Chapter 1,2,3,4

Plot
-

Introduces Molly
Was in a foster home and adopted by Dina and Ralph
Got into legal trouble for stealing a book
Dina wants her out but Ralph sees good in her
During school this is the first time someone talks to her
She meets Jack who we assume she likes
Jack provides a method for her to complete community hours by helping
a lady clean out her attic, but must go through an interview
We find out her dad died in a car crash and mother went insane
Day of interview, she borrows clothes to differ from her classic goth
Old lady introduces self, shows interest in Molly
Vivians past of immigration to America, like others the promise land
Father was a drunk but got a job, they lived in a new apartment facing
discrimination
Fire at night killed her whole family, put into foster care which sent her on
a train of orphans

Character
Narrator: First person (Vivian), 3rd Person limited
-

Molly, Main character, victim

Vivian, Main character, victim
Dina, Villain? Foster mother, Ralph, good mother? Foster father
Jack, friend who is a boy, Terry, Jacks mother
Mrs. Scatcherd, Mr. Curran orphanage owners

Setting
-

Newly painted, large house Well mannered, well kept old lady
Vivians past home - small, dirty, poverty stricken
New home - still small, transition from old to new

Themes
-

Abandonment, neglect, love, CHANGE

Prediction: Coming of age, randomness of life

Symbols
-

Season is spring: new beginnings, shown in her change of attire for the
interview
Darkness of Massies room, on train Danger and unknown, for tells
Vivians bad future
Rain and fire cleansing of pass and hardships

Season is summer: Intensity, fire of whatever event

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Plot
-

The train travelled for days on end, stopping only to restock food
Few boys are trouble makers, one being sent to sit at the back with Vivian
Boy is Dutchy, whom she fears to be a bad influence to start
Riding further Dutchy reveals his past
Lived with an abusive father and ran away with a group of boys looking
out for one another
Few kids know the reality that theyre being sold to farms to work
They arrive at Chicago station
Dutchy runs off and Vivian follows where theyre detained
Vivian saves them from much punishment as she lied to excuse them
Vivian is done with her story for now and Molly returns home
She then appreciates her family even amid the conflict of her and Dina
Next day she goes to clean the house starting chronologically
The night before the day theyre sold Dutchy wants to promise to look for
one another
Vivian says it would be basically impossible and brings up fate
The train arrives at the new station in the morning
All children prepare to be most presentable

Characters
-

Dutchy Boy stuck next to Vivian, sinner, adventurer, victim

Carmine Boy Vivian is to take care of, victim

Setting
New York Train, Maine house, Milwaukee Train Station
Themes
-

Change, unknown, confronting the past

self-awareness and self improvement(retelling past, recounting positives
in life)
Innocence to experience her recounting her life to her wealth now
Fear; of unknown and of expectations
Fate, over-bearing religion
Importance of family

Symbols
-

Darkness, dusk Again into the unknown, new lives

Lights, carmine, of station and city hope, light in the darkness
Season of spring: Again, new beginnings but not all in the past is gone

TRAIN TRACKS path of life, ENTIRE STORY, train leads her to her new life

Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13

Plot
-

At the station, kids prepare in line

Event is large with advertisement and posters
All kids line up on stage and are shown off like animals
Carmine is taken by a blonde lady who wishes to complete a family
Dutchy talks back to a merchant whom talked down on Vivian
Dutchy taken by who he predicted, a farm owner looking for farm hands
Vivian is not chosen and boards train to next station
Moving to next station, she is chosen by family of irish heritage, to work
in sewing
New name, rebirth
The house is new and lights are higher technology
Back to Molly, Vivian asks her many questions about her parents
Vivian discovers that she may care about them but shes too angry to
realize
Vivian gives Molly a book, Anne of Green Gables, which touches Molly

Characters
-

Molly maturing, broader view and more self control

o More appreciation for others as well
Mr.Bryne mother figure?
Mrs. Bryne Father figure as a mother?

Setting
-

Milwaukee stage room

Minnesota stage room less kept, reflecting people that own it
o Also representing hope diminishing from one station to another
New stucco house New home, transition from old house, improved
everything
o Foreshadowing further gains

Themes
-

Love and care

Self Reflection, self improvement (Major for both Vivian and Molly)
New experience, change literal change in name can be considered
rebirth
Prediction: Love conquers all, fulfillment

Symbols

Sun, morning hope, goodness of adoption

Time of day as she matures, day goes on, day approaches night and she
returns to child
Darkness Approaching, darkness of night again unknown of Vivians
future
Light Higher tech can represent the transition from her past to a
brighter future

