science

My Sister's Keeper (novel)

My Sister's Keeper (novel) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand My Sister's Keeper (novel) rather than just read about it. In short: My Sister's Keeper is the eleventh novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. It is based upon Anissa and Marissa Ayala.

Key takeaways

My Sister's Keeper (novel) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect My Sister's Keeper (novel) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of My Sister's Keeper (novel) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

My Sister's Keeper is the eleventh novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. It is based upon Anissa and Marissa Ayala. Published in 2004, it tells the story of thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, who sues her parents for medical emancipation when she is told to donate a kidney to her elder sister Kate, who is suffering from acute leukemia.

Summary The story takes place in the fictional town of Upper Darby, Rhode Island in 2004. Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. Anna was born as a savior sister specifically so she could save Kate's life through the donation of her umbilical cord blood. At first it is successful, but the cancer continues to reoccur throughout Kate's life. Anna is usually willing to donate whatever Kate needs, but when she turns 13, she is told that she will have to donate one of her kidneys due to Kate's kidney failure. The surgery required for both Kate and Anna would be major; it is not guaranteed to work, as the stress of the operation may kill Kate anyway, and the loss of a kidney could have a serious impact on Anna's life. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so she will be able to make her own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney. At first Sara, their mother, believes that Anna's decision is led by a simple need of attention, but Anna is serious and refuses to withdraw her complaint, so the case has to be discussed in front of a judge. Having been a civil attorney before becoming a mother, Sara decides to represent herself. The judge assigned to the case is Judge De Salvo, who the year before lost his 12-year-old daughter because of a drunk driver. Recognizing that it is impossible for Anna and Sara to be together during the trial, Judge De Salvo hires Julia Romano, the court-appointed guardian ad litem whose job it is to decide what would be best for Anna. Julia was once romantically involved with Campbell when they went to high school together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. Unbeknownst to Julia, Campbell left her because, after an accident that resulted in a concussion, he developed epilepsy and thought she deserved better. Meanwhile, Anna's older brother, Jesse, who has spent most of his life being ignored in favor of ill Kate or donor Anna, spends most of his time setting fire to abandoned buildings with homemade explosives and using illegal drugs. He is a self-confessed juvenile delinquent, which leads to their father Brian eventually confronting Jesse for his behavior. During the trial, it is revealed that Anna is acting under her sister's wishes: Kate is tired of living; she's prepared to die and doesn't want to force Anna to donate a kidney that will likely not be adequate to save her life, so she encouraged Anna to gain the independence that has always been denied to her. As Anna stands up to testify, Campbell has an epileptic seizure and, thanks to this, Julia discovers the reason of their breakup, leading her to swear to Campbell that he doesn't need to hide his illness from her, and that they can be together. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants Campbell a medical power of attorney. After gaining medical emancipation, Anna hints that she plans to donate her kidney to Kate, wanting her sister to live. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is T-boned by a truck. The on-call firefighter, who happens to be Brian, arrives at the scene, retrieving an unconscious and severely injured Anna from the wreckage of the crushed car. At the hospital, the doctor informs Sara and Brian that Anna is brain-dead and says that they will need to act quickly if they wish to donate her organs. An injured Campbell approves the procedure and Kate's life is saved. Sara and Brian are devastated and struggle to cope for the next eight years after Anna's life support machines are shut off. During this time, Jesse becomes a police officer and Kate becomes a ballet teacher. Kate ends the story by reflecting on the tragedy and explaining that she feels deep guilt but also a bond with the part of Anna inside of her.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with My Sister's Keeper (novel)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what My Sister's Keeper (novel) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to My Sister's Keeper (novel) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about My Sister's Keeper (novel) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of My Sister's Keeper (novel)

In research: My Sister's Keeper (novel) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses My Sister's Keeper (novel) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: My Sister's Keeper (novel) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2004 American novels, 2004 English-language novels, American novels adapted into films, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for My Sister's Keeper (novel) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study My Sister's Keeper (novel) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what My Sister's Keeper (novel) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain My Sister's Keeper (novel) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is My Sister's Keeper (novel) in simple terms?

My Sister's Keeper is the eleventh novel by the American author Jodi Picoult. It is based upon Anissa and Marissa Ayala.

Why does My Sister's Keeper (novel) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study My Sister's Keeper (novel)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on My Sister's Keeper (novel).