final...just backing it all up!

Amanda Russo
June 3, 2008
Period 1
Curriculum Consultant


When the reader can connect with a novel and its message, it is considered a truly valuable book. Students especially need to have the opportunity to relate to what they are reading; it gives them a better understanding of the subject. Jodi Picoult’s novel, My Sister’s Keeper, and Sandra Cisneros’ short collection of vignettes called The House on Mango Street contrast greatly. In both novels, the protagonist is put into a situation where she has to make a difficult decision between what is right and wrong. The main character in My Sister’s Keeper, Anna, is her sister Kate’s lifeline in her battle with Leukemia whenever she needs a stem cell transplant, but she has had enough of her parents making these decisions for her. Now that Kate needs a kidney transplant, Anna’s reluctance toward donating her kidney puts her sister in a life or death situation. Meanwhile, Esperanza, The House on Mango Street’s main character, must decide whether or not to move away from the house that she had lived in since she was twelve. While Picoult’s novel illustrates relationships that are found in most families and covers current moral issues throughout a moving story, Cisneros’ book falls short because it fails to create an emotional hook for a teen reader.
Sister to sister and mother to daughter relationships are the two main themes that are discussed throughout the novel My Sister’s Keeper. Even though Anna and her sister have an inseparable bond, Anna wants to be noticed as an individual person and not just as her sister’s keeper. “Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break, and she can't live without her,” (Alanna’s English 10 Blog). Another relationship that is developed in the novel is between Kate and her mother, Sara. No one is able to let go of the children they love, especially a mother. Ever since Kate was two years old, she has been struggling to defeat her illness, and her mother’s unquestionable support is what convinced Kate that it is worthwhile to fight back. Conversely, The House on Mango Street doesn’t discuss any strong ties amongst characters. For instance, the relationship between Esperanza and her sister never develops. Their bond is portrayed as less familial and more causal. During the fourteen years that her daughter has been at war with Leukemia, Sara has stayed positive and helped her daughter be the strongest that she could be even when almost all hope was lost. That relationship exemplifies how one person’s illness effects numerous people in all different ways, which is practical to reality. Themes of interpersonal relationships are easy for high school students to connect to since they are dealt with everyday, making My Sister’s Keeper more intriguing than The House on Mango Street.
My Sister’s Keeper is based on a storyline that many people can relate to. It is sadly commonplace to need to deal with a loved one’s illness and then be willing to sacrifice anything to cure them. The controversial issue of creating perfectly designed babies to help cure someone’s illness is the story’s main focus. As science has improved over the past few years, advances such as the creation of “designer babies” have come about, causing great debate. A current example is that of a British couple who wanted to create a “designer baby”, also known as a “spare parts baby,” to save their oldest son who was suffering with a fatal blood disease. After having this special baby, procedures were carried out to donate his stem cells to his sickly brother. This brought up questions such as, “ how would a child feel, knowing that he was conceived for the sole purpose of saving his sibling’s life,” and “where would a donor’s own rights begin and his responsibility end?” (Arie). The only way to save their child’s life was to treat him with his newborn brother’s stem cells, but if complications arose, who knows what else he would be required to donate to his older brother. This statement relates right back to My Sister’s Keeper. At first, just like in the newborn’s case, Anna was conceived only for the purpose of donating stem cells to her sister, but as time passed, she was in the hospital undergoing procedures almost as often as her sister Kate was. Her responsibility went from donating stem cells, to eventually contemplating a life-saving kidney transplant. Anna explained this when discussing her parents and what it was like to be a donor. She said, "they don't really pay attention to me, except when they need my blood or something. I wouldn't even be alive, if it wasn't for Kate being sick," (Picoult, 33). The honesty of this statement pulls the reader into the novel on a deep emotional level. As much as she loved her sister, there was a part of Kate that wanted to be set free, just as many people who are in her position probably feel but might never admit.
On the contrary, The House on Mango Street lacks a theme that is current and poignant, making it unappealing for students to read and study. Although the collection of vignettes creatively explains the life of a young girl maturing, its only theme is change. Depending on how this theme is explored through the narrative, it can be meaningful or insignificant. In this book however, the theme of change proves itself to be minor compared to what the author could have constructed. The book’s purpose is clearly expressed by the author, but its ideas are not easily discussable like those in My Sister’s Keeper.
Since there are so many issues that people debate about, the curriculum of PHHS should include a book that revolves around a current controversial topic. When comparing the two books, the idea of creating “designer babies” is much more intriguing than that of a person growing up and changing. When one compares the two types of change that these female characters go through in their respective books, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper goes well beyond just the idea of the protagonist, Anna, changing. From Anna wanting to change her life, the bigger story evolves. Books do not always have to teach a life lesson, but typically in our school’s curriculum, they tend to discuss significant messages or themes that students can relate to. By reading a book that relates to a problem in the world, students get a better understanding of the issue and are able to relate better to it. From this, it is safe to conclude that The House on Mango Street’s theme is not as fully developed as My Sister’s Keeper, and it should therefore, be removed from the curriculum.
The two books seem so different, but when you really take the subjects apart, My Sister’s Keeper and The House Mango Street have similar ideas, but these themes are not explored with equal strength. Throughout the novel, My Sister’s Keeper illustrates the inseparable bonds connecting a mother to her daughter and also one sister to the other. By just examining the critical issue that the book revolves around, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper would, without a doubt, be a strong and worthwhile addition to the English curriculum at Pascack Hills High School or any other high school at this time.

