Orphans: Similarities Between Tree Ear And Ruckel

Orphans have many different backgrounds and pasts. Some come from poor families that couldn’t take care of them or parents that left them. Tree-ear, a boy who is an orphan because of his parent’s death, is taken care of by a man named Crane-man. Ruckel, a little boy who is orphaned by his parents because of polio, is sent to an orphanage. Although both boys were orphaned and had many similarities, they also had many differences.

Although they are different, Tree-ear and Ruckel both had a home. Tree-ear’s home is under a bridge and Ruckel lived in an orphanage before he was adopted by a family. However, both of the homes affected their judgement and thinking. Tree-ear was raised by Crane-man who was a loving and caring person. Tree-ear is able to tell the difference of right and wrong, do the right thing, care for people, and work hard. Ruckel on the other hand, was raised in an orphanage where he rarely was treated right. He was beaten and abused by people and he only had one mother figure in his life who died from electrocution. He was adopted by a Christian family and raised normally, but he felt ignored because he was used to abuse and not love.
Tree-ear had to scavenge for food, but he still remained healthy and safe. Ruckel was rarely provided food and was abused by the people at the orphanage. Ruckel was malnourished and unhealthy; whereas, Tree-ear was healthy and strong. The environment that they lived in also affected their health. Tree-ear had rice he could pick up, things he could scavenge through, and a job that kept him fed. He also had people to care for him daily. Ruckel had no control over the food he got, if he got food he would only get the amount of food given to him and no more. He also didn’t have people who would treat him right. Most people would find the lack of food immoral, but for Ruckel it was normal until he got adopted by the American