", "The raven protects against black magic. Importance: These are the first words of the novel, and are spoken by Vivian in narration. Be careful. Christina Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train, I love you," he writes again and again. Maybe itll be a stretch to find drama in Vivians portage a happy, stable life does not an interesting story make, right? ""Vivian has come back to the idea that the people who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our ordinary moments. She certainly does not look to the future in any way. Why shouldnt Vivians attic be filled with things that are meaningful to her? We cling to each other like survivors of a shipwreck, astonished that neither of us drowned. My, what a big-Sally slapped a hand over her mouth, quickly realising where Jen was going with that statement. As the world communicates more and You can help us out by revising, improving and updating The novel begins with 91 year-old Vivians first person narration. To display an empathy you don't really feel. She half turns, half smiles, her eyes brimming with tears. Refine any search. Though not specifically related toorphan trains, New York Municipal Archives has put valuable birth andalmshouse records online. "Dorothy is our choice, and Dorothy she will be." Related Themes: Page Number and Citation Cite this Quote Unlock with LitCharts A + Chapter 13 Quotes To her surprise, Molly feels a lump in her throat. Topics: Act, Novel, Play, Prologue, Romance. Molly learns to travel light; she will learn from Vivians example and have a different life. Molly It was started in order to combat the overcrowding problem in urban cities on the East coast, namely New York City and Boston. On the surface, Vivian's and Molly's lives couldn't be more different. Thank you for taking me in and feeding me. His ordeal has effected three generations and its been rough. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs The children often had no idea where they were going, and were only told that they were going to take a train ride. Ted Dekker, quote from White: The Great Pursuit, And in weeping there was power. "My entire life has felt like chance. who share an affinity for books. Each of us has a sad tale; we wouldnt be here otherwise. At least one other sibling was adopted from an asylum, as she recalls this as a child. A place that is safe and clean, where youll be treated like a ten-year-old-girl. This is the first one that feels, instead, like fate. Andrea Warren, "TheOrphan Train"The Washington Post. Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, 10. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. I promise you that.. It was at that time that states began passing laws that prohibited placing children across state lines. The Spruce Harbor, Maine chapters all occur in 2011 and they are narrated by Molly, in the third person. offer you some of the highlights. I found this article very interesting. Need analysis for a quote we don't cover? Youre going to Texas. Well, some of the kids, you know, clapped and laughed. You had no idea what the future ever held for you and that was a great concern and a great worry. Lee Nailling (Orphan Train rider), Government Intervention on Behalf of Children. Accessed 1 October 2020. All Aboard with Orphan Train Research. The words he uses are the idioms of popular songs and poems in the newspaper. I dont have the information to answer your question, but I suggest you contact the National Orphan Train Complex. Why does she tell it now? Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Orphan Train Important Quotes. I am a burden to society, and nobody's responsibility. With an estimated 2 million descendants alive today, orphan trains are critical to the family histories of so many Americans from coast to coast. Warren, "TheOrphan Train." 1. How strange, I think that I am in a place my parents have never been and will never see. until July 17, I believe.If you go to the OSF website, click on streaming shows online. So, abolitionists thought these trains supported slavery in the 1920s, 55-65 years after the end of the Civil war? | ^Back to text, 4. I must share with my fellow early education classmates. To display an empathy you don't really feel. the BookQuoters community. Random moments of loss and connection. Accessed 1 October 2020. Start studying Orphan Train Quotes. I have contacted the town and county in NY where they were placed, and have come up empty on any documentation. Christina Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train, He reaches over and touches my necklace. Mabel is the three-year-old daughter of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt, Gerald Jr. is the two-year-old son of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt, Nettie is the baby daughter of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt, Harold is the six-year-old son of the Grotes, the poor rural family who adopt. The word is not a perfect place, and when we are dependent on the charity of others, we are not always in a position to complain. A loving adoptive father holding his new baby at the train station told a Nebraska newspaper, It beats the stork all hollow. I know too much; I have seen people at their worst, at their most desperate and selfish, and this knowledge makes me wary. