Thoughts About the Book

I love this book overall, especially with the large amount of history Incorporated into the story. I also enjoy the insight into the foster care system both in Vivian's time and in Molly's time. Despite this, I greatly disliked the ending. Personally, I think it ends too suddenly and simply isn't a satisfying ending. Also, I hate how Dutchy dies because it destroys the happy ending that the readers want for Vivian.

Questions I have from the book

The book’s large focus on life in a foster family makes me wonder how realistic this portrayal is. The book mainly shows foster families as being tolerable at best and brutally abusive at worst, but I’m not sure whether or not this is generally true in reality. Along with that, I’m also wonder about the experiences of immigrants and the discrimination they faced. I’m curious about when immigration was most common, where most immigrates settled, and when there was the most discrimination against them. 

Big Ideas in Orphan Train

Orphan Train contains the theme of the American Dream and how it’s an illusion. Vivian’s family, for example, goes to America with hopes for a new life and an escape from poverty. This dream, however, fails because of how they realize that they are worse off than they were in Ireland. The book also contains the idea of education and its importance. In the book, Vivian really wants to go to school in order to learn. Also, she highly values her ability to read and knows that education is important. Along with that, family also plays a large role in the book. Both Vivian and Molly, for example always feel like they are missing something and are usually outcasts in their foster families. Also, Vivian believes that support from extended family would have helped her and her family when they went to America. She notes that others have succeeded because of support from family.

Response

Possible research projects

• Historical context--experience on the orphan train
• Foster families today
• Immigration and the American dream--particularly for a subset/particular group of immigrants

I like the historical context of Orphan Train. This book is very intriguing and I just want to keep reading it to find out what happens to Niamh. I know that Niamh is the old lady, Vivian, but how does she get this name (Anna don't answer this because you are a head of me in the book)? I wonder if Niamh and Dutchy get adopted and do they ever see each other again after the orphan train? Personally I am more interested in Niamh's story over Molly's story, but that is because of the historical context. I like the way Christina Baker Kline incorporates in Vivian's story with in Molly's story. I wonder what other things will stir the memories of Vivian's past in the attic. 

Even in just the first couple chapters of the Orphan Train you can tell that the American Dream is a hopeless idea in the context of the historical times of the book and it is still in context of society today.

The Assignment and the How-To

Hi Everyone,
In order to post, you need to click that Blogger logo in the upper left corner.  See it? The orange box with the squiggly thing in it?  Then, click on the pencil next to your blog title.  That will allow you to write your post.  When you are done, click "Publish."

Here's Your Assignment:

One thing that we have said repeatedly in our class is that American literature is an ongoing conversation about a few central topics.  These topics are ingrained in our national narrative, the story of who we are as people.  This week, you will begin thinking about topics that connect to this American narrative, and these topics will become the focus of your research after winter break.

To get you started generating topics for research, use your lit circle books.  I'd like two written responses from you this week, both posted to your group blog.  I also expect you to read and respond to each others' posts.  If you were to type your response in Word first, it would be about a page.  DO NOT JUST ANSWER A LIST OF MY QUESTIONS.  Instead, generate two or three paragraphs on the questions that interest you most.  The questions to consider:

• What do you like best about your book?  What do you like least?
• What was the most powerful part of the text?  The most exciting?
• Which of our central questions (American dream/possessions, nature, race and equality, individual power, etc.) does your text address most thoroughly?
• What questions does this book raise for you?  What does it make you wonder?
• What are some topics that you could research (based on your book)?
• What place do you think your text has in the body of American literature?
• How does the text "talk back" to some of the authors we've already read?
• What do you know about the author of your book?  Are you curious to know more about the author's story?