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
Campbell’s next witness is Dr. Chance. At Campbell’s pressing, the doctor explains how the Fitzgeralds conceived Anna after learning of another family who happened to conceive a perfect match for their sick child. Campbell asks if he would recommend a treatment that required Anna to cut off her own head; Dr. Chance, of course, says no. Campbell, however, argues that Dr. Chance has endangered Anna’s life due to the risk of the procedures she’s undergone. He also points out that Sara was the one who signed the release form, not Anna. Dr. Chance argues that the risks are low. Campbell also goes over the effects of a kidney transplant, such as needing to avoid contact sports. Campbell informs Dr. Chance that Anna is a hockey player. Campbell then asks if Anna has benefited from any of these procedures. Dr. Chance says yes: she’s saving her sister.
Campbell’s debate with Dr. Chance, who knows Kate’s treatment more than anyone, provides a look at both sides of the debate. Although the nature of Dr. Chance means that he’s biased towards Kate, he provides more objective reasoning for why Anna should donate her kidney: the risk of kidney donation is quite low, and Anna benefits in a very real way since she doesn’t have to lose her sister. However, Campbell’s point about Anna’s love for hockey highlights one of Dr. Chance’s blind spots: that even if Anna is unlikely to die from her procedure, it will still rob her of other important things in her life.
Themes
Campbell and Anna are eating lunch during recess when Julia joins them to check on Anna. Anna tells her that she just wants the whole thing to be over, and Julia reassures her that it will be soon. Suddenly, Anna excuses herself, first by offering to walk Judge—which Campbell denies her—and then by going to the bathroom. Campbell realizes she left him alone with Julia on purpose. Julia asks why Campbell didn’t wake her up, and Campbell jokes that they were anchored in a “no-wake zone.” Julia, however, doesn’t laugh. She asks him if the previous night was a joke to him, and Campbell abruptly leaves without answering.
Even after the night he spent with her, Campbell struggles to open up to Julia. Although he attempts to deflect his emotional distance with humor, Julia’s solemn and hurt response shows that Campbell has repeated his mistake of hurting her, the same way he did in high school. Their interaction highlights how difficult it is for Campbell to be emotionally vulnerable, even at the cost of Julia’s trust.
Themes
Court adjourns that afternoon. Campbell brings Anna out to find Brian, but he’s gone, so Campbell offers to drive her to the station. Once they get there, Campbell reassures her that their first day in court was great, but Anna isn’t enthusiastic; she gets out of the car without another word. Campbell follows her. Anna asks him if he's ever done anything he knew was wrong; Campbell says yes. Anna then says that she hates herself sometimes, and Campbell says he feels the same. The two of them talk briefly about the stars, with Campbell admitting he used to wish on a star every night. Anna asks Campbell if he’s close with his parents, and Campbell tells the truth: he’s not like them and doesn’t want to be. Anna tells him that he was invisible, too.
In contrast to the emotional distance he just showed to Julia, Campbell’s ability to express empathy with Anna’s self-loathing and uncertainty shows that, although he still struggles to be in touch with his own emotions around other people, Anna brings out a gentler part of him. His frankness regarding his self-worth and his own relationship with his parents is a stark contrast to how he began his relationship with Anna, where he viewed her solely as a client and refused to find any emotional common ground with her.
Themes