rough draft

When the reader can connect with a novel and what it is trying to say in between the lines it is a truly valuable book. Students especially, need to have the opportunity to relate to what they are reading; it gives them a better understanding of the subject. Jodi Picoult’s novel, My Sister’s Keeper, and Sandra Cisneros’ short book called The House on Mango Street contrast greatly. While Picoult’s novel illustrates relationships that are found in most families and covers the issue of designer babies throughout a moving story, Cisneros falls behind with the development of a minor theme in her book.
Sister to sister and mother to daughter relationships are the two main themes that are discussed throughout the novel My Sister’s Keeper. Anna’s bond with her sister Kate is inseparable, but when her Kate’s illness is at its worst, Anna’s kidney is her only lifeline. Anna’s main purpose is to be her sister’s donor whenever she needs a transplant, but she has had enough of her parents making these decisions for her; Anna wants to be noticed as a single person and not just her sister’s keeper. “Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break, and she can't live without her, “ (My Sister’s Keeper). Another relationship that is shown in the novel is that between Kate and her mother, Sara. No one is able to let go of the children they love, especially a mother. Ever since Kate was two years old, she has been struggling to defeat her illness, and her mother’s unquestionable support is what convinced Kate that it is worthwhile to fight back. During the fourteen years that her daughter has been at war with Leukemia, Sara has stayed positive and helped her daughter be the strongest that she could be even when almost all hope was lost. These relationships show how one person’s illness effects numerous people in all different ways, which is practical to reality.
My Sister’s Keeper is based on a storyline that so many people can relate to because everyone deals with a situation where someone you love is sick and you would do anything to cure them. The controversial issue of creating designer babies to help cure someone who is sick is the story’s main focus. As science has improved over the past few years, advances such as creating “designer babies” have come about, causing controversy. A real life example is that of a British couple who wanted to create a designer baby to save their oldest son with a fatal blood disease. After having this designer baby, procedures were done to donate his stem cells to his brother. This then brought up questions such as, “ how would a child feel, knowing that he was conceived for the sole purpose of saving his sibling’s life,” or “where would a donor’s own rights being and his responsibility end?” (Arie). The only way to save their child’s life was to treat him with his newborn brother’s stem cells, but if complications arose, who knows what else he would have to donate to his older brother. The idea of this statement relates right back to My Sister’s Keeper. At first, just like in this newborn’s case, Anna was only conceived for the purpose of donating stem cells to her sister, but as time passed, she was in the hospital getting procedures almost as much as her sister Kate was. It went from donating stem cells, to eventually thinking about a life-saving kidney transplant. As Anna explained when talking about her parents and being a donor she said, "they don't really pay attention to me, except when they need my blood or something. I wouldn't even be alive, if it wasn't for Kate being sick," (Picoult, 33). As much as she loved her sister, there was a part of her that wanted to be set free, just as most people who are in her position probably feel.
On the contrary, The House on Mango Street lacks a main idea that is relevant to today, making it not necessary to study. Although the short story of vignettes creatively explains the life of a young girl maturing, it only theme is change. Depending on how this theme is used in a book and the story that it goes along with, it can be meaningful or insignificant. In this book however, the theme of change proves itself to be minor compared to what the author could have made it into. The book’s purpose is clearly expressed by the author, but its ideas are not easily discussable like those in My Sister’s Keeper. When comparing the two books, the idea of creating designer babies is much more relevant to people than a person growing up and changing. Since there are so many issues that people debate about, it would make the most sense to include a book that is revolved around a controversial topic. When you compare the two types of change that these girls go through in both books, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper goes beyond just the idea of the protagonist, Anna, changing. From Anna wanting to change her life, the bigger story evolves. Books do not always have to teach a life lesson, but typically in our school’s curriculum, they tend discuss significant messages or themes that students can relate to. By reading a book that relates to a problem in the world, students get a better understanding of the issue and are able to relate better to it. From this, it is safe to conclude that The House on Mango Street’s theme is not as fully developed as My Sister’s Keeper, and should therefore, be removed from the curriculum.
The two books seem so different, but when you really take the ideas apart, My Sister’s Keeper and The House Mango Street have similar ideas, but they also have ideas that are not equally strong. Throughout the novel, My Sister’s Keeper illustrates the inseparable bonds connecting a mother to her daughter and also one sister to the other. By just examining the critical issue that the book revolves around, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper would, without a doubt, be a strong and worthwhile addition to the English curriculum.

