Although I have officially finished My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, I wanted to post one last thought on my blog about an absolutely amazing book.
**WARNING: This next section may contain spoilers. There are no guarantees. Don't say I didn't warn you!!**
Throughout the story I had always thought Anna was fighting for her freedom, her life, her right to choose, and I was right. It was never about the kidney. It was never about attention. It was about a choice and the freedom to have that choice. The funniest thing about it all was how it came to an end. She may have won the right to medical emancipation, the right to choose her own medical course, but she never truly got the right to choose her own course in life. For the thirteen years that she did live, it was all up to her parents. And when she got the right to choose, she didn't know yet what to choose. But all that was taken away from her because no matter how many judges, lawyers, or officials say you have the right, no one can choose their fate. From there, a serious of extremely complicated thoughts pour out of my very own brain. What is fate? Is there even such a thing? Do you believe in it? Do I believe in it? Truthfully, I can't say. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But something that Kate said at the very end of the book has struck me, has stuck with me. She said that after the kidney transplant, she's gone 8 years without a relapse. No one knows why but she thinks it's because someone had to go. And because Anna went for her, Kate got the chance to live.
In the beginning of the book there is a prologue without a title, without a character directed to it. I always thought it was Anna speaking because it sounded like her. She described how she'd wanted to kill her sister, how she was always known in relation to her, and how in the end, she never killed her sister, her sister did it all on her own. But what turns out to be a first impression is unbelievably inaccurate. The font with which it is typed is the same as Kate's at the end. And because it was clearly not Kate who died, but Anna, the only logical explanation was that it was Kate all along. Anna had never tried to kill Kate. It had been the other way around. After realizing this, I wondered why. After some pondering I knew why. Kate didn't want to go on living life like this. Just as Anna was confined with being defined in relation to Kate, Kate was confined in being defined in relation to Anna. And if Anna died, if she was no longer there, Kate wouldn't have to go through what she was going through. No more transplants, no more operations, no more hospital. Sure she would die, but at this point, it seemed that Kate would rather die than live through this one more day. And now she blames herself for causing Anna's death. If it hadn't been Kate who told Anna about her wish, she never would've filed the lawsuit, and none of it would've happened in the first place. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be Anna. It was all wrong.
Yet this entire train of thought loops back again to what I talked about in the first paragraph: fate. Life works in weird ways. It honors you with something, and then takes another thing away. It fills your days with happiness, but the same amount of days are full of grief and sorrow as well. Anna won her lawsuit, but she lost her life. The Fitzgerald's lost Anna, but they got to keep Kate. Maybe there was a reason for all of this. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. It's not fair. Nothing ever is. Life works in weird ways. You never know when it's going to hand you the gift of life, just to take it away from someone you love. And there's nothing you can do about it, but live your life the way that person would've wanted you to.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Q3 Outside Reading Week 7 Post A
Vocab:
barre(423)- a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice
latent(411)- present but not visible
Figurative Language:
"The kind of rain that comes down so heavy it sounds like the shower's running, even if you've turned it off"(402). This is a simile comparing the sound of the rain to the sound of a shower running using the word "like".
"And then Sara slips into this huddle, her arms coming around both of them, all their shoulders forming the wide wall of a team that has to reinvent the very game they play"(410). This is a metaphor, comparing the Fitzgerald family with a sports team. Because Campbell, in a sense, says that they "are" this team, this comparison is then characterized as a metaphor rather than a simile.
"It's a T-bone: the two vehicles rammed together by sheer force into a conglomerate of twisted steel"(413). This is an example of imagery. By using words like "rammed" and "conglomerate", Picoult helps us picture the force at which the two vehicles hit and how twisted together they are. Because it pertains to the sense of sight and paints a picture for the reader, this could be seen as imagery.
**Warning: Spoiler Alert**
Quote:
"Visibility sucks. The rain, if possible, is coming down even harder. I have this brief vision of it pummeling the car so hard it crunches like an empty Coke can, and just like that it's harder for me to breathe"(411). This quote displays a bit of foreshadowing. Anna's vision of the car becoming ruined due to the rain somewhat comes true. Although the rain doesn't wreck the car, it was because the visibility sucked that a truck hit Campbell and Anna, causing the terrible incident which ended Anna's life. I just thought it was interesting how this quote predicted, in a weird sense, what was going to happen.
