Turtle in Paradise Art and Culture Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I blame Hollywood. Mama's watched so many pictures that she believes in happy endings. She's been waiting her whole life to find someone who'll sweep her off her feet and take care of her. (1.54)

She's got a point: Hollywood does paint a happy picture at the end of movies, where the guy gets the gal and they ride off into the sunset together. We can see why Turtle gets annoyed about this because it's not realistic. Not many people get a happy ending, especially during the Great Depression.

Quote #2

Kids in the funny pages sure lead thrilling lives. Little Orphan Annie and her dog, Sandy, are always having all sorts of adventures, and then there's Terry Lee from Terry and the Pirates. He sails to the Far East with his pal Pat, looking for a lost gold mine. (5.1)

Hmmm… is it just us, or does this go directly against what Turtle says about Hollywood in the previous quote? On the one hand, Turtle wants movies to be more realistic, but on the other hand, she wants her life to be more thrilling like in the funny pages. Can she really have it both ways?

Quote #3

In my opinion, the fellas who make Hollywood pictures are really just salesmen. Instead of peddling girdles, they sell thrills and chills, and folks eat them up. Not me, though. I'm no sucker. I know there's no such thing as giant apes climbing skyscrapers or mummies walking out of tombs. (13.1)

If people in Hollywood are salesmen, then they are selling make-believe fantasy to audiences who come to watch the films. Okay, we can get behind that. But did it ever occur to Turtle that this might be a good thing? Sometimes it's good to escape reality for an afternoon.