5 day breakkk!

So, we just got back today from a five day break, which was really fun. Well, on thursday night, after school, I went to the Melting Pot to celebrate my friend's sister's 13th birthday. I've been there like two other times, and I continue to have an amazing time every time I am there. Then on Friday morning around 11:00, I went over to the barn and spent the day there. On Saturday, I did the same thing, but that night I rented Sweeny Todd. I've seen it two other times already, but it's fun to watch. Sunday was a nice change though because my cousins came to visit and we went up to the Bear Mountain Zoo/Park. I haven't seen them in a couple of months, so it was nice to hang out with everyone all day. On Monday morning, I spent time outside playing with my two dogs and finishing an amazing book called My Sister's Keeper. In the afternoon, I went to the barn again to ride, and then my friends came over to swim in my pool at night. Finally, Tuesday came. I didn't really do that much; it was the only day that I had to completely relax and do nothing, so it was nice. Now, it's Wednesday, and I'm back in school, but at least we have a three day week! Summer is almost here :)

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Cornell Notes 3

Title: My Sister’s Keeper
Author: Schaffner
Year Published: 2008

Main Idea #1:

Summary: A consistent blogger gives their input on the book as a whole. Overall, the critique says that My Sister’s Keeper is a captivating book with a message, which is true in so many ways. The book has a good story line, but the main idea of the book is relative to a major controversy in the US.

Quote: For me, ten minutes is enough to get me hooked in just enough that I don’t want to stop reading.

Question: Other than the ending, is there anything else that you would change in the book?

How will this source help you write your paper?: This blog is not only informative, but it gives an outsider’s opinion on the book, which I can later on use to compare to one of the books in our school’s curriculum.