The Last Mrs. Parrish

The Parrish house is decorated with turtles, many of them expensive art pieces. The children, as infants, are given stuffed turtles to play with. It is not until the novel shifts to Daphne’s perspective that the reader becomes aware of her hatred of turtles stemming from a traumatic childhood event. When the first turtle appears and Daphne confronts Jackson, he brushes off her behavior and offers a thinly veiled threat about the false documentation of her mental illness that he possesses. The turtles are a symbol of how unsafe Daphne is in her home. Her hatred for them and their constant presence is an extension of Jackson’s control and cruelty. Daphne cannot remove the turtles without risking Jackson’s wrath, and thus she must spend her days looking at something she detests. Amber’s gift of a turtle is the first time Daphne becomes aware that the woman may not be what she seems. Because Amber does not know Daphne’s private life or the abuse she experiences, the gift highlights how isolated Daphne is and her inability to get the help she needs.