Hi everyone!
Today I would like to tell you a few words about the book which I’ve just read – My Sister's Keeper – written by American writer Jodi Picoult.
Picoult’s official website
My sister keeper (or, when you translate the Polish title into English, Without my permission) is the story about Fitzgeralds family. At the beginning we find out that it isn’t an ordinary family. The younger sister – Ann – was conceived to become a bone marrow donor for her sister, Kate, who has a cancer. Ann was genetically planned. Both girls live as if they were seriously ill and spend most of time in hospital. Ann is really brave and endures all suffering and pain. But one day she decides to stop everything. She doesn’t want to live only for her sister any more. Her mother is desperate and angry for the younger daughter. She even doesn’t want to think what can happen if Ann rebels. The Mother doesn’t want to listen to Ann, she doesn’t have time for her son and devotes her full attention to the sick daughter. But Ann is determined, so she finds a way to solve her problem. She goes to the lawyer and asks for help. She wants to deprive her parents of their parental rights. And the hell is beginning. Her mother doesn’t agree and her father doesn’t know what to do so he works all the time. The son gets into a trouble. And Kate feels worse and worse.
And there are some questions: is Ann so bad and selfish girl? Or maybe every men, even a child, should have the right to decide about his body? And can others decide about us without our permission? These are questions that every reader should answer himself. But maybe there is something else, which causes that we can see Ann’s decision in another light? If you want to know what it is, you should read the novel. Really worth reading!
To confirm that this book is really worth reading and it is not only my opinion look at these websites:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Sisters-Keeper-Jodi-Picoult/dp/034083546X
http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/my_sisters_keeper/
Another prove that it is a fantastic book is that there is the screen adaptation of it from 2009. The book is from 2004 so the adaptation was made soon after the book appeared. The film was directed by Nick Cassavates. Actors playing main roles are Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin. The film is a little different than the book but it is worth watching
The movie trailer.
Someone can say that it is only a book, what is more, this book is rather for women. But it also affects the problem of interference with human genes. It is a very controversial problem: what can we do with human genes and all body, and what we shouldn’t? What is ethical and what isn’t? It is a huge topic, so here we can focus on Fitzgeralds case:
1. Do you think it was a good decision to conceive a child only to help another child? Why?
2. Does Ann have the right to decide about herself and stop helping?
3. How far a human can go in interfering with the genes? For example, what do you think about cloning?
Hi
ReplyDeleteI've seen this movie and I think Ann had a big right to do what she did. Everybody should have this right to decide for themselves. But on the other hand I can understand her parents. They love her just as much as they love their seek, older daugther. They did not treat Ann only as a tool for the restoration of her sister health.
And about cloning..I'm not sure but I think it can be dangerous, if it will become popular boundaries can disappear so everyone would do what they feel like and it probably could goes out of contol
1. It's a terrible thing to do, though I'd understand such a parent.
ReplyDelete2. Ann has a full right to decide about herself, why wouldn't she?
3. People shouldn't touch the things that may get out of control, it might end up really badly. I think that maybe I would support cloning healthy organs if there was a way to (for transplantation), only if there was no human being involved in it as a host organism... But i'd have doubts about it too...
Haven't read a book or seen a movie.
ReplyDeleteHow far can people go in genetic science and cloning? You would be surprised.
I think it's not a question how far can they go, but when? how fast? Cloning problem isn't brand new one. We would always facing a dilemma between utility and ethic. Cloning ourselves for replacement parts - great, but as a separate independent being - I'm scared.
1. Do you think it was a good decision to conceive a child only to help another child? Why?
ReplyDeleteThey didn't have the right to harvest her for 'spare parts' like she were a robot, one thing is creating replacement parts through bio-engineering and other thing taking them from a living person. For me they are criminals.
2. Does Ann have the right to decide about herself and stop helping?
Of course, I'd even say she should do this.
3. How far a human can go in interfering with the genes? For example, what do you think about cloning?
Generally I approve it but there are some cases like the one from this book which I don't
Its a very hard topic to discuss, weather man can decide about other people's life. Nature might not be perfect in some aspects but does it give us right to improve it and mess with it? Is this moral to use human being just to save another one? Using it as a tool or medicine is certainly not right. For me it seems that those parents shouldn't have burden little child with such a huge responsibility and moral dilemma. We have to remember about basic human right to treat everyone equally with dignity and respect, regardless age.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the movie titled "The Island" ? If you are interested in this subject i suggest you watch it. The movie is about humans who were made (cloned) for a special commission just for organs. Clones live in specialy prepared society, that keeps them in a good shape and health. When they need to leave society for some transplantations they believe they go to the island paradise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2_fcRhm4g
1. Do you think it was a good Decision this conceive a child only this help another child? Why?
ReplyDeleteI think this is a question very ethical and very dependent on the situation. A man being not in such a situation is not able to answer it.
2. Does Ann have the right this decide about herself and stop Helping?
In my opinion as a common man I think yes. However, on-site parent who wants to save the second child-I think it is a a difficult question.
3. How far a human can go in interfering with the genes? For example, what do you think about cloning? It is a sad but I think the man long ago been cloned, but nobody speaks about it because is afraid of the consequences ...
I have already watched that film and I have been thrilled. I cannot even imagine what I would do in such a difficult situation. We can imagine that we would behave in absolutely moral and ethical way but in fact nobody know. I agree with Michał that we are not able to answer on it. In tough moment people become unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteDoes Ann have the right to decide about herself and stop Helping?
On the one hand I think that yes she does because it was her life and nobody even parents have right to decide it. Furthermore it is absolutely normal that Ann as a young girl want to have a normal life and live in young way... On the other hand maybe she was to young to decide about such a hard and important things.
I don't know ...it's really tough topic.
I've seen this movie and I think it shows more than the human suffering during illness. We can see mother's love to her daughter. Mother did not want to believe that her daughter dies. Woman paid no attention to the suffering of the whole family.
ReplyDeleteMaybe for many of us girl's (I mean Ann's) behavior is surprising, but not for me.... I should not give too many details about this movie, I think you should see it.
Cloning a human being - I think it has already occurred but for obvious reasons, in secret from the public. I hope that the development of technology in the field of genetics will be aimed in the right direction.