My Sister’s Keeper is a 2004 novel written by Jodi Picoult The story follows the struggle of the Fitzgerald family who must come to terms with the life-threatening illness of their teenage daughter, Anna. The novel explores themes of life, death, and family in the midst of the family’s legal and ethical struggle to save the life of their daughter.
The book is a powerful exploration of the issues and emotions that come with the tough decisions that life can demand. It has generated substantial discussion and debate and has often been the topic of research papers, essays, and debates. For those wishing to study and write about My Sister’s Keeper, here are five meaningful topics to explore.
1. The Ethical and Legal Debate Surrounding the Right to Choose: One of the most popular topics inspired by My Sister’s Keeper is the ethical debate surrounding the right to choose in the face of a life-threatening illness. In the novel, the Fitzgeralds must decide if their daughter Anna should be forced to donate a kidney to her ailing sister, or if she should be given the right to refuse.
2. The Power of Family Bonds in the Face of Crisis: A key element of the novel is the power of familial bonds, even when it seems as though everything else is falling apart. The Fitzgerald family is able to keep going despite all of the obstacles that they face because of the strength of their bonds.
3. Deciding between Personal Sacrifice and Personal Happiness: In My Sister's Keeper, the Fitzgeralds must make a difficult decision between sacrificing something personal in order to save their daughter's life and allowing their daughter to make the sacrifice herself. This is something that many people must contend with in the face of a life-threatening illness, and this topic can be explored in depth.
4. Exploring the Importance of Compassion and Forgiveness: Compassion and forgiveness are two important components of the novel. The Fitzgerald family is able to move forward and survive the tragedy of their daughter's illness only after they are able to forgive each other and show compassion for one another.
5. The Role of Science versus Humanity: The novel also explores the role of science in the face of tragedy. While medical technology is invaluable in saving lives, it should never be used to the point that humanity is forgotten. My Sister's Keeper explores this issue in a unique and meaningful way.
These five topics are all meaningful and relevant to the themes of the novel, and they all present the opportunity for meaningful and engaging discourse. When writing an essay on My Sister’s Keeper, students should be sure to explore all of these topics and more in order to provide a comprehensive and unique look at the novel.