s ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁when ▁abort ions ▁are ▁free , ▁legal , ▁and ▁safe , ▁so ▁he ' ll ▁no ▁longer ▁feel ▁obliged ▁to ▁offer ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁" The ▁C ider ▁House ▁R ules " ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁list ▁of ▁rules ▁that ▁the ▁migr ant ▁workers ▁are ▁supposed ▁to ▁follow ▁at ▁the ▁Ocean ▁View ▁Or ch ards . ▁However , ▁none ▁of ▁them ▁can ▁read , ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁completely ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁rules ▁- ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁posted ▁for ▁years . ▁ ▁A ▁sub plot ▁follows ▁the ▁character ▁Mel ony , ▁who ▁grew ▁up ▁alongside ▁H omer ▁in ▁the ▁or phan age . ▁She ▁was ▁H omer ' s ▁first ▁girl friend ▁in ▁a ▁relationship ▁of ▁circumstances . ▁After ▁H omer ▁leaves ▁the ▁or phan age , ▁so ▁does ▁she ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁find ▁him . ▁She ▁eventually ▁becomes ▁an ▁electric ian ▁and ▁takes ▁a ▁female ▁lo ver , ▁Lor na . ▁Mel ony ▁is ▁an ▁extremely ▁sto ic ▁woman , ▁who ▁ref uses ▁to ▁press ▁charges ▁against ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁brut ally ▁broke ▁her ▁nose ▁and ▁arm ▁so ▁that ▁she ▁can ▁later ▁take ▁reven ge ▁herself . ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁catal yst ▁that ▁transform s ▁H omer ▁from ▁his ▁comfortable ▁but ▁not ▁entirely ▁ad mi rable ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁apple ▁orch ard ▁to ▁becoming ▁Dr . ▁L arch ' s ▁replacement ▁at ▁the ▁or phan age . ▁ ▁Film ▁adaptation ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁a ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁released ▁in ▁ 1