In My Sister’s Keeper, the stars and their various cosmologies represent the cruelty and beauty of fate. Brian, an amateur astronomer, often uses the stars to ponder his own place in the world. The ancient age of the stars, as well as the various myths told about them, signify individuals’ small and insignificant place in the universe. During some parts of the novel, this fact becomes a point of comfort; for example, Brian and Anna go stargazing together while she stays with him at the fire station, allowing her to step away from the stress of her lawsuit and ponder her place in the wider universe. However, the vastness of space also serves as a reminder that the novel’s characters are faced with an existence that they cannot fully control or predict. This is reflected in many of the myths that Brian tells Anna, such as that of Orpheus and Eurydice, where individuals’ attempts to change their fate end in tragedy.
Stars and Cosmology Quotes in My Sister’s Keeper
Anna’s real name is Andromeda. It’s on her birth certificate, honest to God. The constellation she’s named after tells the story of a princess, who was shackled to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster—punishment for her mother Casseopeia, who had bragged to Poseidon about her own beauty. Perseus, flying by, fell in love with Andromeda and saved her. In the sky, she’s pictured with her arms outstretched and her hands chained.
The way I saw it, the story had a happy ending. Who wouldn’t want that for a child?
Stars and Cosmology Symbol Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper
