Death With a Twist

Author's Note: I am hoping to improve my score on conflict resolution with this piece on "My Sister's Keeper" With very conflicts that form in to unique endings. 

As a cancer patient, life slowly crumbles through your fingers.  Going to college, getting married, having children all become improbable dreams. The Fitzgerald’s know exactly how this works. Suffering from very persistent leukemia, Kate at only 15 had spent the majority of her life in a hospital bed. Only thing that has kept her alive for such an extensive time is her younger sister Anna. But, Anna has decided to be in charge of her body and give her sister what she’s always wanted. This created a large conflict between many of the characters in the book, “My sisters Keeper” By Jody Picoult , and an unique resolution.  

Cancer takes a toll on everyone involved, especially Anna.  She goes against the “right” thing to do and takes her life in to her own hands. Which is obviously frowned open in the Fitzgerald’s household. Resulting in a Person vs. Society conflict. Anna vs. her family; she is sick of being the backbone and done with being poked and prodded. Who can blame her? But, her parents do not understand Anna’s fight and choose to deny her of her needs, creating a large and obvious battle between the two. Also Kate has done the same as Anna; she has gone against her family (Person vs. society). She has chose to take her life in to her own hands. Hands that want to rip up her life and throw it away.

Even though she goes against her family it seems Anna has it all figured out; starting her own lawsuit alone and with no support. But Anna starts to question her own motives. She runs in to person vs. self. Anna starts to doubt her decisions on her lawsuit and whether it is for the best or not. Yes, her sister wants it but will her family hate her forever? Is she wrong for letting her sister die?

Although Anna rethinks her lawsuit she follows through with it. In fact, she ends up winning but death is at hand for Kate. It’s seems a perfect ending is that life spares Kate and she becomes sick-free. Everyone lives happily ever after, right? Not so much. Instead a twist takes place. Anna goes brain dead from a tragic car crash. Organs and all were donated to Kate, giving her a necessary transplant to go to college and start a life. All conflicts resolved with an obviously bittersweet resolution.  A very surprising, uncommon one at that.

Maybe surprising and uncommon but not as rare in the books  “Get Well Soon” by Julie Halpern and “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. All have resolutions that end with trades and  all have conflicts that persist through the whole book. “Get Well Soon” a young girl, Anna, is sent to a mental hospital and each day prays to leave, until she meets the unexpected “love of her life”. Conflicts consisting alike with “My Sister’s Keeper”. This lovesick girl’s wishes come true and she leaves the hospital but without her acquired boy. Bittersweet is how I would define it. Bitter, heartbroken. Sweet, leaves the place that causes her agony. A Trade. Only “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is quite similar. Conflicts, although changing throughout the book, are none stop with person vs. self, person vs. society, and person vs. person.  Denny, Father and ex-race car driver, loses his wife to cancer and loses his daughter to a lawsuit. His money is gone and all that’s left is his loyal pooch Enzo. This resolution ends with the death of his best friend, Enzo, but his dreams of testing cars and having his daughter back are remarkably fulfilled. Again, a trade.  All depressing conflicts and bittersweet endings.

Kate’s life changes in the aggressive collision of two cars, Denny’s with a phone call, and Anna’s with a change of mind. Conflicts relating to resolution and resolution to conflict, especially in “My Sister’s Keeper” with conflicts that turn enormously during the resolution. Every part works together to make similar yet different twists on each book. Improbable dreams turn in to reality!