Oliver Twist

Author's Note: I wrote this piece as a parallel contrast piece(going back and fourth between the two characters perspectives), comparing the characters Katniss Everdeen (from the Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins) and Oliver Twist (from Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens). My focus is sentence fluency.

Oliver Twist, born into a life of poverty and suffering in 1800's England; Katniss Everdeen lives a life of hardship some 300 years later in futuristic America. Two completely unrelated characters have one thing in common. Their overcoming of obstacles. Their perseverance. Their determination. Brought to life so magnificently by their author's, these characters both survive against all odds. Both characters show an enormous amount of determination and perseverance throughout their lives.

Katniss Everdeen

Katniss flinches as Venia, Octavia, and Flavius prepare her to meet Cinna, her stylist. The odd Capitol citizens that are making her presentable are died bright colors, and are rather intimidating. Katniss wishes she could go back home, to her family, her friends, her life. She holds back tears; what she wouldn't give to go hunting with Gale again."I don't care if we're rich. I just want you to come home. You will try won't you? Really, really try?" Prim's words came haunting back to her. She had to try to win, for Prim.

Immediately, everything began to make sense to Oliver Twist. All the games they had been playing and the mysterious jewelry; they were training Oliver to be a thief! He started to run, but it was to late. "Stop theif!" Away he ran with a mob of people behind him. Boom! Oliver is on the ground before he knew what hit him. "It wasn't me, indeed sir. Indeed, indeed, it was two other boys!" But alas, they were no where to be seen! And it was with that, that the police officer dragged him off to the police station.

As Katniss pulls off the bandage off of Peeta she can only hope that the wound had healed. She lets out a gasp as she notices the red streaks running up his leg...blood poisoning! If it wasn't checked soon, he would be dead for sure. "Katniss, I know what blood poisonming is." Katniss can't take it. She needs Peeta. They need each other to survive, just until the end of the games. Then he can get all the medical help he needs. She just needs to stay strong for hium. For them.

Oliver Twist

While he struggles to sit up, Oliver looks at the bandage on his left arm; now covered in blood. He is so dizzy, he can barely sit. He knew he needed help. Slowly, he attempts to stand andgets slowly moving. The farther he walked, he saw a house; one that looked vaguely familiar. Surely, they would take pity on him and help him. As he approaches the house, he knew why it looked so familiar --it was the same one they attempted to rob the night before! He wanted to turn back, certain they would hurt him even more. But knowing they were his only hope, he staggered to the door.


 What is it about underdogs that makes readers want to see them persevere? Readers want to see them succeed and stay alive. Like Katniss in the Hunger Games. Millions of fans supported her and Peeta, even though they were from the district that no body roots for. Oliver Twist is orphaned and left alone from a few days after birth. Readers take sympathy on both of these characters. Throughout their books both characters persevere through some of the hardest situations.




 "'Hunger Games' heroine Katniss Everdeen becomes – a Barbie doll? - CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2012/0326/Hunger-Games-heroine-Katniss-Everdeen-becomes-a-Barbie-doll>.

Bookworm1858: Oliver Twist, Post 1." Bookworm1858. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://bookworm1858.blogspot.com/2011/02/oliver-twist-post-1.html>.