Chapter 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Plot
-

Molly decides to work early one day and goes to the house
No one answers the door but its unlocked so she walks in
Terry hurries in and lectures Molly, who then discovers Vivian sleeps in
She sat and read the book until Vivian woke up
One day during breakfast, Vivian finds out she will not be attending
school yet
She acts up and thus starts a heated relationship with Mrs. Bryne
Mary complains about her work output and Mrs. Bryne threatens to kick
her out
She goes with Fanny to get needles and Fanny gets Vivian a candy as well
Mrs. Bryne goes with Vivian to buy new clothes and a jacket
During the cold months, Fanny knits Vivian a pair of knitting gloves and
mittens
Depression hits the US and the Brynes lose it
Vivian is under fed and one by one workers are laid off
She is eventually unwanted and sent to a farm
She is driven by Mr. Sorenson who feels sympathy for her
Arriving at the house, the place is run down and small
Within, Mrs. Grote sleeps all day and doesnt tend to the kids
Mr. Grote is a good parent, but hunts daily to make enough food for the
family
Vivian attends school which she loves

Characters
-

Fanny Head worker at Brynes business, Mother figure

Mr. Sorenson Doesnt like cruelty of his job
Mr. Grote Father, mother figure, takes care of children
Mrs. Grote Mother, sleeps all day and neglects children
Miss Larsen and Mr. Post Teachers at school and are parental figures to
all kids

Setting
-

Brynes Home, Town centre

Grotes home change from new to old, taking a step back from
progress

Themes
-

Abandonment, Change of location

Women dominance (reoccurring from train as well)

Symbols
-

Fog unclear future, unclear ideas, confusion

Early morning start of Mollys journey to be better?
Winter Vivians future hopes dying, less snow she becomes happier
Long roads Passage to another part of her life

Chapter 19, 20, 21, 22

Plot
-

Molly sits in a classroom with her social worker Lori

Lori discusses the volunteer hours and Molly discovers shes enjoying the
task
Molly also has high grades but hasnt thought about college
At home, Dina is a prick, making racist comments while Ralph acts as a
peace keeper
They receive a paper in history class about travelling from one point in
life to another
They must interview someone whom has traveled in their lives
Molly decided Vivian would be a good choice since shes old
Molly reflects on the good and bad of her past
Remembers the night her father gave her the charms she keeps
While interviewing Vivian reveals she believes in ghost
Vivian is back to her past
Mr. Grote has been failing to bring home food and children are eating
nothing
She uses a technique her dad taught her for bad days
She visualizes her perfect day
House is infected by lice and Mrs. Grote blames her
She has to work to rid the house of fleas and her hair is cut short
She is happy to return to school afterwards

Characters
-

Mr. Grote More affectionate than fatherly

o She sees Vivian as a love interest
Dorothy Vivians name change Niamh

Themes

Self reflection, self improvement, learning

o Learning about one another and also about themselves
o They relate well to one another in life
Higher power (spirits)
Supernatural (spells, charms and such)
Fulfillment

Symbols
-

Water, puddle in front of trailer Crossing water, crossing boundaries

Warning light of late afternoon Characters mature as they learn
Water Directly cleansing them of lice
o Foreshadowing her being cleansed of the Grotes?
Snow Transforms one thing to another, makes things unclear

Chapter 23, 24, 25, 26

Plot
-

At home, Vivian has to help with taking care of children

Mr. Grote no longer cares for children and only deals with his hunting
Ms. Larsen shows concern for Vivians home life
Vivian does not want to be treated differently so she says nothing is
wrong
One night Mr. Grote attempts to rape Vivian
Mrs. Grote kicks Vivian out before she can do so
Vivian makes her way all the way to the school house
She sleeps outside and is awaken by Mr. Post
He gets the fire warm and comforts her
Ms. Larsen arrives and Vivian tells her everything about her home life
Mr. Sorenson is contacted and he does not believe Vivian to start
Ms. Larsen says she will keep Vivian for a few days until she can find a
new home
At the home, Mrs. Murphy instantly warms up to her, possibly due to her
heritage
She is fed and bathed, and she feels at home
She comes down with sickness and Ms. Murphy takes care of her till
health
She also provides clothing for her

Characters
-

Mr. Grote Downwards spiral into insanity

o Neglects children for his animals, as well as rape
Mrs. Murphy Land lady, provides for Vivian, and treats her as child

Setting
Themes
-

Love, sympathy, family, comfort (the girls of the house)

Change (Of location from one to another, Of person)
Reflection of self, growth
Women dominant

Symbols
-

Moon and winter end of life for Vivian at the Grotes

Entering the night Entering the unknown, further dangers down the line
Road Path to a new life after leaving
Bridge Crossing over with assistance, finding a better life with teacher
parental figures
Mirror and reflection Looking back at ones past and reflecting on herself
Snow Change of Vivians state, from sickness to health, from fear to
comfort
Sickness, and beating it Beating out not only sickness but also beating
out the past