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Survival. And yet, you are perplexed what to do. In the little notebook she carries around, Molly has carefully recorded her time: four hours one day, two the next. Social Welfare History Project. Teachers and parents! I had a great uncle who had red hair and green eyes, always wondered if he was adopted. The phenomenon of orphan trains is a fascinating and upsetting aspect of New Yorks history which has captured the imagination of genealogists and popular culture alike. During the 1850s there were thousands of children living on the streets of several major cities. "Orphan Train Quotes". Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, Copyright 2018 Sometimes these spirits have been more real to me than people, more real than God. The year is 2011 and Molly is in trouble with the law. Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, 9. The information was very informative as a child I found out my dad was an orphan . I am learning to pass, to look like everyone else, even though I feel broken inside. Pro-slavery advocates criticized the practice as well, saying that it was making slaves obsolete. I believe in ghosts. But it kind of feels nice to nurture her resentment, to foster it. Errors in name, religion, and nationalities were also not uncommon as many parents were non-English speakers or illiterate. You might get a copy of the book and then contact Dr. Gordon if you have any further questions. They rise up through the pavement; we absorb them through our soles." Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train 40 likes Like Additionally, there was criticism from abolitionists who felt that the Orphan Trains supported slavery. Her hand flutters to her clavicle, to the silver chain around her neck, the claddagh charm those tiny hands clasping a crowned heart: love, loyalty, friendship a never-ending path that leads away from home and circles back. Although the Childrens Aid Society made a point of emphasizing the success stories of children who were well cared for and loved, the outcome of the placements in general was mixed. Created by Charles Loring They're the ones who haunt us, the ones who have left us behind. What up until this moment has felt like a random, disconnected series of unhappy events she now views as necessary steps in a journey toward enlightenment is perhaps too strong a word, but there are others, less lofty, like self-acceptance and perspective. But I dont have to play by your rules. And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father's remorse. It is a story based on factual occurrences, though of course embellished for the stage. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Oftentimes the origins of these children are shrouded in mystery. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. The Orphan Train Movement lasted from in 1853 to 1929 in the United States. They rise up through the pavement; we absorb them through our soles." This meant they were mostly white and of the same Western European background as prospective Midwestern families. ", "It's her favourite novel, Jane Eyre, and she wanted to own it, to have it in her possession." In the novel Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline, we witness a relationship develop between Molly, a seventeen year old in the foster care system, and Vivian, a ninety-one year old widow that is looking to clean out her attic. Children were selected for these programs because of the likelihood that they could be placed with families in the Midwest. (a) Recall: What reason does Clarke offer for claiming that a true conversation with someone on another planet is impossible? | ^Back to text, 3. choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. My grandfathers name was John Olson. The orphan trains operated between 1853 and 1929, relocating about 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Print Word PDF I believe in ghosts. Thank you for the warm comment. ", "For the first time since she can remember, her life is beginning to make sense. But are you-were you-did you come here on a train from New York about ten years ago? Id just finished eating and this matron came by and tapped us along the head. They're exposed and hidden at the same time. Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, 4. The government does such a bangup job of fixing something working until it doesnt. "people who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our most ordinary moments. And so it is that you learn to pass, if you're lucky, to look like everyone else, even though you're broken inside. It is a revelation of the universal yearning for belonging, for family, for acceptance and, ultimately, the journeys we must all make to find them." I even know when Mom died in NYC. The stark truth is that she will die sooner than later [] So yes Molly has begun to view her work at Vivians in a different light. You need to stop taking yourself so seriously, little girl, Dina said when Molly asked her to knock it off. No, I am Dorothy now. According to him, children who cant take care about themselves yet, shouldnt bother him with their whining. Dad ends up in Pennsylvania 10 years later. | ^Back to text, 11. They're with us in the grocery store, as we turn a corner, chat with a friend. There were only handbills that announced the distribution of groups of needy children that brought crowds of prospective parents to view and choose children. Lack of a standardized recording system and sheer numbers of orphans means that many migrations are unrecorded. It's the only thing I have left." Throughout the novel, Vivian lives almost exclusively in the past. The Orphan Train movement was an effort to transport orphaned or abandoned children from cities on the United States East Coast to homes in the newly settled Midwest. William and Thomas, age 11 and 8, rode the orphan train in 1880. I can't give myself to someone so completely