Confusing at First Because There Is No

¶ … confusing at first because there is no mention of a turtle, but the scene needs to be set before the turtle can have a point. The title of the story is good because it talks about the main subject of the story, but it is also important to know that the turtle is a metaphor for something bigger. Steinbeck is trying to show that there are many things that human beings encounter in life, but by not giving up and by making the effort to do something more with life, most of the problems can either be avoided or corrected so that they are not really problems anymore. The thick shell of the turtle is like the 'thick skin' that people talk about. It means that things do not bother a person, and it is important to be this way when problems appear so that life can be enjoyed.

In the conclusion of the story it first seems like the turtle will be crushed, but he is only sent off on a different course, and some of the oats that he took with him by accident are planted somewhere different, where they may grow well. It is also important to see that the turtle affected the lives of others, even though it was not deliberate. Human beings often do this, too. By using a tone that is very descriptive and open, Steinbeck tells a story where the reader can picture what is happening and feel the emotions that Steinbeck wants to make sure people understand. Anyone who really thinks hard about the story will also see the metaphor that Steinbeck is trying to get across, as well. The style of the story is narrative, and there is no dialogue, but this approach works very well for a story like this. Also good is the way that Steinbeck transitions the story from the plodding of the turtle to the work it goes through to get to the highway, to the way that it plods off down another road at the end. Things in the story have come full circle for the turtle at that point.