Chapter 27, 28, 29

Plot
-

Vivian has been spending more time with Molly

She reveals many parts of her life to Molly that she has never revealed
before
Terry is continuously suspicious of what theyre doing
Jack also wonders and is starting to accuse her
Molly said its none of Terrys business to which Jack is offended and
leaves
Over the next few days Jack remains angry
Molly decides to do research on Vivian
She finds Vivians parents and finds that her sister was not yet dead
Further searching she found that Maisie died 5 months ago
Back to Vivian as a child
Vivian was enjoying her time with Mrs. Murphy and her home
Mrs. Murphy would give her many new pieces of clothing, that she
needed to fix up
One day, Mr. Sorenson comes back
He lays out the only options which are going back to NY or finding a home
The latter he says is hard to find
Ms. Murphy reveals a family that may want to take her in
She is prepared for the meeting by the women in the house

The day of, she is prepared and meet the Nielsens

Characters
Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen Old couple, ego in control, quick efficient, unsocial,
but still nice
Setting
-

School, Vivians House (New room!)

Murhpys home upgrade from previous homes
o Trend of alternating between good and bad homes/life

Themes
-

Mistrust (Molly losing trust of Jack and Terry)

CHANGE new home, new experiences
Reflection of past, spiritual revelation, religion
Justice Prevails for now
Prediction Women dominance

Symbols
-

Season spring New beginnings, new discovery

Garden back in Grotes, represented innocence
Road Once again on the road to somewhere new

Chapter 30, 31, 32, 33

Plot
-

The Nielsens are good parents, recording what she likes to eat and such
She helps around the home, and afterwards spend time with the couple
At school she realizes her life has been incredibly different than other 10
year olds
She goes from school to the store where she helps with shelving and the
register
The Nielsens accept her and soon feel parental responsibility
They ask her to take their late daughters name
One day while working, she encounters Mr. Bryne who reveals Mrs.
Brynes death
She reflects on her past and reflects on how her real family is becoming a
memory
Shes 15 now, Mrs. Nielsen finds cigarettes in her purse
She is grounded, though she still goes out with boys
She is reluctant to do anything fearing she will disappoint the parents
She helps Mr. Nielsen expand business by remodeling and stocking new
things

One boy shows her great attraction and Vivian realizes she can be
anything she wants
Her teacher recommends she apply to out of state colleges but she
deems her life sufficient
She takes over the business once she graduates, taking courses in
college
She hires many workers and the store is booming
Back to Molly, she has been cooking for Dina
Dina snaps about costs and how Molly is a thief, kicks her out

Characters
-

Nielsens kind-hearted family, both play mother figure

Dorothy renamed Vivian, once more reborn, Which she acknowledges

Setting
-

Nielsens home, store, school (learns, more so about herself)

Store her proving grounds, where she is now dominant

Themes
-

Acceptance, fulfillment
Justice Prevails (the good Vivian is finally relieved)
Revelation, reflection of past, change/moving forwards, resurrection
Growth, in age and in character (also in the store)
Opposites for Molly
o Not accepted, unfulfilled, little growth, still angry angst-filled teen

Symbols
-

Cleaning of necklace washing away past, as well as past self

Cigarettes Represent her normality as a teen? Discovery
Store expansion Growth of Vivian and of Family

Chapter 34, 35
Plot
-

Molly makes her way to Vivians house

She worries about alarming Vivian so she calls her instead
She goes in and reveals her entire past to Vivian to which Vivian takes in
well
She also tells Vivian about Maisie and Vivian confirms its her
To Vivians past, she continues to work at the store
Two girls she met at night courses in college invited her to go to a movie
in the city
There she realizes theyre there to party and she comes along
They head to a restaurant where something unexpected happens

She reunites with Dutchy, the boy from the train

After his shift of playing the piano, they go back and spend the night
They later get married ten months after

Characters
-

Dutchy Now Luke, is a pianist. Represents past coming back, reinforcing

the quote, The people that matter will always be with you

Setting
-

Piano bar where she falls in love with Dutchy, place of discovery and
place of fulfillment

Themes
-

Travel Moving from one place to another

o As well as changing lives, moving from one life to another
Misdirection Molly lying to Vivian, the German lying to Vivian
RANDOMNESS OF LIFE Without all the events of her life, no matter
how drawn out and random, she would not have reunited with Dutchy if
that were the case
FULFILLMENT Her life has made a full circle, finally being one with her.
Her past is now a part of her and the one aprt she struggled with most
can be accepted
LOVE CONQUERS ALL At the end, through all the struggles, her love
for Dutchy allows her to reflect and accept herself, the ultimate struggle

