Big Red is the nickname Sonny gives to the first sea turtle to return to Samaritan Bay after the Kali Creek disaster. Big Red’s escape from Domidion and pilgrimage to Samaritan Bay symbolizes the triumph of nature and life. Her journey is also an allegory for Gabriel’s arc, as they both break away from the confines of the corrupt company and find their way back to a community where they have roots.

Throughout The Back of the Turtle, Sonny and Crisp are the constant keepers of hope, certain that life will come back to Samaritan Bay. As a marker of progress, they both fixate on the return of the town’s once-thriving sea turtle population, believing this will herald the true rebirth of the community.

By the time Big Red appears, the return of Samaritan Bay’s community is indeed fully underway. As Gabriel sees her, he recognizes the red streak on her head and realizes she is the same turtle who once lived in a tank in Domidion’s lobby. Like Gabriel, she was displaced and cut off from a community of her peers. Her pilgrimage to the shores of Samaritan Bay seems impossible, as nothing in the

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