Often times in books, a small character will have a lasting impact and initially change the outcome of the story. For me that character was Eppie. Even though Eppie is not the main character, I believe that she had a large influence on Silas throughout the book. If Silas didn't find Eppie he probably would have felt there was no reason to live and this would have ultimately ended with suicide. Without Eppie, Silas would have remained shunned by his community and neighbors.
             Eppie also connected him to what he could remember was family. He thought Eppie was his little sister. Eppie affected Silas in a way that made him want to protect her at all times and let no harm come to her. He loved her.
             Silas' community would probably have continued their fear of Silas, if it had not been for Eppie 's arrival. Before he had Eppie, the people in his community were afraid of him. They didn't realize he was ever there. After he found Eppie, people respected him for the care he gave her and the home he provided.
             Eppie greatly affected Silas' heart. Examples of this are how Silas felt when she misbehaved and had sympathy when thinking about her in the hole. Silas didn't want to hurt her or scold her in any way. Having Eppie around made Silas' selfishness and greed disappear for he had something new to care for besides his gold, Eppie.
             In this book, the character I feel had a large impact on the story was not the main character or even the character most focused on. Eppie changed Silas' view on himself. He found better things to love than gold and this was a large part of the story.
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