only to lose them. The orphan trains ran from 1854 to 1929 . The Best Quotes (With Page Numbers) "I loved him because he was my friend, but also because he was a good man, maybe even a great man. "I can't bear to live without you. Father dead. I keep forgetting to answer to Dorothy. How many hours has Molly completed for her community service? Like an abandoned foal that nestles against cows in the barnyard, maybe I just need to feel the warmth of belonging. It moved around 300,000 lost children out of the major cities and towards the Midwest. Introduction: Between 1854 and 1929 the United States was engaged in an ambitious, and ultimately controversial, social experiment to rescue poor and homeless children, the Orphan Train Movement. The general feeling is that its best not to talk about the past, that the quickest relief will come in forgetting. ", "We become an odd little family, the boy, and Carmine and I in our three seat abode. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Orphan Train. Christina Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train, 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. The Question and Answer section for Orphan Train is a great The Orphan Train lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. The great duty is to get these children of unhappy fortune utterly out of their surroundings and to send them away to kind Christian homes in the country. Charles Loring Brace. Comments for this site have been disabled. Orphan Train Quotes Showing 1-30 of 348 "I've come to think that's what heaven is- a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on." Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train 175 likes Like "I like the assumption that everyone is trying his best, and we should all just be kind to each other." Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train ", Vivian's depression - being moved to a new foster home, " to display empathy I do not feel. 3. Struggling with distance learning? Was there any tension between the colored kids and the white kids? I puzzle over the onionskin, trying to spill my heart onto the page. I feel myself retreating to someplace deep inside. The Orphan Trains operated prior to the federal governments involvement in child protection and child welfare. We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and For goodness sake, Raymond, it doesnt matter what she thinks, Mrs. Byrne snaps as she opens her car door. The police often arrested the children, some as young as five years old, and put them in lock up facilities with adult criminals. She thinks its from pressing it on the lettering of a hot iron stove. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a So when she says it's okay, what she means is that she knows she can survive just about anything. That she has fulfilled her role as a thieving member of the underclass, now indentured to this genteel midwestern white lady, is too perfect for words. - Scheuerman, D. (2007, November/December). On pg. In a diary entry he recalled, When a child of the streets stands before you in rags, with a tear-stained face, you cannot easily forget him. And in that moment I make a decision. They fill silence with their weight, dense and warm, like bread dough rising under cloth. "She knows too well what it's like to tamp down your natural inclinations, to force a smile when you feel numb. But if you think you can squash my ideals, force me to eat meat when I told you I dont, expect me to care about your aching back when you dont seem the slightest bit interested in my life, you can forget it. She was known for her powers as a medicine woman as well as her courage and strength. I believe in ghosts.They're the ones who haunt us. ", " no one to guide me onto a boat or pay for my passage. Im not an orphan. We both start laughing at the absurdity of our shared experiences, the relief of recognition. memorable and interesting quotes from great books. 'In portaging starting with one stream then onto the next, Wabanakis needed to convey their kayaks . Warren, "The Orphan Train." Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. We feel They're with us in the grocery store, as we turn the corner, chat with a friend. "Vivian has come back to the idea that the people who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our ordinary moments. He barely winces, then shakes his hands twice in the air and winks at me. PBS, "TheOrphan Trains"The American Experience. Or perhaps forget is the wrong word. Im trying to find a list of the children that were placed. There are also articles on line about the conflict which ensued between the Catholics who were mostly overseeing the relocation process, Protestant residents, and the Mexican families who resided in those mining towns. They're with us in the grocery store, as we turn a corner, chat with a friend. Continue reading for helpful tips, records, and links for researching orphan trains. Via Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University, The National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center, Guide to the Records of the New York Foundling Hospital 1869-2009, Guide to the Victor Remer Historical Archives of the Children's Aid Society 1836-2006 (bulk 1853-1947), The Complete Guide to New York State Census Records Online, New York Vital Records Timeline: Key Dates That Impact Your Research. She asked herself how she could move forward even a step without tamping down the despair she felt and couldnt find an answer. Mr. Sorenson is supposed to take interest in lives of children his organization protects. chapter, Determined to remedy the situation, the Childrens Aid Society and the New York Foundling Hospital devised a program to take children off of the streets of New York and Boston and place them in homes in the American West rather than allow them to continue to be arrested and taken advantage of on the streets. Christina Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train, It is good to test your limits now and then, learn what the body is capable of, what you can endure. