Turtle in Paradise

Eleven-year-old Turtle is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. A precocious child, Turtle thinks of herself as someone who sees things for what they are. At first, this means that she prides herself on her cynical outlook, not allowing herself to get caught up in dreams that so often lead to disappointment. Like a turtle, she protects herself by putting up a tough, unemotional front. She also expresses herself wryly, as when she says, “You got me […] I don’t know what I was thinking” after tricking the Diaper Gang into ending their fight on the island (147). Turtle’s taste in media also develops her character, as she simultaneously longs for the kinds of epic adventures that she reads and watches, while rejecting such notions as unrealistic.

As the novel progresses, Turtle figuratively emerges from her shell. This occurs as she forms friendships with the people around her, including Slow Poke, Nana Philly, the Diaper Gang, and more. In the past, Turtle’s transient life with her mother moving from employer to employer, prevented her from forming lasting relationships. Now, settled in a location with friends and relatives, she can develop those relationships further, to the point that she sees the good in others and in herself.