**End of Spoiler**
Theme: There are two themes I want to say from this section: 1. Life is full of irony 2. Sometimes what you end up fighting for isn't the thing you think it is but rather the chance to choose.
barre(423)- a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice
latent(411)- present but not visible
Figurative Language:
"The kind of rain that comes down so heavy it sounds like the shower's running, even if you've turned it off"(402). This is a simile comparing the sound of the rain to the sound of a shower running using the word "like".
"And then Sara slips into this huddle, her arms coming around both of them, all their shoulders forming the wide wall of a team that has to reinvent the very game they play"(410). This is a metaphor, comparing the Fitzgerald family with a sports team. Because Campbell, in a sense, says that they "are" this team, this comparison is then characterized as a metaphor rather than a simile.
"It's a T-bone: the two vehicles rammed together by sheer force into a conglomerate of twisted steel"(413). This is an example of imagery. By using words like "rammed" and "conglomerate", Picoult helps us picture the force at which the two vehicles hit and how twisted together they are. Because it pertains to the sense of sight and paints a picture for the reader, this could be seen as imagery.
**Warning: Spoiler Alert**
Quote:
"Visibility sucks. The rain, if possible, is coming down even harder. I have this brief vision of it pummeling the car so hard it crunches like an empty Coke can, and just like that it's harder for me to breathe"(411). This quote displays a bit of foreshadowing. Anna's vision of the car becoming ruined due to the rain somewhat comes true. Although the rain doesn't wreck the car, it was because the visibility sucked that a truck hit Campbell and Anna, causing the terrible incident which ended Anna's life. I just thought it was interesting how this quote predicted, in a weird sense, what was going to happen.
**End of Spoiler**
Theme: There are two themes I want to say from this section: 1. Life is full of irony 2. Sometimes what you end up fighting for isn't the thing you think it is but rather the chance to choose.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Q3 Outside Reading Week 6 Post B
Ever since the beginning of My Sister's Keeper, I had always known there was more to some of our characters than what is revealed. But for the past 350 pages or so, they've stuck to their stories, completely on track. And then it happened. The thing that stops everything, halts whatever process you've been making, and flips everything upside down, throwing you for a loop. But despite the disruption, I have been able to pick up from my initial reaction of complete and utter shock. Now, I write my reaction to this thing that halted everything and turned my world, or at least my outside reading world, upside down.
**WARNING: This next section contains spoilers from almost the end of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. If you don't want the book ruined for you, DO NOT read this section. I warned you...**
Campbell: His secret is finally revealed when he collapses onto the courtroom floor during Anna's questioning. He's an epileptic. That's why he has Judge. That's why he broke up with Julia. It happened when he was 18, a car accident. Campbell was mad at his parents for not being kinder to Julia, and wanting to sneak back to her house, he wasn't paying attention. He crashed. He was fine. Or so he thought. "I came through with a few bruises, and that night, I had my first seizure. Thirty CT scans later, the doctors still couldn't really tell me why, but they made it pretty clear I'd have to live with it forever"(384). It wasn't Julia who made Campbell end their relationship. It was his fear of his imperfections, of his freak-ness, of his need for dependence. He didn't want to be a burden, and so because he thought he was doing the right thing, he did the wrong thing. It's something that happens to all of us, and I don't think of Campbell as less of a person. He's learned to live with it and he's done just fine. Although he could've told Julia, admitting he was wrong is the first step of acceptance.
Anna: She's a complex character to understand. When away from her family, she's free-spirited, independent, and confident. From the beginning of the book, I always had the notion that Anna wanted her own life. She stands up for her ideas...when her parents aren't there. I thought her fear was of her parents, but it resulted to be more than that. Her fear of saying too much was because she didn't want anyone, not just her parents, to think of her as a horrible person. And most of all, she kept her sister's secret, something no one knew. "'Fine.' The truth bursts out of me; a raging river, now that the dam's washed away. 'She asked me to kill her.'"(388). Having to keep Kate's secret, and hers, "Inside me, something breaks. 'It was...it was what I wanted, too.'"(390). After this confession, there are so many different ways you could think of Anna's character. Me? I think of her as how I thought of her in the beginning. You can't blame her for wanting her own life, one not defined by Kate. Yes, it will be traumatic for Anna if Kate dies, but if she's always expecting it, if a part of her wishes it would happen, I don't really think Anna would receive psychological damage. She would be sad, devastated maybe, but she would also know that this is what Kate had wanted. And she would know that it was her who could give her sister what she wanted, cause she always does. Sometimes, when you love someone so much, you actually put them through more pain that what you intended for in the first place. And in a way, this case, from Sara to Kate, from Anna to Kate, it's like Campbell: sometimes when you try to do the right thing, you do the wrong thing.
