Megan C., 9th Grade: Eppie and Oliver
In order to understand these orphans you have to know the similarities and differences. Eppie is not fully an orphan because she has a dad, but he doesn’t claim her to be his. Eppie is raised by Silas, the man she grows up to call dad. Oliver’s parents died when he was very young and he was put in an orphanage. Oliver didn’t like the orphanage, because he would get in trouble for pointless things, so he ran away.
Oliver and Eppie are alike in many ways, but they both stand out as individuals. Oliver, as you know, grew up in an orphanage, but ran away. When he ran away he was found on the street and is taken in by a man, who was at the time, is very kind, but ended up being a crook. Similar to Oliver, Eppie was found on the street, but not alone. Eppie was found next to her mother, but her mother was unconscious. Later, Silas finds out that Eppie’s mother is dead, and he keeps Eppie as his own. Eppie and Oliver were raised by people who found them, but both people had help from others. Oliver was raised by a big group of adults who always stole from others. Silas and Dolly raised Eppie. Dolly helped Silas by giving him advice and old clothes. Oliver is taught to take from others, being influenced by the people he was raised by, but one day he was caught stealing and was about to be taken by the police when a kind man saved him and brought him home, his name was Mr. Brownlow. Mr. Brownlow had a niece named Rose, she was very kind to Oliver, and helped him to be a little gentleman. Unlike Eppie, Oliver was taken in by two different families and was switched back and forth between them. In the end Oliver goes with Mr. Brownlow, and Eppie marries Dolly’s son, Erin. Both orphans have a rough life, but end up happy in the end.
Both the movie and the book, end well for both characters. Eppie gets married and Oliver ends up with a rich man he really loves. In life we want to know things will have a happy ending and these characters lives show us that we can have one. I though both the book and the movie had good morals, and can teach everyone a lesson.