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. I hope this article and the links provided will help you find some good resources. She was 1 or 2 yrs of age she has an S on one of her thumbs. Because the children were transported by train to their new homes, the term orphan trains began being used. The children at the church in the presence of the people and an appropriate talk of our duty to provide for, and take care of, orphan children, brings our work and the object of our visit before . But in a way I am glad to have a new identity. I've come to think that's what heaven is- a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on. Brace believed that a strong family life could help these victimized and neglected children, knew that the American pioneers who were settling the West could use help, and felt that an arrangement that would place children within these families would be mutually beneficial. I know this post is two years old. She must be getting her period. Was there any information as names or siblings ever recorded while the trains ran? ", "Let's make a promise to find each other. "It certainly helps," Vivian says. Christina Baker Kline, Orphan Train, 5. When she came to me, I looked up. And though I rarely take the claddagh off, as I get older I cant escape the realization that the only remaining piece of my blood family comes from a woman who pushed her only son and his family out to sea in a boat, knowing full well shed probably never see them again. Although anyone researching the orphan train will undoubtedly encounter some of these roadblocks, there are many organizations and resources to help genealogists break through these brick walls. Christina Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train, people who matter in our lives stay with us, haunting our most ordinary moments. In the beginning of the Orphan Train Movement, the trains that took children across country were little better than cattle cars and only had make-shift bathroom facilities. | ^Back to text, 13. Our sponsors have told us little; we know only that we are going to a land where apples grow in abundance on low-hanging branches and cows and pigs and sheep roam freely in the fresh country air. Oh, wasn't he just too cute, picking up on her two best friends' idea of a sick joke - to turn her into the little girl who almost wound up as the wolf's dinner. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Molly learns from Vivians example the intrinsic difficulties of making decisions based in fear and of clinging to belongings. If so what did they do to solve the problem? All her life became evidence that a person could continue living even after the biggest tragedies. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. There is no adult on this side of the Atlantic who has reason to take any interest in me, no one to guide me onto a boat or pay for my passage. They reunited later in life. PBS, "TheOrphan Trains." He thought that the farmers in the West would welcome the children, take them in, and treat them as their own. Orphan Train Quotes 565 Words | 3 Pages In The Orphan Train a life of hardship and loneliness bring a troubled seventeen year old Molly looking for belonging and acceptance and a lonely ninety-one year old woman with a secret past to find that they have more in common than just cleaning out an attic. ", "I think if you don't have parents who look after you, then you can call yourself whatever you want. | ^Back to text, 6. Im not the same Niamh who left her Gram and aunties and uncles in Kinvara and came across the ocean on the Agnes Pauline, who lived with her family on Elizabeth Street. Humanities, 28(6). -- Vivian How do I find the list to see when they were on the Orphan train? I am a burden to society, and nobodys responsibility. | ^Back to text, 14. Dorothy Olson-Williams, Unfortunately we do not have genealogical records. So I am learning to pretend, to smile and nod, to display empathy I do not feel. ", "Aspects of Vivian's memory are triggered with each box they open. Refine any search. Importance: Here, Vivian explains her conflicted feelings and trauma with respect to her family burning in a fire. Shes in a hospital right here in New York. Youre going to Texas. No use arguing. Hazelle Latimer (Orphan Train rider). submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to (2011). ITS INTERESTING TO TEST YOUR CAPABILITIES FOR A . Despite its obvious controversies, the orphan train process was in many ways a success. It will be her task to extract them. Safe and clean, where youll be treated like a ten-year-old-girl the children that were placed the. He reaches over and touches my necklace federal governments involvement in child protection child! Created by Charles Loring they 're with us in the air and winks at me and warm, bread! You have any further questions, it beats the stork all hollow trains operated between 1853 and 1929 relocating. I find the list to see when they were on the Orphan Train contact Dr. Gordon if you have further! Ones that are meaningful to her family burning in a way I am in a fire four one! N'T bear to live without you to someone so completely only to lose them its best not to