Kate: Kate is the last character I want to talk about. For so many pages, so many years that have passed within these pages, I always thought Kate was the good daughter, the one who wanted to live. I thought she was fine with all of this because we've never heard from her. And maybe Picoult made it like this on purpose, so that when we did learn of Kate's secret, it would seem that much more shocking. If we were able to read and hear Kate's thoughts, this blow wouldn't have been so hard. Yet when you think about it, wouldn't this all make sense? Her life hasn't been easy and the one good thing, the one good person outside her family, has died. She's gone through so many traumatic events, fought so hard, lived way past her life expectancy, that I think enough is enough. Sometimes, you just can't fight anymore. And despite everyone's concern, everyone's love for Kate, sometimes when you love someone this much, you have to let them go. And the same fear that Anna felt towards her parents has probably grown in Kate because she can't tell them she doesn't want to go through this. Kate isn't that different from Anna. They both want certain things, but neither can have what they want because of their parents. So in the end, it's not a case of Anna vs. her parents or Anna vs. Kate. It's Kate and Anna vs. Sara. Anna was trying to help Kate. And because of how long Sara's lived with her daughter's illness, she just assumes that everything she wants for Kate is what Kate wants for herself. She's never thought to ask. And because of this, Kate can't tell her what's important. Kate loves her family, and maybe this is why she didn't tell them. She was trying to do the right thing, when she did what was wrong.
**WARNING: This next section contains spoilers from almost the end of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. If you don't want the book ruined for you, DO NOT read this section. I warned you...**
Campbell: His secret is finally revealed when he collapses onto the courtroom floor during Anna's questioning. He's an epileptic. That's why he has Judge. That's why he broke up with Julia. It happened when he was 18, a car accident. Campbell was mad at his parents for not being kinder to Julia, and wanting to sneak back to her house, he wasn't paying attention. He crashed. He was fine. Or so he thought. "I came through with a few bruises, and that night, I had my first seizure. Thirty CT scans later, the doctors still couldn't really tell me why, but they made it pretty clear I'd have to live with it forever"(384). It wasn't Julia who made Campbell end their relationship. It was his fear of his imperfections, of his freak-ness, of his need for dependence. He didn't want to be a burden, and so because he thought he was doing the right thing, he did the wrong thing. It's something that happens to all of us, and I don't think of Campbell as less of a person. He's learned to live with it and he's done just fine. Although he could've told Julia, admitting he was wrong is the first step of acceptance.
Anna: She's a complex character to understand. When away from her family, she's free-spirited, independent, and confident. From the beginning of the book, I always had the notion that Anna wanted her own life. She stands up for her ideas...when her parents aren't there. I thought her fear was of her parents, but it resulted to be more than that. Her fear of saying too much was because she didn't want anyone, not just her parents, to think of her as a horrible person. And most of all, she kept her sister's secret, something no one knew. "'Fine.' The truth bursts out of me; a raging river, now that the dam's washed away. 'She asked me to kill her.'"(388). Having to keep Kate's secret, and hers, "Inside me, something breaks. 'It was...it was what I wanted, too.'"(390). After this confession, there are so many different ways you could think of Anna's character. Me? I think of her as how I thought of her in the beginning. You can't blame her for wanting her own life, one not defined by Kate. Yes, it will be traumatic for Anna if Kate dies, but if she's always expecting it, if a part of her wishes it would happen, I don't really think Anna would receive psychological damage. She would be sad, devastated maybe, but she would also know that this is what Kate had wanted. And she would know that it was her who could give her sister what she wanted, cause she always does. Sometimes, when you love someone so much, you actually put them through more pain that what you intended for in the first place. And in a way, this case, from Sara to Kate, from Anna to Kate, it's like Campbell: sometimes when you try to do the right thing, you do the wrong thing.
