Review of Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth

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Throughout the novel, Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult, we as the reader are presented an inside look into the many boundaries that are placed on the main character, Katie Fisher. While one could argue that the majority of the boundaries were placed on her because of her religion there are also boundaries present that were placed on her because of her parents. Katie Fisher's life pressures are much similar to those of a young student named Neil in the movie Dead Poets Society, where he endures daily pressures that turn into a problem he cannot overcome. The same situation of a family boundary is echoed in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Picoult suggests that there are many different boundaries that can be placed on an individual, including a possible religion, their family, or maybe even themselves, but regardless of why the boundaries are there or who they may be from, having too many boundaries never leads to a desirable outcome. And depending on who controls the boundaries one follows ultimately determines how one decides to cope with undesirable situations.

In the novel, Plain Truth, author Jodi Picoult follows the life of a young girl, Katie Fisher who because of her religion is not able to many of the things girls her age are normally allowed to do. Katie has to work on her family's farm and wear certain clothes. Because of her religion she is to marry an Amish man and continue to be faithful to her religion. If Katie were to ever cross this boundary she would be placed under a "bann" which meant she couldn't eat with her family or many other things. (Picoult 20) When Katie ends up becoming pregnant with a baby whose father is not Amish, Katie forces herself to believe she is not pregnant and refuses to tell anyone. On...

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...s throws the ball, fails and "throws like a girl." The young boy who believes girls could never handle a football the correct way is shown up by "Virginia Dare" who ends up throwing the ball further than any boy could. Once this happens the boy says, "she forgot she was a girl", suggesting that no girl could have thrown a ball that far. The boy is shocked, the boundaries that he had in his mind that no girl could cross, crossed it by changing his mind about girls and what they are capable of. Sometime the boundaries one sets for their self can be changed by a simple action of another person but sometimes it takes years to figure out that the boundaries one sets for itself weren't the right ones to follow.

As one has seen boundaries have led to lying, death, and realization.

Can we be successful with the boundaries, or are these boundaries the very reason we fail?

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