Setting

Setting:

In this novel “My Sister’s Keeper” the setting takes place in a small town of Upper Darby in the State of Rhodes Island. In the two the two places where the story takes most place is in the Providence Hospital and the Fitzgerald’s household. The main characters are always at one of these locations which make them important setting. Since Kate has cancer she has to stay at the hospital for most of the book to get a number of operations etc. As for the Fitzgerald household the author describes it as a “typical American house”. They had a three-bedroom house. There is also an attic room above the two-door garage. Jesse has the attic all to himself while Anna and Kate share a room. The living room is filled with pictures mostly of Kate and Jesse however not many of Anna.

The time period is in 2010, however throughout the book the author provides flashbacks of memories in 1990. This is very useful because it helps the reader get a better understanding of the novel, what happen then and what’s currently happening.  Also the author switches the point of view, which is also very convenient.

Questions:

1) What do you think the author means by a “typical American house”?

2) What do you think the significance of a small town is?

3) Does the significance of the small town impact Kate’s situation? If so how?

4) Why do you think the author jumped back in time and different points of views?

5) Why did the author choose to isolate Jesse’s room?

6) What figure was Jesse to Anna? How did this relate to the tasks she had to do in the setting?

7) Is there any significance to Anna being born of New Year’s Eve?

8) Is there any significance as to why there are less pictures of Anna in the living room?

9) Why do you think the two girls share a room?

10) Does the setting of the part when Anna and Brian were looking up at the stars (astrology) have anything to do with the action of the book?

Answers:

1) I think the author wants us to think that this is going to be one of those typical book with a typical family etc. However after you keep reading you find out that this family is anything but normal.

2) It’s a small town therefore everyone knows each other for example how the lawyers knew each others tricks.   

3) I think it partially has some sort of significance, if it is a small town it means the word gets around meaning their life isn’t as private and discreet as they would want it to be.

4) The author most likely did that so that the reader could get a better understanding of the book and get to know everyone’s point of view on the situation.

5) I think the author chose to isolate Jesse’s room is because he is not one of the main characters in the book. I feel like the is just a supporting character for Anna whenever she needs him.

6) Like a parent figure, since her parents are not really there for her as they are too busy worrying about Kate, Jesse fills that position and is there for Anna anytime. It relates to the setting because if she needs to got somewhere he can take her.

7) I feel like her being born on New Year’s Eve signifies a whole new beginning for Kate and her parents, it’s a new start for them and a new opportunity to for them to try and fix Kate’s life.

8) Since Anna was purposely made just for the benefits of Kate, I feel as if the parents didn’t pay much attention to her hence the reason for a lack of pictures.

9) The two girls most likely share room because if anything happens to Kate, something happens to Anna. Therefore they would both be rushed to the hospital together.

10) When Brian tells Julia about how Anna was named after an Andromeda. Therefore the setting that he dad and Anna are in in a part does have an impact on the story.