Family Dynamics

My Sister's Keeper is a powerful story that deals with a family tragedy and describes how the different members of the family are affected by it. More specifically, it is a story about a girl with a serious illness (APL), and the impact her leukemia has on her family. 

Sixteen-year-old Kate was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia when she was two, and when her parents heard news that she would only have a 23% chance of survival, they took whatever measures were necessary in order to save their child. Those extreme measures resulted in the birth of Anna, a genetically engineered little sister, who's purpose is to be an exact match for her older sister in order to donate blood and anything else that is required. Over the course of 13 years, Anna is forced to undergo multiple medical procedures to keep her sister alive. 

More info on APL - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childAML/HealthProfessional/page7

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/acute-promyelocytic-leukemia

Kate's leukemia has a profound effect on her family, and this is one of the main themes in the book. 

Although the Fitzgerald's are all part of one family, but they cannot get along as a unit. Kate is very sick, and is constantly struggling to stay alive and try to live her life, Sara, the mother, remains as strong as she can and is willing to do anything in order to save her daughter, even if that means risking the happiness of the rest of the family. Brian, the father, is quiet but attentive, and uses his job as a firefighter to escape and distract himself from the family life. Anna, the younger sister and main character, battles with herself and her family to be her own person and what she believes is right and wrong. Anna truly loves Kate, and really wants Kate to get better, but she feels as though only one of them can live, and she feels as though it is her turn. Jesse, the older brother, constantly rebels against his family and against the law in order to distract himself of the tragedy of his home life. 

""Don't mess with the system, Anna," he (Jesse) says bitterly. "We've all got our scripts down pat. Kate plays the Martyr. I'm the Lost Cause. And you, you're the Peacekeeper."" (pg 15)

The parents, Sara and Brian, are being pulled every which-way -- trying to save their dying daughter, yet they want to pay attention to all of their children and give them a normal life. In this situation, I can understand how the parents struggle with their roles, and feel like they have to pick who to love or who to care for and give 100% to. The obvious choice is Kate, because of her illness, but they are blinded by Jesse's reckless behavior and Anna's anger, concern and her feeling of being used and not cared for. Near the beginning of the book, Anna decides to sell her favorite necklace in order to help pay for s lawyer, and only her father notices that she is acting strangely. Her mother is too consumed with caring for Kate to see deeply into the lives of her other children. 

I am very interested to see how the family dynamic changes and develops as the story continues. 

How to Change the World

Can one person change the world?

We always wonder if our actions in our life will make a difference in the world. I was watching the TV show House the other day and they were treating a retired cancer researcher, who left her job to pursue happiness. She was asking her doctor if he were happy, and he talked about that on his death bed, he wanted to look back on his life and feel like he made a difference, and she responded that the day you die is only one day, and you should focus on doing things that are worthwhile all the other days in your life. This scene reminded me of The Help, as well as this blog prompt.

It is easy to argue that everything you do affects and changes the world, or that the world never changes, no matter what you, the world won't change. I believe that we can change the world by doing good things in our every day lives. By random acts of kindness, or by devoting to and loving other people, and thus making a difference in their lives.

Aibileen is making a difference in the way the cares for Mae Mobley. She is raising Mae in her image, and working hard every day to make sure that she gets the love and affection she needs in order to grow into a kind individual. She is making a difference in the way that Mae will see and feel about African American people, and that means a lot during that time period. Aibileen hopes that when Mae grows up that she will not be as racist and indifferent as her mother. She wants Mae to care about other people and the things that are important, instead of being insecure and petty like her mother.
By making a difference in Mae's life, and also in the lives of those around her, Aibileen is changing the world.

True Hero

A hero or heroine refers to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity.

Being a hero, or heroine, is something that I believe every person strives for, whether they know it or not. People want to do good, distinguish themselves from the crowd, and be role models for others. It is said that it is our actions that make us heros, actions such as standing up for someone in need or remaining strong in the face of danger. 

The first thing when comes to mind when thinking about heros, are super heros. My youngest brother is really into watching a show called Young Justice, where the sidekicks and younger heros help to save the world along side the more famous, adult heros. These young heros include Kid Flash, Robin, Aqua Lad, and others. But these fictitious beings with superpowers aren't the heros in real life, but I definitely think that they help to teach kids about being brave and having a drive to do good, but also allude to the real life heroic figures, such as policemen, firemen, doctors, etc. The number one heros in most childrens' lives are their parents. Parents are a perfect example of true heros, being that they put the life and wellbeing of their child before that of themselves. Heros stand up for others and help to eliminate evil. 

In this video, college students from UGA talk about what they think a hero is... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zegboN3w1Dw


In the book The Help, Aibileen, an African American woman working as a housemaid and nanny for a woman names Miss Leefolt, is a true hero in the story. She decides to help a white woman named Skeeter write a book about what it was like to be a maid in Mississippi in the 1960s. She knows very well what the consequences would be if someone found out and talked, but she feels as though it could help others like her who are looked down on and cast out. Black maids in the south lived under constant fear, which is understandable during the time period, with Civil Rights movements occurring, and even some assassinations of important rights leaders, such as Medgar Evers. 
(Info on Medgar Evers http://www.biography.com/people/medgar-evers-9542324#early-life&awesm=~oDDiHikYDNzJHY)

Aibileen is able to see past Skeeter's book, and into the big picture. A breakthrough like this could expose the lives that African Americans led in the south during the time period, and in turn create a movement that would improve the lives of many people. She puts the good of others before herself, and takes risks for the greater good, all signs of a true hero.