Kate: Kate is the last character I want to talk about. For so many pages, so many years that have passed within these pages, I always thought Kate was the good daughter, the one who wanted to live. I thought she was fine with all of this because we've never heard from her. And maybe Picoult made it like this on purpose, so that when we did learn of Kate's secret, it would seem that much more shocking. If we were able to read and hear Kate's thoughts, this blow wouldn't have been so hard. Yet when you think about it, wouldn't this all make sense? Her life hasn't been easy and the one good thing, the one good person outside her family, has died. She's gone through so many traumatic events, fought so hard, lived way past her life expectancy, that I think enough is enough. Sometimes, you just can't fight anymore. And despite everyone's concern, everyone's love for Kate, sometimes when you love someone this much, you have to let them go. And the same fear that Anna felt towards her parents has probably grown in Kate because she can't tell them she doesn't want to go through this. Kate isn't that different from Anna. They both want certain things, but neither can have what they want because of their parents. So in the end, it's not a case of Anna vs. her parents or Anna vs. Kate. It's Kate and Anna vs. Sara. Anna was trying to help Kate. And because of how long Sara's lived with her daughter's illness, she just assumes that everything she wants for Kate is what Kate wants for herself. She's never thought to ask. And because of this, Kate can't tell her what's important. Kate loves her family, and maybe this is why she didn't tell them. She was trying to do the right thing, when she did what was wrong.
Q3 Outside Reading Week 6 Post A
So I know this is kind of ahead of schedule, but I really wanted to get this week's posts in before I left for Milwaukee since I have a lot to say about what I just read.
Vocab:
botulism(359)- a sometimes fatal disease of the nervous system acquired from spoiled foods usually involving botulin
castration(359)- to remove the sex organs of a male or female
Figurative Language:
"Thanks, but I gave my conscience up for Lent"(361). This could be considered a metaphor where Campbell compares his conscience to something, like chocolate, that you can actually give up for Lent. It shows how he goes about things amorally at times and is great insight to his personality.
"But part of it involves the fact that my client is about as responsive as a boulder beside me"(363). This is a simile where Campbell compares Anna responsiveness to a boulder using the term "as".
"Otherwise, God forbid, you may actually find out that you have a working heart"(361). This is an exaggeration, a hyperbole maybe. Julia is exaggerating when she says Campbell doesn't have a working heart because if he's alive, his heart is clearly working. The exaggeration that Julia uses only helps the reader understand how cold-hearted and detached Campbell can be at times.
Quote:
"'Judge DeSalvo?' Anna takes a deep breath. 'I have something to say.'"(373). Before, Anna was unwilling to take the stand. As she had previously said, it wasn't because she was afraid of speaking in front of everyone, she was just afraid of saying too much. Because Anna decided to take the witness stand, all the truth comes tumbling out and we finally learn why Anna filed the lawsuit in the first place: because Kate asked her to. And because he didn't want his client to change her mind, Campbell refused to take a recess, causing him to collapse into a grand mal seizure in the middle of the court room. We then learn why he has Judge, the dog. It is all because of this one line that comes from Anna's mouth, the line that opens all those closet doors, that our characters' skeletons are finally revealed.
Theme:
Don't think you know a person until you truly know them because chances are, they aren't who you thought they were at all.
Vocab:
botulism(359)- a sometimes fatal disease of the nervous system acquired from spoiled foods usually involving botulin
castration(359)- to remove the sex organs of a male or female
Figurative Language:
"Thanks, but I gave my conscience up for Lent"(361). This could be considered a metaphor where Campbell compares his conscience to something, like chocolate, that you can actually give up for Lent. It shows how he goes about things amorally at times and is great insight to his personality.
"But part of it involves the fact that my client is about as responsive as a boulder beside me"(363). This is a simile where Campbell compares Anna responsiveness to a boulder using the term "as".
"Otherwise, God forbid, you may actually find out that you have a working heart"(361). This is an exaggeration, a hyperbole maybe. Julia is exaggerating when she says Campbell doesn't have a working heart because if he's alive, his heart is clearly working. The exaggeration that Julia uses only helps the reader understand how cold-hearted and detached Campbell can be at times.
Quote:
"'Judge DeSalvo?' Anna takes a deep breath. 'I have something to say.'"(373). Before, Anna was unwilling to take the stand. As she had previously said, it wasn't because she was afraid of speaking in front of everyone, she was just afraid of saying too much. Because Anna decided to take the witness stand, all the truth comes tumbling out and we finally learn why Anna filed the lawsuit in the first place: because Kate asked her to. And because he didn't want his client to change her mind, Campbell refused to take a recess, causing him to collapse into a grand mal seizure in the middle of the court room. We then learn why he has Judge, the dog. It is all because of this one line that comes from Anna's mouth, the line that opens all those closet doors, that our characters' skeletons are finally revealed.
Theme:
Don't think you know a person until you truly know them because chances are, they aren't who you thought they were at all.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Q3 Outside Reading Week 5 Post B
Dear Anna,
I just wanted to tell you that what you're doing is really brave. I know it's hard for you and your family, but sometimes, when you've given up so much, you need to think about yourself too. I know it sounds selfish, but think about it this way: how many people will actually stop and help a person in a car accident? How many people will keep going? As Campbell said, no one's required to help someone else out, but they will if they're a good person, and you have been. You've been a great person for your sister. She's survived to the age of 16 because of you and you've given her a chance to live. But now it's your turn to live. You haven't been sick, but you might as well have been. I know that you always define yourself in terms of your sister, but it's time for you to realize who you are. You love her, and that makes sense, but you shouldn't define your life in terms of someone else's, something your mother has done. I know as well as anyone that she hasn't always been the best parent to you, or to Jesse. It's always been about Kate for her. She defines her life in terms of Kate as well, is that what you want? Or do you want the freedom to choose, the freedom to be whoever you want to be? Just because you don't want to donate a kidney doesn't mean you're a bad person. Jesse burns down buildings, but he's not a bad person either. Both of you have sacrificed so much for Kate and that makes you good.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to tell you to testify. Listen to Campbell, he knows what he's doing. He's looking out for you, he truly is, even if you don't think so. If you don't testify, there's no way the judge will rule in your favor. He can't see that you're mature enough or ready to make medical decisions on your own. Anna, this is your turn to change your life, shape it the way you want to, and you're running away from it. Don't. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, including testifying, but it is in your best interest to do so. You've always wanted people to listen, but they never have. Now they will, they have to, and you can say whatever you want. Don't reach for a source of power only to back away from it when you have it. Take what you have and make the most of it. Lastly, good luck with everything. I hope things turn out well for you and your family.
Sincerely, Amy
I just wanted to tell you that what you're doing is really brave. I know it's hard for you and your family, but sometimes, when you've given up so much, you need to think about yourself too. I know it sounds selfish, but think about it this way: how many people will actually stop and help a person in a car accident? How many people will keep going? As Campbell said, no one's required to help someone else out, but they will if they're a good person, and you have been. You've been a great person for your sister. She's survived to the age of 16 because of you and you've given her a chance to live. But now it's your turn to live. You haven't been sick, but you might as well have been. I know that you always define yourself in terms of your sister, but it's time for you to realize who you are. You love her, and that makes sense, but you shouldn't define your life in terms of someone else's, something your mother has done. I know as well as anyone that she hasn't always been the best parent to you, or to Jesse. It's always been about Kate for her. She defines her life in terms of Kate as well, is that what you want? Or do you want the freedom to choose, the freedom to be whoever you want to be? Just because you don't want to donate a kidney doesn't mean you're a bad person. Jesse burns down buildings, but he's not a bad person either. Both of you have sacrificed so much for Kate and that makes you good.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to tell you to testify. Listen to Campbell, he knows what he's doing. He's looking out for you, he truly is, even if you don't think so. If you don't testify, there's no way the judge will rule in your favor. He can't see that you're mature enough or ready to make medical decisions on your own. Anna, this is your turn to change your life, shape it the way you want to, and you're running away from it. Don't. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, including testifying, but it is in your best interest to do so. You've always wanted people to listen, but they never have. Now they will, they have to, and you can say whatever you want. Don't reach for a source of power only to back away from it when you have it. Take what you have and make the most of it. Lastly, good luck with everything. I hope things turn out well for you and your family.
Sincerely, Amy
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Q3 Outside Reading Week 5 Post A
Vocab:
carrion(325)- dead or putrefying fish; rottenness; anything vile
sequelae(336)- an abnormal condition resulting from a previous disease
Figurative Language:
"I open like an orchid"(355). This is a simile comparing the motion Sara makes to an orchid opening. It is a simile because it uses the word "like" for the comparison.
"...gathering my thoughts and stuffing sentences with pregnant pauses"(333). This an example of imagery, and kind of an alliteration as well. Imagery is displayed through the words "pregnant" and "stuffing". The adjective and verb helps the reader visualize how Campbell is preparing for his return to the courtroom. It is sort of an alliteration because there are two phrases: stuffing sentences and pregnant pauses, that have two words in a row with the same consonant sound, and an alliteration needs three, but still. The sound that eminates from these phrases can help you imagine what these "stuffed sentences" and "pregnant pauses" sound like.
