape who she is and represent a background where people do not talk about problems or share emotions. “No, you swallow your feelings, force them down inside yourself, where they feed and grow and swell and expand until you explode, unforgivably, to the utter bewilderment of whomever it was who upset you” (36). Lastly, the trauma she has endured has made her scared. Scared of sharing feelings, scared of commitment, scared of loving someone. Daniel, Kate’s boyfriend, feels he is in the dark when it comes to Kate’s past and her emotions. This is because Kate is simply scared to love him. She proves this and it’s connection to her past by saying, “people I love and need have a habit of disappearing from my life” (89). The death of her parents has definitely shaped who she is but some may say, it helped her show resilience and strength to embrace her past and move

Throughout the novel, Anna is always in the hospital giving blood to Kate. In chapter one, she states “I am afraid one day I will wake up and not be able to see her at all.” Anna is scared to lose Kate because she is one of her older siblings and she cares for her as much as she does to her brother Jesse. Jesse, the oldest sibling, holds a lot of responsibility for taking care of Anna and Kate. He is scared to lose Kate because when he was tested on weather he was a match for Kate, he was not able to donate an organ or give blood due to test results. Brian and Sara, Kate's parents, react differently than Anna and Jesse. They don't give as much attention to Anna and Jesse as to Kate. Their main concern is only Kate because she is the sick one, but Anna, who can become sick at any moment, is the only one providing for Kate. The parents believe that Anna will never become sick because she always provides for Kate and will always be there for

The thing that I didn't like about this book is how overdependent Anna becomes on Rafe. I understand that she's young and she's been through a lot, but it just felt like she sometimes couldn't take a breath without his support and approval. He needed to constantly remind her that her rapists are bad people who hurt her. So even though she does seem stronger toward the end, it's implied that it's only because of Rafe and not her own doing.

In this scene where Kate is ready to die and relive every moment of your life and the beautiful moments that happened to his family. Also when she was counted as his love and Taylor as suffered by the death of his first love. Also explains that she is upset because her parents are using Anna trying to save her and that's what hurts most. However we parents are not ready to let go of Kate and feel the need to continue the fight against cancer. Anna who is helping her sister to survive no longer wants to continue grasping because she wants to live his life as everyone else. She wants to do things knowing if he donates his kidney to his sister will not be able to do to do such as pregnant in her entire

Anna knows that without her, her older sister would be dead. Anna is always having to donate many different things to her older sister. Things she may not need to necessarily live, but things she may and may not be uncomfortable with donating to her sister. Constantly donating blood to you older sibling could be very awkward, while others may think there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The problem they have is different considering the circumstances they are put under. Especially when finding out our sibling need one of your lung, or they will die. Though you have no legal obligation to donate that lung to your sibling, you would want to do the right thing, But you could imagine Anna’s problem, she has always donated things to her older sister Kate, and she may just be tired of donating things to her and sharing things with her. Eventually she probably begins to wonder is it worth it, but knowing it is the right thing to do, she continues to donate things to her sister. Besides this problem, there is also the fact that Anna knows she was created just so there would be someone close enough to Kate that would be able to save her life in different

Kate Fitzgerald is Sara’s oldest daughter. When Kate was two years old she was diagnosed with Leukaemia. She and her sister have a very good relationship. Kate sees that Anna is not happy. Kate herself isn’t happy either. She knows that she will never be cured. Kate decides that she’d rather die than staying ill and go through all the awful procedures which will only prolong her life. She asks her sister Anna to sue her parents. This only becomes clear at the end of the book. Kate is portrayed as a girl who has accepted her disease. She has learned how to live with it. This makes her an amazing character.

PGD was mainly designed to allow couples with the risk of passing on a dangerous genetic diseases to have children that wouldn't be affected by it. It’s been used since 1990 to prevent children from being born with Down’s syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, and Huntington’s disease. It is now being used to also create “savior siblings”, which are children who are able to donate bone marrow and other tissues to their sick older siblings (Genetic and Society). This goes against many religious views, one of them being Christian. Christians see it as “playing God” since God has created humans in his own image and to alter them would be implying that he is wrong. Catholics’ and Muslims both believe that embryonic research is the same as abortion and it is considered a sin for scientists to perform genetic engineering since it is as if they are trying to replace God (HubPages). This technology not only goes against many religious beliefs, but also goes against natural selection. As seen in My Sister’s Keeper, Anna is created through genetic selection and considered to be a “designer baby” which are babies who have specifically selected traits (Picoult 119). This demonstrates too much control because technology is now altering the way of life and it interferes with the natural processes. Even today, control is not only seen in technology, but in families. The question is, to what extent can a parent have control over their

All the people she met on her way came and went leaving Anna alone with her beloved Baby and sorrows. Baby was too small to understand her, he was childishly selfish and cruel but he was the only person who still needed her. There was no one she loved more than him, she lived for him. She wanted to share her thoughts with him and the only way for her was to write it, "My little sun! I have always been alone everywhere with you and I always will. A woman is weak and indecisive as far as she s concerned personally, but she is a beast when she has to defend her child. … Are there forces that can stop a woman who is

The character of Sara is most adamant that it is in Anna’s best interests to act as a donor for Kate. However I do not think she meant for Anna to be at the mercy of her sister. I think she was only intent on doing what had to be done to keep her family intact by preserving the life of Kate. Sara believes that the social, emotional and psychological best interests of a person depend upon the happiness in the family in which they grow up in. This gives the idea that Anna’s best interests and welfare are closely tied to those of her family, who

The useable organs in her body are donated to Kate so she can live. In the movie Kate says to Anna that is okay if she doesn't want to donate her kidney because Kate didn't want to live anymore, she wanted to die. Anna sued her parents for the right to her own body, for Kate and for herself. She eventually won the case and didn't have to give Kate the kidney. Kate slowly started to get sicker and eventually died.