She hits the man with her purse and scares him away. This example may not seem important at first, however it is vital to Turtle as a character. Taylor realizes the seriousness of the situation and she comments on how that man may have abducted Turtle, but because of Edna, Turtle is still there with them. When praising Edna, Taylor's roommate, Lou Ann, says, "You couldn't have known what was going to happen, I might have done the exact same thing. You saved her, is what you did,"" (166). This is another example of where someone has saved Turtle from harm that may come to her. Although, she does not realize it now, she will understand the significance of Edna's acts when she is older. Along with that, she will understand the damage that occurred. The problem is that Turtle may not know how to deal with what she has been through; this becomes clear to Taylor when she visits a counselor after the attack. The counselor talks about what Turtle has undergone, and she begins to go in to detail about ways of dealing with the situation when the time comes. Taylor is relieved to hear that Turtle is not the only one who has gone through this, and that she will have an opportunity to talk to these other people. While in the counselor's office, Taylor explains this relief and says, "But also, I reasoned, this meant that Turtle was not alone. At least she would have other people to talk to about it when she grew up,"" (173). Although Turtle does not realize it now, many people have helped her in her past, and many people plan to help her in her future. When she is older, she will understand that if it were not for these people she may not be where she is today.
The ways in which others helped Turtle were physical and obvious, but in Taylor's case, the people that have helped her have done so more unconsciously. Instead of physically saving Taylor, these people help start changes in her life that she needs to make.
