Post by Jace's Thread Moving Account on Aug 30, 2008 11:21:54 GMT -5
Note - Benjamin's PB is an actual newsie from the film, but he doesn't have a name (aside from Random Newsie #5), therefore I shouldn't think he qualifies as an actual canon character. But he is from the film. His name, age, history, etc. was made up by me. -Jace
Full Name: Benjamin Arnold Epstein II
Newsie name: Benji, to most people. Otherwise always been called Benjamin, or Benny. Sometimes he'll be referred to by his surname, or Sonny, once people find he was named after his father.
Name origin: N/A
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Portland, Maine
Currently Living: Manhattan
History: In Portland, Benjamin Epstein, Sr. was the vice-president of the Scott Paper Company. He lived in luxury with his wife, Amelia, and their four daughters. After twelve years of marriage, Epstein left his wife and married a younger woman, named Samantha. With custody of his daughters from his first marriage, Epstein had two more children by his second wife, a girl and at last a boy. Epstein named his son after him. Soon after Benjamin's birth, Epstein was fired from the company for committing fraud. He picked up his family and moved to a tenement in New York City, and desperately started to look for work. He found it with James & Co., who made him assistant manager of the business in Manhattan--not as high-paying as his previous job, but it was something, although it restricted the family to one of the smaller tenements.
Benjamin went to school with his sisters until he was fourteen, then quit. He wanted to get a job to help support his family, but found that he had little skill in practical trades, and no business would hire a fourteen-year-old. So he became a newsboy, and spent most of his free time selling papers and hanging around the other newsies, including the boys who lived at the lodging house. When the strike came around, at first Benjamin was all for the cause. He remained intensely loyal to the strike, until he saw that Jack Kelly was selling papers again. Jack had sold them out, and Benjamin knew that without Jack, the newsies fighting spirit, they didn't have a chance. So, the next day he started selling again, knowing he would need the money.
You can imagine Benjamin's embarrassment when the strike succeeded. It was apparent that he didn't realize the other newsboys had developed a fighting spirit of their own. He joined in the celebration, but found he couldn't join in the ecstasy of the other boys who had stuck with the strike. Thankfully it seemed that the boys were willing to accept the scabbers again, and Benjamin fell into place once more, as everything had been before the strike. It was a learning experience, but although Benjamin isn't as easily swayed as he was before, he can still be easily convinced.
His parents still live in the same tenement, but it is far less crowded at the moment. His four half-sisters are all married and living in their own homes (the two eldest already have two children apiece) and his sister Natalie is engaged to be married in the spring, though she is still living at home. Benjamin predicts he will enjoy the short years he'll have with no other siblings in the house.
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Style: Medium length, slightly curled.
Eye Color: Hazel
Skin Color: Medium
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 140
Clothing Style: White shirt, dark blue vest, black trousers, gray cabbie hat. Small, rimless glasses he's blind as a bat without.
Items owned: A small messenger bag he carries his papers in; a cornet mouthpiece that makes a very unpleasant sound, but he blows into it just for kicks sometimes; a dented bronze pocket watch that's two minutes fast. Benjamin keeps these possessions in a side pocket inside his messenger bag.
Troubles: Benjamin is very fickle. His opinions are easily swayed by those around him, which explains his faltering allegiance during the strike. Overall, he's very impressionable, which makes him unable to form many opinions for himself. He has a habit of always doing what is asked of him, if the order is given by someone he respects. On the flip side, sometimes when he's in a playful mood he won't know when enough is enough until someone gets angry and gives him a smack. But overall, Benjamin loves spending time with his friends, even if it means messing with them or getting messed with. That is to say, Benjamin gets picked on. A lot. He's very awkward, and is often made fun of. Additionally, Benjamin develops crushes very, very easily.
Fears: Irrationally, Benjamin is afraid of choking or strangulation, floods, and cemeteries. Rationally, he fears that his tendency to be easily swayed will get him in some huge trouble one of these days…trouble that would make being called a scabber during the strike seem like small potatoes.
Siblings: Benjamin is the only boy out of six children, and the youngest. His sisters are Arielle (28), Yonah (27), Judith (25), Rachel (22), and Nira (18).
