The Social and Familial Analysis of My Sister’s Keeper (2004) by Jodi Picoult: Based on George Murdock’s Notion of Socialization and Functionalism

Abstract

My Sister’s Keeper (2004) by Picoult is a story about how a family, as an institution, may sometimes be extremely injurious to the kids, both physically and psychologically. My Sister’s Keeper relates a story about a sick girl whose illness affects the entire family dynamics. By applying Murdock’s social account of family to this novel and investigating the functions of the family, namely sexual, reproductive, educational, and economic, this study investigated family relations and functions and developed the argument by discussing the potential reasons for their problems. The characters were analyzed based on their roles and functions in the family, as well as their interactions with each other. In addition, the conflicts the family faces due to family dysfunction have been discussed. The results of the study show that members of a family often develop associations and interactions which occasionally can even get ferocious and hurt some of the members. Picoult’s portrayal of a young girl’s suffering from leukemia can be traced back to her intention to depict the various challenges and conflicts which influence her whole family. For Anna and Jesse as Kate’s siblings, the challenges can be also traumatic because they often go through fluctuations in their lives. The family’s role in dealing with the manifold causes of trauma and insecurity which is linked to Kate’s illness and her treatment has affected her quality of life.