Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Sister’s Keeper, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Bodily Autonomy
Siblinghood
Parenthood
Control
Illness and Isolation
Summary
Analysis
Julia has just let her sister Isobel move in and is exasperated by her presence. Isobel, or Izzy, has taken to organizing Julia’s fridge and criticizing Julia’s penchant for naming her kitchen appliances. Julia, frustrated, tells Izzy that she can see why her girlfriend Janet broke up with her, causing Izzy to run off in tears. Julia states that, although Izzy is three minutes older, she is Izzy’s “nuclear bomb” in that she destroys anything that upsets Izzy. Ironically, growing up, Julia was troublemaker and Izzy was the good daughter; now, though, Julia holds a boring 9-5 job while Izzy dates women and makes jewelry. Julia goes into the bathroom to apologize. Izzy quickly accepts and asks Julia what the toilet’s name is. Julia says she was thinking of “Janet.”
Julia and Izzy are the third pair of sisters introduced in the novel. Much like Sara and Suzanne, the two of them are quite different from each other and have quite a bit of tension—especially now that they’re living together. However, also like Sara and Suzanne, the two sisters are able to get past their squabbling and support each other during dark times, such as Izzy’s difficult breakup. In this way, the adult sisters in the novels serve as a parallel to the younger Anna and Kate, who also struggle between their sisterly bond and the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.
Themes
Julia gets a call from Judge DeSalvo, who asks her if she’s available to act as a guardian ad litem. Julia became a GAL a year ago after leaving nonprofit work, and she feels gratitude to Judge DeSalvo for helping her break into the field. Judge DeSalvo gives Julia the background information, emphasizing that it’s an urgent matter. Julia is struck and upset by the name of Anna’s attorney, but she agrees to go see Anna in an hour. On her way out, Julia tells Izzy that there’s “a girl who needs help”—in this, she is referring to herself.
The call from Judge DeSalvo reveals Julia’s role in the novel: she is to be Anna’s guardian ad litem. However, Julia clearly has issues of her own. Namely, her reaction to Campbell’s name suggests that the two have a history. Julia feels that she doesn’t have much control over her life, as evidenced by her feeling that she needs as much help as Anna does.
Themes
When Julia arrives at the Fitzgerald house, she initially thinks that nobody is home since no one answers the doorbell. She’s also impressed by how well-kept the house is despite the family being in crisis. When she turns around, she runs into Anna, who is initially extremely suspicious and asks for proof of Julia’s identity when she claims to be a guardian ad litem. Julia notes that, if Anna is putting this much thought into talking to Julia, she’s likely put a great deal of thought into suing her family. Anna, handing back Julia’s papers, asks where her family is, expressing concern for Kate. She agrees to go with Julia to talk.
Anna’s suspicious response to Julia reinforces the fact that she is a clever girl who thinks through her decisions before making them. Understandably, this is encouraging to Julia, who is not yet privy to the inconsistences and miscommunications in Anna’s lawsuit. Tragically, Anna’s concern for Kate reveals that she has not yet been informed of Kate’s medical emergency—she has once again been left out of the loop by her family.
Themes
Anna and Julia go to the zoo, the place where Julia commonly takes her clients to talk. However, Anna is older than most of her clients, and she soon realizes that the girl is not especially entertained. The two of them make clipped conversation for a while. Julia learns that Anna used to play hockey but gave it up when Kate’s treatments interfered with her attendance at games. Anna also says that she doesn’t have friends since other kids are uncomfortable around her; instead, if she needs to talk to someone, she goes to Kate.
Anna’s conversation with Julia provides more insight into how lonely she is due to her family’s circumstances. Any child in Anna’s position would likely feel some alienation from other children, but Anna’s status as a donor especially keeps her from having a normal life, especially when it comes to her love for hockey. This also provides context as to why Anna is so emotionally dependent on Kate: she doesn’t really have anyone else her age to depend on.
Themes
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Anna asks to borrow Julia’s cell phone and uses it to call the hospital in order to see if Kate’s been admitted. Although Kate hasn’t been registered, Anna explains to Julia that this doesn’t necessarily mean that she hasn’t been admitted—just that the operator might not have the paperwork yet. Julia points out that Anna seems very concerned about her sister and asks her if she’s prepared for the consequences of refusing to donate her kidney. Anna responds that while she knows full well what will happen, that doesn’t mean she’ll like it. Julia thinks about what she would do if Izzy needed one of her organs and knows that she would immediately donate it—but she also knows that, in that case, it would be her choice.
Once again, Anna struggles with the conflict between her love for Kate and her desire for agency. Her comment that she doesn’t like what she’s doing suggests that her lawsuit is not just a shallow ploy for attention like Sara thinks it is; instead, it is a heavy burden that she feels obligated to bear. Julia’s musing about donating an organ to Izzy reinforces this, since she recognizes that it's not so much about not wanting to help one’s sister, but about wanting to have a choice in the matter.
Themes
Julia asks Anna if her parents ever asked if she wanted to be a donor for her sister. Anna responds that they did, but with the assumption that the answer was already “yes.” Julia also asks if Anna ever expressed discomfort with their choices. Anna says yes, but that they’re Kate’s parents, too. Julia considers how Sara and Brian may have become blinded by their care for Kate, but she wonders if Anna actually cares about medical emancipation or if she just wants her parents to hear her. Together, the two of them look at the polar bears. Anna is happy to see that one of the bears has been able to keep her cub, since the last one was sent away. She asks Julia if she thinks the other cub ever wonders what it did to be sent away. Then, she asks to go home.
Julia is hearing Anna’s story for the first time, which allows her to introduce fresh impressions of the Fitzgeralds into the novel. Most notably, Julia’s concern that Anna cares more about being heard than being emancipated adds another layer of complexity to Anna’s ambiguous motivations. Julia’s theory is subtly supported by Anna’s reaction to the polar bears, in which she becomes deeply sad at the thought of one of the cubs being sent away. Anna clearly fears being that cub, who is ostracized from her family for her “betrayal.”
Themes
When the two reach the Fitzgerald house, Anna asks Julia to walk her in; she’s afraid of Sara’s anger since she left today without telling anyone where she was going. Julia asks if she does this a lot, but Anna says she usually does what she’s told. When they enter, Sara is indeed furious, but Julia quickly intervenes in an attempt to sit down and talk with her. Sara stiffly declines, explaining that Kate’s just been readmitted to the hospital. She tells Julia that the whole thing is a misunderstanding and that Judge DeSalvo will be saying the same thing soon. Julia, seeing Anna’s reluctance to speak up, realizes how easy it is for Anna to be influenced by Sara since they live together. She tells Anna she’ll call tomorrow and leaves.
Julia’s experience with Sara at the Fitzgerald household mirrors Campbell’s frustrating encounter with her at the courthouse. In both instances, Sara acts as a wall between Anna and her legal counselors, insisting that the entire case will be dismissed soon and pressuring Anna into staying silent. In this way, a pattern is emerging where Sara attempts to enact control over her household—and especially Anna—by denying that the lawsuit is even real.
Themes
Julia goes to Campbell’s law firm and barges past Kerri into his office. He doesn’t look up at first, thinking that she’s Kerri, then freezes when he realizes it’s Julia. Julia explains that she’s Anna’s guardian ad litem. Campbell says that he’d expected to run into her by now and smiles, which reignites Julia’s feelings for him, which she developed when she was 17. She coldly tells him that it’s easy to avoid someone when you want to: he should know.
At the end of this chapter, the nature of Julia and Campbell’s relationship is revealed: the two of them had a relationship when they were younger. Although the full extent of this relationship is yet to be seen, Julia’s icy response to him suggests that their history will be a significant source of conflict during Anna’s case.
Themes
