Oppressed turtles
The other turtles are shown to be unhappy with the Yerlte the Turtle treating them as a footstep. They complain that “down at the bottom we, too, should have rights.” This foreshadows the eventual overthrow of Yerlte the Turtle and freedom of the other turtles.
Class divide
Imagery of a class divide is made most prominent through the characters of Mack and Yerlte the Turtle. Yerlte the Turtle tells Mack “You stay in your place while I sit here and rule”, making it clear that he considers Mack to be far beneath him in status and power.
Power of the People
Mack is the main leader in freeing the other turtles from Yerlte the Turtle’s rule. Indeed, he states that “all the turtles are free, As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” Thus, hammering home the point that as a collective, we can overthrow those that mean us harm.
Power-hungry
Yerlte the Turtle is expressed as being a power-hungry fanatic who will stop at nothing to gain more land. He yells, “There’s nothing, no, NOTHING, that’s higher than me!”, thus portraying him as a crazed figure who values power above all else, even his own people.
