Stars and Cosmology Symbol in My Sister’s Keeper

In My Sister’s Keeper, the stars and their various cosmologies represent the cruelty and beauty of fate. Brian, an amateur astronomer, often uses the stars to ponder his own place in the world. The ancient age of the stars, as well as the various myths told about them, signify individuals’ small and insignificant place in the universe. During some parts of the novel, this fact becomes a point of comfort; for example, Brian and Anna go stargazing together while she stays with him at the fire station, allowing her to step away from the stress of her lawsuit and ponder her place in the wider universe. However, the vastness of space also serves as a reminder that the novel’s characters are faced with an existence that they cannot fully control or predict. This is reflected in many of the myths that Brian tells Anna, such as that of Orpheus and Eurydice, where individuals’ attempts to change their fate end in tragedy.

Stars and Cosmology Quotes in My Sister’s Keeper

The My Sister’s Keeper quotes below all refer to the symbol of Stars and Cosmology. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Anna’s real name is Andromeda. It’s on her birth certificate, honest to God. The constellation she’s named after tells the story of a princess, who was shackled to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster—punishment for her mother Casseopeia, who had bragged to Poseidon about her own beauty. Perseus, flying by, fell in love with Andromeda and saved her. In the sky, she’s pictured with her arms outstretched and her hands chained.

The way I saw it, the story had a happy ending. Who wouldn’t want that for a child?

Related Characters: Brian Fitzgerald (speaker), Andromeda “Anna” Fitzgerald

Related Symbols: Stars and Cosmology

Page Number and Citation: 43

Explanation and Analysis:

Stars and Cosmology Symbol Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper

The timeline below shows where the symbol Stars and Cosmology appears in My Sister’s Keeper. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

On the roof, Brian looks at the stars. If he weren’t a fireman, he would be an astronomer due to his love for... (full context)

...through his telescope, and Brian takes the opportunity to look at her, noticing that she’s starting to enter womanhood. He asks her if she has anything she wants to talk about,... (full context)

Julia is in Brian’s car, which is full of star charts. She asks him about his sky atlas, and he explains that he’s a hobby... (full context)

...them?” However, this shower is potentially once in a lifetime. Anna imagines picking up a star and keeping it in a fishbowl and asks if Kate can see this from her... (full context)

...biblical myth of Adam and Eve, stating that Brian likes the Pawnee myth about two star deities, Evening Star and Morning Star, who created the first female, with the first boy... (full context)

...and Lifesavers” section, mentally adding herself and Kate to it. She tries to look for stars, but it’s too cloudy. Brian comes up. Anna asks him how grown-ups find their way... (full context)

...and Campbell says he feels the same. The two of them talk briefly about the stars, with Campbell admitting he used to wish on a star every night. Anna asks Campbell... (full context)

...saying and compares making sense of her words to trying to find shapes in a constellation. Then, he realizes he’s been looking in the wrong places; other cultures look for shapes... (full context)

...sensing the tension between the two of them, leaves them alone. Brian thinks of how stars are not always how they first appear. (full context)

...his windshield while driving Sara to the hospital. Later that night, although there were no stars out, Brian suggested naming their new baby Andromeda, like the princess who remained in the... (full context)

...injury and is brain-dead—then asks if they want to pursue organ donation. Brian thinks about stars that initially appear like single bright stars but turn out to be twin stars rotating... (full context)

My Sister’s Keeper

Jodi Picoult

Stars and Cosmology Symbol Analysis

Stars and Cosmology Quotes in My Sister’s Keeper

Stars and Cosmology Symbol Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper