My Sister’s Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper

by

Jodi Picoult

My Sister’s Keeper: 37. Tuesday: Sara Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
As Brian takes the stand, Sara looks at his face and thinks about the features of him that she still loves, even though he’s changed so much over the years. She gets up to question him but ends up reminiscing about bringing the kids on an aimless road trip until they ended up in a dark cabin. Brian joins in, talking about how they lit candles and stayed inside all week to avoid the flies; it was a terrible place and a wonderful experience. Sara asks if Anna would miss these experiences if Kate was gone, and Brian says that they all would. In an instant, Sara and Brian are on the same page again; she realizes that, though they’ve disagreed on the details, they’ve accomplished so much together. Sara finishes her cross-examination by asking Brian when he’s coming home.
Brian and Sara’s recollection of their time in the cabin symbolizes the significance of their marriage despite difficult their difficult circumstances. Although the cabin was an unpleasant place, the fact that the family was able to spend time together and make meaningful memories reflects how Brian and Sara have made a beautiful life together despite struggling with Kate’s illness. By remembering the moments of their lives that have brought them together, Brian and Sara are able to emotionally reconcile while Brian is on the stand.
Themes
Parenthood Theme Icon
Illness and Isolation Theme Icon
During a recess, Sara goes to the courthouse basement to buy something from the vending machines. Brian comes down and recommends the Oreos, putting in the coins to buy them for her. The two of them sit down at a table, where Sara admits to him that she had no idea what to say to him on the stand. She then asks him if he thinks they’re good parents. Brian says he doesn’t know, wondering if anyone does. He puts an Oreo in her mouth and delicately brushes the crumbs from her lips.
The intimate moment that Sara and Brian share highlights that, although their marriage has been rocky for a long time, they’re beginning to reconcile with each other. They’re both honest with each other about their thoughts and feelings—a trait that they’ve struggled with in their relationship up until this point.
Themes
Parenthood Theme Icon
Control Theme Icon
Illness and Isolation Theme Icon
That night, Brian and Anna move back home. Before returning to the hospital, Sara goes into Anna’s room to talk to her. She tells Anna that she’s not bad for wanting to be her own person, and that it’s okay to have turned out differently than the person everyone expected her to become. She gives the example of a kid who’s bullied at one school but is popular at a new one because nobody had any expectations of her. Anna says she’s not making much sense, and Sara says that what she’s trying to say is that Anna reminds her of herself.
Sara’s reconciliation with Brian also moves her to find common ground with Anna. After a long time of disregarding Anna’s needs, she finally acknowledges them, seeing Anna’s desire for agency for what it is. Her acceptance of Anna’s wants more broadly signify her letting go of the need to control everything, since accepting Anna means accepting her right to keep her kidney.
Themes
Bodily Autonomy Theme Icon
Parenthood Theme Icon
Control Theme Icon
Sara muses about how, when you’ve been with the same person for so long, they start to feel like a well-worn map—until one day, you find an unfamiliar turnoff that you wonder if you’ve missed all along. That night, Brian lies next to Sara in bed and begins to kiss her, then bites her lip hard enough to draw blood. He then licks it off, surprising her. He then puts his head on her belly, a familiar gesture he did when she was pregnant. The two start to have sex. At one point, Sara says, “We’re going to lose her,” not knowing if she’s talking about Anna or Kate. Brian kisses her and tells her to stop, and they don’t talk anymore.
Most of the scenes with Sara and Brian up to this point have emphasized how stagnant and cold their relationship has become. In contrast, Brian’s surprising and provocative behavior signifies the new life being breathed into their marriage, as symbolized by the blood that Brian draws. Notably, although it was their children’s situations that strained their marriage, now they’re drawn back together by their love and grief for their children.
Themes
Parenthood Theme Icon
Control Theme Icon
Illness and Isolation Theme Icon
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