Turtle in Paradise

Turtle references several of her favorite comics from the funny pages. By far, she refers most frequently to Little Orphan Annie, an orphaned girl who is adopted by the wealthy Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. From time to time, especially when Daddy Warbucks was away on business, Annie would be thrown out of the house by the vindictive Mrs. Warbucks, leaving her and her pet dog, Sandy, to have adventures out in the world, from which they were inevitably rescued by the return of Daddy Warbucks.

Though the storytelling in Little Orphan Annie can be just as formulaic as a Shirley Temple movie, Turtle is drawn to and identifies with Annie, and she hopes for someone powerful and rich to take up her cause. After discovering the pirate treasure, Turtle thinks to herself, “This is how Little Orphan Annie must have felt after Daddy Warbucks took her in: she’s never going to have to worry about anything ever again! She’s the luckiest orphan in the entire world!” (139). As her elation fades, however, Turtle begins to wonder whether Annie ever missed the friends she left behind at the orphanage, and from that point on, the myth or dream of attaining riches like Little Orphan Annie appears less appealing to Turtle.