"She smiles at me, but it's like a cartoon drawing when I've seen the real thing hanging in the Louvre"(325). This is another simile. Jesse compares Kate's smile (or Kate in general), to a parody of a painting that's in the Louvre. He uses the word "like" to do this.
Quote:
There are actually two quotes that I want to talk about here. They're linked...in a way. "...and then I lift my fist and punch a hole in the thick white wall and still this isn't enough"(326). "'I couldn't save her'"(331). These are both quotes relating to Jesse and he, is talking about Kate. Earlier, we learned that when Kate had an extremely large amount of blood loss, it was Jesse who donated the blood to keep her alive. To him, it was the least he could do. His whole life, he's been unable to help, a burden to his parents, and what his parents don't realize (at least Brian doesn't realize this until now) is that all Jesse wanted to do was to help. And since he can't help, can't rescue, he destroys. It's ironic how this happens, but a lot of times, when you are exposed to or blocked from on extreme, you react with the other. These quotes show us another important idea: that the source to a problem, may not be what you think it is at all. It could be what you thought the solution was.
Theme:
For this week's theme, I have another pretty deep quote. "He is asking to be punished. So I do what I know will destroy him: I pull Jesse into my arms as he sobs. His back is broader than mine. He stands a half-head taller than me. I don't remember seeing him go from that five-year-old, who wasn't a genetic match, to the man he is now, and I guess this is the problem. [...] I cannot remember exactly when he stopped asking. But I do remember feeling as if something had gone missing, as if the loss of a kid's hero worship can ache like a phantom limb:(332). Brian has finally realized something that all parents need to know: when traumatic events occur that cause you to go on autopilot, make sure you stop once in a while and take a step back because otherwise, you might miss some of the most important things in your life.
carrion(325)- dead or putrefying fish; rottenness; anything vile
sequelae(336)- an abnormal condition resulting from a previous disease
Figurative Language:
"I open like an orchid"(355). This is a simile comparing the motion Sara makes to an orchid opening. It is a simile because it uses the word "like" for the comparison.
"...gathering my thoughts and stuffing sentences with pregnant pauses"(333). This an example of imagery, and kind of an alliteration as well. Imagery is displayed through the words "pregnant" and "stuffing". The adjective and verb helps the reader visualize how Campbell is preparing for his return to the courtroom. It is sort of an alliteration because there are two phrases: stuffing sentences and pregnant pauses, that have two words in a row with the same consonant sound, and an alliteration needs three, but still. The sound that eminates from these phrases can help you imagine what these "stuffed sentences" and "pregnant pauses" sound like.
"She smiles at me, but it's like a cartoon drawing when I've seen the real thing hanging in the Louvre"(325). This is another simile. Jesse compares Kate's smile (or Kate in general), to a parody of a painting that's in the Louvre. He uses the word "like" to do this.
Quote:
There are actually two quotes that I want to talk about here. They're linked...in a way. "...and then I lift my fist and punch a hole in the thick white wall and still this isn't enough"(326). "'I couldn't save her'"(331). These are both quotes relating to Jesse and he, is talking about Kate. Earlier, we learned that when Kate had an extremely large amount of blood loss, it was Jesse who donated the blood to keep her alive. To him, it was the least he could do. His whole life, he's been unable to help, a burden to his parents, and what his parents don't realize (at least Brian doesn't realize this until now) is that all Jesse wanted to do was to help. And since he can't help, can't rescue, he destroys. It's ironic how this happens, but a lot of times, when you are exposed to or blocked from on extreme, you react with the other. These quotes show us another important idea: that the source to a problem, may not be what you think it is at all. It could be what you thought the solution was.
Theme:
For this week's theme, I have another pretty deep quote. "He is asking to be punished. So I do what I know will destroy him: I pull Jesse into my arms as he sobs. His back is broader than mine. He stands a half-head taller than me. I don't remember seeing him go from that five-year-old, who wasn't a genetic match, to the man he is now, and I guess this is the problem. [...] I cannot remember exactly when he stopped asking. But I do remember feeling as if something had gone missing, as if the loss of a kid's hero worship can ache like a phantom limb:(332). Brian has finally realized something that all parents need to know: when traumatic events occur that cause you to go on autopilot, make sure you stop once in a while and take a step back because otherwise, you might miss some of the most important things in your life.
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