Literary Techniques In My Sister's Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper written by Jodi Picoult in 2004, explores the lives of two sisters, Kate and Anna Fitzgerald as they come to terms with Kate’s illness and Anna being the only family member with the power to save her sister; regardless of the emotional and physical toll it has on the youngest child. The novels many themes and ideas focus on the thin line between what is right and what is wrong and how the different members of the Fitzgerald family interpret it and death. The bond between the different Fitzgerald children and how their secrets and misfortunes have brought them closer is explored on multiple occasions during the novel. Picoult uses a number of different techniques and features in order to explore these themes including symbolism, metaphors and foreshadowing.

The plot of the novel focuses on Anna Fitzgerald’s desire to no longer donate various parts of her body to her sister – who suffers from leukaemia and is destined to die without her sister’s donations. As it becomes clear throughout the novel that Anna’s entire existence is to keep Kate alive through various donations and treatments. As Kate makes the decisions to becomes medically emancipated in order to have the freedom to make her own decisions
Themes explored in the novel include the thin line between what is right and wrong and how the different characters see it, based on their current situation. The bond between the different characters, particularly the two sisters (Kate and Anna) is explored through a series of metaphors and symbolism throughout the story. Foreshadowing is commonly used from the beginning of the novel till the end, used to engage the reader and suggest a different outcome that is initially thought by the reader and the