Symbols
-

Travel growth, moving

Time of day, night death of her family journey into the unknown (e.g
where to sleep)
Road once again Big part of story, constant change, life moving on
Her turtle tattoo represents home on back, as with her
Tea turning cold Water of cleansing the lies is cold, making cleansing
uncomfortable
Necklace Survival, memories of the past

Chapter 36, 37, 38, 39

Plot
-

As the war hits, many boys are sent to war, including Dutchy
Dutchy is drafted into the navy and sent off to Burma
The couple exchange letters regularly
She receives a telegraph one day, Dutchy had died in a plane accident

She then gives birth to the baby naming it Maisie, and giving it away
She goes on to say she will never make herself vulnerable again
Vivian reflects with Molly about her past, and is very regretful
Next day she recounts to Jack what happens
Resolves all her problems with people (Ralph, Jack, Lori)
Vivian buys a computer, and learns all about other train survivors
They resolve to look for Maisie

Themes
-

Love DOES NOT conquer all throughout Vivian has loved to no avail
LOSS IS INEVITABLE Major theme throughout the novel
Rebirth Always becoming someone new, as well as rebirth of Maisie
o As well as revisiting, a whole new life
Home-coming/being stable Both have faced the situation of not having
a home
o Big theme is finding solid footing, coming to a place of comfort,
resolving
Fate Things happen for a reason, all leads up to their lives
RANDOMNESS OF LIFE/FULFILLMENT Both fit hand in hand, as
eventually all the points in her life align and she can see it all clearly, past
all the randomness of her life
Self Acceptance

Symbols
-

Baby Maisie Renaming and giving her away is completing the cycle in
history
Stepping into water Remarrying and cleansing herself once again from
the past4
Light from windows Knowledge, finding her daughter
Necklace Never ending journey that cycles back, Celtic forever knot

Major Formulas
-

The Journey
o Preperation: becoming an orphan, meeting Dutchy
o Journey: The entire struggle of her life
o Discovery: Meeting Molly/Reuniting with her daughter
o Transformation: Accepting her past as not a loss, but a part of
herself
Lost Child
o Both Molly and Vivian are lost in youth
o Suffer unfortunate events such as orphanage, moving a lot between
family

Quotes

I learned long ago that loss is not only probable but inevitable. I know what
it means to lose everything, to let go of one life and find another. And now I
feel, with a strange, deep certainty, that it must be my lot in life to be taught
that lesson over and over again. (Vivian, 447)
About loss, how even in randomness of life, loss is certain.
People who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our most ordinary
moments. Theyre with us in the grocery store, as we turn a corner, chat with
a friend. They rise up through the pavement; we absorb them through our
soles. (3rd Person Narrator, 323)
Related to above, you never lose those that matter to you and they will stay
with you forever. Loss is inevitable but memories of those are with us forever.
I believe in ghosts. Theyre the ones who haunt us, the ones who have left
us behind. (Vivian, 10)
Loss provides another medium for the people to impact her life, through the
form of a ghost.
Ive come to think thats what heaven is a place in the memory of others
where our best selves live on. (Vivian, 11)
On the topic of losing those important, she believes that when one dies, they
become their best self. Loss is not necessarily negative and can benefit her
by keeping the best selves of those she cares about around, in ghost form.
My entire life has felt like chance. Random moments of loss and connection.
This is the first one that feels, instead, like fate. (Vivian, 427)
All the events of her life randomly lead to another random occurrence, her
moving from place to place, and meeting new people. After all these events
together, she thinks that her meeting Dutchy is the occurrence of all these
random events, which equates to fate.
Thats really the end of my story. But thats only the first twenty years.
The rest has been relatively uneventful.(Vivian, 450)
Emphasizes that the only occurrence of life that really affect, you are those
that are random and uncontrollable. Those alter your lifes path and without
those life is straight and predictable.
In that way it becomes clear to me that most ten-year-old probably dont
sew clothes for ladies (Vivian, 353)
Due to the randomness of her life, these sequences of events following one
another, she did not have the basic childhood all these other kids had.

I am also aware every day of how different I am from them. They are not my
people, and never will be. (Vivian, 363)
Being a book about an oprhans life, it will almost definitely have the
outcast/lost child theme. Without parents guidance, its hard to find footing
in the world and without the comfort of family, one may never feel
comfortable. Here with Vivian, even though her foster parents are great, she
understands that they will never be equal to birth parents, and they will
never be able to fill that position. In that sense, Vivian is very alone in the
world.
And so it is that you learn how to pass, if you're lucky, to look like everyone
else, even though you're broken inside. (Molly, 312)
Being an orphan, Molly and Vivian find themselves lost, unknowing where
theyre suppose to be, how to live, with the guidance of family. Here, Molly
expresses a common emotion they feel when they feel apart from everyone
in their lives.
Work Cited
Kline, Christina Baker. Orphan Train. 2013. Print.