Parents:
Father: Benjamin Arnold Epstein I
Mother: Susannah (Redding) Epstein
His Half-Sisters' Mother: Dara Rosenbaum
Full Name: Benjamin Arnold Epstein II
Newsie name: Benji, to most people. Otherwise always been called Benjamin, or Benny. Sometimes he'll be referred to by his surname, or Sonny, once people find he was named after his father.
Name origin: N/A
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Portland, Maine
Currently Living: Manhattan
History: In Portland, Benjamin Epstein, Sr. was the vice-president of the Scott Paper Company. He lived in luxury with his wife, Amelia, and their four daughters. After twelve years of marriage, Epstein left his wife and married a younger woman, named Samantha. With custody of his daughters from his first marriage, Epstein had two more children by his second wife, a girl and at last a boy. Epstein named his son after him. Soon after Benjamin's birth, Epstein was fired from the company for committing fraud. He picked up his family and moved to a tenement in New York City, and desperately started to look for work. He found it with James & Co., who made him assistant manager of the business in Manhattan--not as high-paying as his previous job, but it was something, although it restricted the family to one of the smaller tenements.
Benjamin went to school with his sisters until he was fourteen, then quit. He wanted to get a job to help support his family, but found that he had little skill in practical trades, and no business would hire a fourteen-year-old. So he became a newsboy, and spent most of his free time selling papers and hanging around the other newsies, including the boys who lived at the lodging house. When the strike came around, at first Benjamin was all for the cause. He remained intensely loyal to the strike, until he saw that Jack Kelly was selling papers again. Jack had sold them out, and Benjamin knew that without Jack, the newsies fighting spirit, they didn't have a chance. So, the next day he started selling again, knowing he would need the money.
You can imagine Benjamin's embarrassment when the strike succeeded. It was apparent that he didn't realize the other newsboys had developed a fighting spirit of their own. He joined in the celebration, but found he couldn't join in the ecstasy of the other boys who had stuck with the strike. Thankfully it seemed that the boys were willing to accept the scabbers again, and Benjamin fell into place once more, as everything had been before the strike. It was a learning experience, but although Benjamin isn't as easily swayed as he was before, he can still be easily convinced.
His parents still live in the same tenement, but it is far less crowded at the moment. His four half-sisters are all married and living in their own homes (the two eldest already have two children apiece) and his sister Natalie is engaged to be married in the spring, though she is still living at home. Benjamin predicts he will enjoy the short years he'll have with no other siblings in the house.
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Style: Medium length, slightly curled.
Eye Color: Hazel
Skin Color: Medium
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 140
Clothing Style: White shirt, dark blue vest, black trousers, gray cabbie hat. Small, rimless glasses he's blind as a bat without.
Items owned: A small messenger bag he carries his papers in; a cornet mouthpiece that makes a very unpleasant sound, but he blows into it just for kicks sometimes; a dented bronze pocket watch that's two minutes fast. Benjamin keeps these possessions in a side pocket inside his messenger bag.
Troubles: Benjamin is very fickle. His opinions are easily swayed by those around him, which explains his faltering allegiance during the strike. Overall, he's very impressionable, which makes him unable to form many opinions for himself. He has a habit of always doing what is asked of him, if the order is given by someone he respects. On the flip side, sometimes when he's in a playful mood he won't know when enough is enough until someone gets angry and gives him a smack. But overall, Benjamin loves spending time with his friends, even if it means messing with them or getting messed with. That is to say, Benjamin gets picked on. A lot. He's very awkward, and is often made fun of. Additionally, Benjamin develops crushes very, very easily.
Fears: Irrationally, Benjamin is afraid of choking or strangulation, floods, and cemeteries. Rationally, he fears that his tendency to be easily swayed will get him in some huge trouble one of these days…trouble that would make being called a scabber during the strike seem like small potatoes.
Siblings: Benjamin is the only boy out of six children, and the youngest. His sisters are Arielle (28), Yonah (27), Judith (25), Rachel (22), and Nira (18).
Parents:
Father: Benjamin Arnold Epstein I
Mother: Susannah (Redding) Epstein
His Half-Sisters' Mother: Dara Rosenbaum
