Themes and Analysis

As Aza struggles with OCD, ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ by John Green shows how her relationship with others increasingly deteriorates. The book perfectly illustrates the conflict between a teenager’s mind and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

‘Turtles All the Way Down‘ begins with its main character struggling in her mind as her thought spirals into an insane obsession with the bacteria C. diff. Aza’s irrational fear of disease makes her forget her best friend Daisy and others; this creates a wedge in her relationships as she starts doubting her existence. The novel later introduces mystery and romance with the disappearance of local billionaire Russell Pickett.

Themes

‘Turtles All the Way Down’ features major themes like existentialism, coming of age, fear, mental illness, and loss. It shows how pain affects the lives of young minds entering adulthood.

Existentialism

Throughout ‘Turtles All the Way Down,’ Aza Holmes fought her mind. She tried hard to believe she was a human and not some made-up character. In many instances, she talked like an oracle through which an unseen force was speaking. Aza’s battle with OCD made her doubt many things about herself, but the worst was her reality. Aza believed she was unreal and felt her mind was a construct in a fictional world. 

When Aza was not fighting herself, her mind spoke like a separate entity. It kept putting multiple thoughts of diseases and germs, overwhelming Aza. Though she tried shutting it out, she could do nothing to stop the racing thoughts until she succumbed. Eventually, Aza chose to fight against her mental health issues and follow a new path of self-discovery, one not inhibited by the demons that tortured her.

Coming of Age

Transitioning from teenagehood to adulthood is a difficult journey that could make or break someone. With a mental illness in the mix, coming of age becomes tougher. ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ shows Aza’s gradual coming of age and how the compulsions and repetitive behaviors associated with her disease inhibited her progress. It also showed how she opened up to Davis, who she developed feelings for. 

As Aza grew into a young woman, her friendships and relationships were tested by not just OCD but by the reality of life. She had to learn of the financial troubles her best friend, Daisy Ramirez, went through, and she had to realize that though she was suffering, the people around her were also facing problems of theirs.

Mental Illness

Mental illness is one of the primary themes of ‘Turtles All the Way Down.’ The story focuses on Aza’s struggle with OCD and shows the mind of someone doubting their sanity. Throughout the novel, Aza fought her mind to remain sane. She tried many things to calm the racing thoughts of death. Though most of what came into her mind was irrational, her mental illness somehow made her fears seem normal.

Loss

Loss was a recurring theme in Aza and her friends’ life. Almost everyone she knew had, at some point, lost someone or something close to them; this left a gaping hole in their minds and affected their emotional state. When Davis visited Aza, her mother’s speech about him having whatever he could want made him sad because he could never have his mother, whom he lost. Aza also felt the pain of losing her father, and when she had an accident, the loss of his artifacts worsened her condition.

Analysis of Key Events

1. Aza learns that Russell Pickette is missing, and there is a 100,000 dollars bounty for whoever has information to assist the authorities.
2. Aza and Daisy use a boat to sneak into Russell’s mansion, but Lyle catches them and lies they are there to see Davis. On reaching Davis, Daisy tells him Aza wanted to visit because of the long crush on him.
3. Aza learns that Russell left his fortune to his pet Tuatara. She also feels guilty for not telling Davis why she was at his house.
4. Mychal tells Aza he wants to ask Daisy out. When he does, she invites Aza and Davis on a double date.
5. While on the date, Aza confesses her intentions to Davis, and he gives her 100,000 dollars so she does not release some information she found. Aza and Daisy split the money and put it in an account.
6. Aza meets her doctor and tells her she and Davis kissed, but she cleaned her mouth. Aza also asks her doctor about what makes her real.
7. Aza and Davis keep hanging out, and one night, after a date, she reads a story from Daisy. One of the characters makes her feel insufficient; this makes her enter a downward spiral that ends in her drinking hand sanitizer.
8. Aza meets Daisy the next day and argues about her spending and the character she wrote about. During the argument, Aza fails to notice an SUV, and she collides with it.
9. Aza rushes out of her car, and when she realizes her father’s phone and the car is totaled, grief overwhelms her. She eventually passes out.
10. While in the hospital, negative thoughts pop up in Aza’s head. Fearing she will die from bacterial infection, Aza drinks hand sanitizer till she vomits; this leads to her staying in the hospital for some time.
11. Aza and Daisy make up, and she also talks to Davis.
12. While attending an art show with her friend, Aza and Daisy investigate a weird smell in the uncompleted drainage system owned by Russell Pickette. She realizes the stench is likely the billionaire and tells Davis.
13. Sometime later, Aza sees the news of Russell’s body recovery, and she contacts Davis, who tells her he and his brother are leaving as their father left all his fortune to his pet tuatara.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language Used

The story of ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ uses a first-person perspective to narrate the events. As the story’s main character, Aza explains what is happening through her eyes and thoughts. She sometimes trails off, giving a disconnected feel to the plot. Aza’s mental illness also adds intensity to the story as she struggles with her mind.

‘Turtles All the Way Down’ uses metaphors, similes, and ironies to enhance its story. Aza uses metaphors a lot to compare what she sees and feels. She likens her friends talking to the rushing of a river over a rock because she always trails off into her mind at lunch.

Other times Aza used metaphors was when she referred to herself as a demon. She knew her mind was an extension of herself, and whatever it said came from her; this made her feel she was the villain in her story. 

Similes were also extensively used in the novel, like when Daisy likened Aza’s mom to a ninth-grade teacher even though she was a ninth-grade teacher.

Besides comparisons, ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ was littered with ironies. An example is Aza entering the dirty river water to get to Russell’s estate and not feeling freaked out, even when she is scared of dying from a bacterial infection in the school cafeteria.

Symbols Used in Turtles All the Way Down

‘Turtles All the Way Down’ features many symbols that portray Aza’s mind and struggle with mental illness. As a young girl who lost her father, Aza held onto many items that reminded her of him. However, an accident makes her lose everything; this plunges her deep into a dark thought spiral.

Harold

Harold is Aza’s car. She was very attached to it as it belonged to her father, who passed away. When she had an accident, Harold’s destruction broke Aza’s heart as she felt its destruction disconnected her from her father.

Bandaid

Aza’s bandaid was her anchor to reality. It was what she used to keep herself from going insane. Though she must have known it was irrational, Aza felt that draining the blood from her hand and replacing the bandaid she put on saved her from death. It was her defense against the germs out to get her.

C. Diff

No bacteria tormented Aza more than C. Diff. The pathogen was the primary source of her negative thoughts. She was always scared of contracting it and dying.