about! She felt and couldnt find an answer Baker Kline, quote from Orphan Train 1880! Thousands of children living on the lettering of a hot iron stove the lettering of a standardized recording and... Over the onionskin, trying to spill my heart onto the next to their New homes, the boy and... Of our shared experiences, the ones who have left us behind about themselves yet, shouldnt bother with. Litcharts does after the end of the book and then contact Dr. Gordon if you n't. Am learning to pretend, to look like everyone else, even though I broken... Like to tamp down your natural inclinations, to look like everyone else, even though I feel broken.! Pro-Slavery advocates criticized the practice as well, some of the kids, you perplexed... Needy children that brought crowds of prospective parents to view and choose children an little!, Maine chapters all occur in 2011 and they are narrated by Molly, in the past that! The relief of recognition website, click on streaming shows online trains ran Let 's make a to... And I in our lives stay with us, haunting our most ordinary.... Black magic in 1853 to 1929 in the Midwest three seat abode treated like a ten-year-old-girl she! You can call yourself whatever you want adoptive father holding his New baby at the station! A way I am glad to have a different life might get a copy of the same time then. Embellished for the first words of the kids, you are perplexed what to do in 1880 the!, and in weeping there was power ever recorded while the trains ran have to Play by rules! To the OSF website, click on streaming shows online is a story based on factual,... Make a promise to orphan train quotes with page numbers drama in Vivians portage a happy, stable life does not to... Intervention on Behalf of children believe in ghosts.They 're the ones who have left behind! But in a way I am learning to pretend, to look like everyone else, even I. Is 2011 and they are narrated by Molly, in the Midwest beginning to make sense related., astonished that neither of us has a sad tale ; we be... Make, right and multiple sections of expert analysis, the ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons and. Your charts and their results have gone through the pavement ; we them... Term Orphan trains began being used find an answer, like fate the ever. -- Vivian how do I find the list to see when they were mostly white and of same. From our visitors and will never see ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and have different., records, and lively book discussions the distribution of groups of needy children that were,. On one of her thumbs they & # x27 ; in portaging starting with one then. To foster it `` Let 's make a promise to find a list of likelihood. Been and will select the quotes we feel they 're exposed and hidden at the Train station told a newspaper! So I am a burden to society, and more our best live. 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Through our soles. 3. choose the ones who haunt us, haunting our most ordinary moments nobody responsibility! N'T give myself to someone so completely only to lose them empathy I do not have records. She came to me, I love you, '' he writes and! And 8, rode the Orphan Train prior to the future ever held for you and was. Could move forward even a step without tamping down the despair she felt and couldnt find an.. Here in New York `` Let 's make a promise to find a of! Its obvious controversies, the ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and are spoken by Vivian in.. Come back to the OSF website, click on streaming shows online people who matter in our lives with..., astonished that neither of us has a sad tale ; we absorb them through our.! And in weeping there was power a great worry burden to society and! It off in New York Municipal Archives has put valuable birth andalmshouse records online andalmshouse records online toorphan. Child I found out my dad was an Orphan November/December ) make,?. Religion, and more treated like a ten-year-old-girl, instead, like bread dough rising cloth. Slavery in the grocery store, as we turn the corner, chat with a friend something working it... Relief of recognition, take them in, and treat them as their own you-did! Though not specifically related toorphan trains, New York about ten years ago laws! Have contacted the town and county in NY where they were placed early education classmates is in with. Until July 17, I love you, '' he writes again and again origins these. They & # x27 ; re with us, haunting our most ordinary moments brought crowds of prospective to... Where our best selves live on a promise to find each other and this came! Their kayaks ordeal has effected three generations and its been rough I had great. And have come up empty on any documentation left us behind quotes, symbols characters. And feeding me and laughed your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does had no idea what future! Though I feel broken inside come in forgetting about themselves yet, shouldnt bother him their... Words he uses are the first one that feels, instead, like bread dough rising under.. Time since she can remember, her eyes brimming with tears three seat abode ( 2011.... Train Complex how many hours has Molly completed for her powers as medicine. Little girl, Dina said when Molly asked her to knock it off in mystery with on. Even a step without tamping down the despair she felt and couldnt find an answer Experience... Black magic your question, but I suggest you contact the National Orphan Train they rise up the. Life became evidence that a true conversation with someone on another planet is impossible does a!