Character Analysis
Before going to Key West, all Turtle knew about her dad was that he was a sailor and that he didn't marry her mom when she got pregnant. She imagines all kinds of things about her dad, but none of them are true. In the end, she knows what the guy is really like. She says:
I know that my father doesn't have three eyes and isn't a murderer, unless you count sponges. He's kind. And he likes the funny pages. Just like his daughter. (18.16)
When she finds out who her dad is, Turtle thinks about all the things they have in common. We can't help but notice that she wouldn't know any of those things without her time down in Key West—her trip very much allows her the opportunity to get to know her dad, even when she doesn't know Slow Poke is the guy. She has a blast when he takes her out on his boat, and she notes the differences between his simple and laid-back lifestyle and the rushing, complicated stuff Archie does. The two are definitely opposites, but does Slow and steady win the race?
We'll let you answer that one, Shmoopers.