Orphan Plot Analysis
Esther has a disturbing reality that few expected. She is an ugly, grisly creature that many thought would be beautiful. Let’s explore her horrifying reality.
The story of a married couple, Kate and John, who adopt a Russian orphan, Esther – who is anything but normal – escalates after they begin to question her intentions. Highly suspicious of Esther’s intentions, Kate tries to shield her family while trying to uncover the unsettling history of the 9-year-old.
Why do Kate and John adopt Esther?
The couple is heartbroken after the stillbirth of their child. They have had a rocky relationship due to Kate’s alcoholism. But, they are trying hard to add love to their marriage. Kate feels a new addition to the family might help the family come together.
The children at the local orphanage catch the attention of Esther, who is looking for a new place to live. She offers them her home, and they are happy to take it. Esther helps the children learn how to read and write, and she also teaches them about Christianity.
What happens after Esther joins the family?
John and Kate are excited to have Esther in the family, but their son Daniel is not ready to accept her as his sister.
Esther is a 9-year-old girl who has never had sex, and she’s talking about it like an experienced adult. Kate is taken aback by this, and she asks Esther what she’s thinking. Esther tells her that she’s just as excited as Kate is, and that they both want to have sex.
Esther’s hostile behaviour in front of her family is a result of her suppressed anger and frustration. When she’s around Max and Daniel, she becomes very aggressive and violent. She killed a pigeon and injured a classmate during play, which got the kids terrified. Esther needs to be more mindful of her actions in front of her family, or they will continue to be a source of stress for her.
Esther’s hostility escalates
Sister Abigail tells the couple that she is concerned about the safety of Kate’s family with Esther in it. She tells them that nothing is usual about Esther, and tragedy has always taken place where there is Esther – highlighting that though Esther has never been caught red-handed, she was at the spot of the accident almost every time. She further implies that Esther might have had a role to play in the killing of her last adoptive family.
Esther, furious at Sister Abigail for her mistreatment of the orphans, kills her on her way to the orphanage and coerces Max to help her hide the body. ..
Esther starts taking aim at Kate. After one of Esther’s horrendous acts, Kate gets angry and forcibly grabs her by her arm. Afterwards, Esther breaks her own arm and puts the blame on Kate. ..
Esther wants to remove Kate out of her way by having her resent to rehab. And, Kate is bent on discovering Esther’s truth.
Kate soon discovers that the orphanage where Esther claims to have come from is not real, but instead she comes from a mental institution, Saarne Institute. ..
What’s Leena’s fate?
When Max informs Daniel about the murder of Sister Abigail, he decides to search the treehouse for clues. Before he finds a thing, Esther sets fire to the treehouse. Though Max saves her brother’s life, he suffers serious injuries and is immediately taken to the hospital. She goes so far as to smother Daniel to death while he is in ICU. Angry, Kate slaps Esther.
Later, Esther is sent back home – where she tries to seduce John. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Kate gets to know from Dr Värava of Saarne Institute that Esther’s real name is Leena who is actually a 33-year-old dangerous fugitive – who is at least responsible for seven murders. Due to a rare kind of dwarfism, she is a dangerous woman trapped in a kid’s body. Freaked out, Kate rushes home.
After John rebuffs sexual advances made by Leena, she loses it and kills him. Leena then goes after Max who is all alone in the home. But, Kate arrives just in time to save her daughter. Leena attempts to shoot Kate and opens fire on Max. Kate and Leena’s scuffle reaches underwater – where Kate superkicks Leena’s face – causing her to drown in the pond. ..
