Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Gertrude McFuzz, Lines 38 – 47 Summary

Out Lolla-ing Lolla 

  • Remember what we said about Gertrude being blinded by vanity and ambition? Yeah, "blinded" wasn't exactly the right word. More like "insane with."
  • Just look at that illustration. Gertrude appears to be flying high on her vanity and her jealousy, too.
  • It'd be one thing if Gertrude said, "Wow, I feel so much more complete with these extra tails. My sense of well-being has greatly improved."
  • But no, everything she says is a comparison. She can't wait to show the bird who has two that she now has three. She can't wait to see Lolla fall flat down on her face with jealousy of her own. She can't wait to scream, "Where's your pretty tail now, Ms. Lou?"
  • Not to get all therapist on Gertrude here, but it's pretty clear now this whole tail debacle is about trying to patch over an internal hole with solely external x factors.
  • And so, when Gertrude goes for more berries, she no longer "plucks" them from the vine or takes note of their awful taste. She "snatches" and "gobbles" until there's nothing left. Her vain ambition has eaten everything there is. But will she be satiated?