Reading+Reflections

1. Anna's decision to medically emancipate herself is one that is completely justifiable. She is fed up with all the operations and procedures that she must go through, at her parents will, that are only prolonging Kate's mortality. It is not fair that Anna's parents, particularly her mother, expect her to give up a kidney without even asking how she felt about the situation. However, it is not entirely unbelievable that Anna's mother feels the way she does concerning the transplants. After all, the only reason Anna was born, as stated by her and her mother, was to keep Kate alive. Also, all of Anna's problems and feelings are pushed aside to make way for Kate's. As a sibling of four, I can confirm that it does not feel good when a parent gives a sibling special treatment that another does not receive.
 * My Sisters Keeper**

2. Sara's and Brian's choice to conceive Anna was immoral on two different levels, the first being the scientific method in which Anna was conceived, the second being the reason she was conceived for. Scientifically, the Fitzgeralds altered the genetic makeup of their child by choosing specific embryo with the desired genetic trates. Even though the reasons were to save their daughter, Kate, there is no excuse for intervening in the process of fertilization. If people were allowed to choose the genetic trates of their children such as I.Q. and athletic ability, our society would become even more judgmental and superficial than the heavily media-influenced society today. Secondly, it was immoral of Anna's parents to conceive her for the reason of keeping her sister alive. The act of creating Anna as a doner for her sister causes Sara to adopt a mindset where Anna's needs and feelings are overshadowed by Kate's medical procedures. As a result, Anna feels rightly ignored and abused.

3. In the fictional world of the Fitzgeralds', Brian is placed in a bad position; stuck between the irrationality of his wife, his daughter, Kate's, condition, Anna's legal issues and feelings of neglect, and Jesse's reckless behavior. Because of Sara's unrealistic desires and priorities concerning Kate's disease, Brian is often left to guide his children in a positive manner almost completely alone. This is seen the numerous times when Anna flees to Brian's side in the fire station. Brina is being pulled in many different directions and is forced into tragic situations resulting in a form of depression. After years and years of dealing with Kate's cancer, he, unlike his wife, begins to accept Kate's mortality. I feel as if I would react similarly to Brian if I were put in his situation. I often think realistically. For this reason I believe I would, as Brian has, eventually realize my daughter could not survive such a desiease and cherish the time we had.

4. Jesse, the only Fitzgerald son, is having an identity crisis; he engages in dangerous and self-destructive behavior such as doing drugs and starting fires, but only because of his feelings of inadequacy and neglect. Truly, he is but a scared boy hiding behind a rebellious bravado. Jesse's feelings of inadequacy stem from his inability to help his sister, Kate, in her fight against cancer. Also, Jesse's out-lash against society can be partially contributed to years of neglect by his parents. While their priorities lie with Kate's illness, Jesse feels it necessary to participate in stupid activities in order to gain their attention. I can relate to Jesse and understand why he does the things he does because I have 3 siblings. It does not feel good when one of my siblings gets "special attention," however, it is not acceptable to commit felonies and cause harm to others and your self as an outlet.

1. Christopher's reaction to situations that are "overwhelming" is to shut out the world around him. This is mainly because he has difficulty understanding people, dealing with new environments, or is presented with an overload of information. He curls up into a ball and finds his personal place of comfort to tune out what is coming in. Normal-functioning people, like myself, also have outlets for stress, such as listening to music or finding a quiet place to calm down. However, Christopher deals with stress by closing his eyes, curling up, and making noise so he cannot hear or see anything around him. For instance, Christopher puts his hands over his ears, closes his eyes, and hunches over on the grass when the policeman asks him a series of questions pertaining the dead dog, Wellington.
 * The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time**