SPOILER ALERT : MY SISTER'S KEEPER
While reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, I had a constant Jesse radar, where I watched for upcoming chapter's from Anna's older brother Jesse's perspective. From the very beginning of the book, I've had an interest in that character for the simple reason of him being the rebel. Naturally, people are interested in others who disregard rules. One of the first descriptions of Jesse was that he had figured out a way to make his own alcohol in his apartment. This sets his character up as being brilliant, but misunderstood.
My favorite passage of the entire book comes from page 93. It's Jesse's point of view and the scene is set in the bathroom of their house a few years earlier. It's actually Jesse explaining a memory he has of Anna. The memory consisted of him pouring flammable bath splash onto the floor and setting it on fire. Anna walks in and sees him. He expects her to be afraid as he pours her name onto the tiles and ignites but instead she pours a weird design on the floor and tells him to re-light it. To me, this held significance because of the lines that followed it. Jesse explains, "Anna is the only proof I have that I was born into this family, [...] On the surface, we're polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we're the same," (93). This passage resonated with me and showed me the importance of Jesse in the story. To Anna's parents, Anna was a sort of second choice and even though they love her as much as their other children, she wouldn't have existed if there wasn't an underlying incentive for her life. For Jesse, however, Anna being born was the best thing that could have happened to him. She kept him home and in touch with his family. Anna was the only person who talked to Jesse like he is on the inside and not what she saw on the outside.
I thought this was so interesting because for most of the family, Anna hadn't connected with them on a personal level. For example, when Brian asks Anna about her detached behavior, Anna doesn't even realize that the question was put to her instead of her sister. All he said was, "Something happen today?" and "You feel okay?" (39) but Anna instinctively looked to her sister to answer. For Jesse, Anna is the one person who he can talk to without worrying about disappointing her. That's why he became the most interesting character for me.
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
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What an interesting interpretation of Jesse. I've never thought of it that way. Like Anna, Jesse has grown up in the process. Anna and Jesse need to take responsibility for themselves. For Anna it is standing up for herself while for Jesse it is being responsible for himself and taking care of himself while the rest of his family is focused on his sister.
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