Turtle Freddy, Lamb and Saving the Coral Reef

[emmagrace]

I like Freddy's character! To me, he is the male version of Mary!

Lamb is a bossy little thing but, I think she compliments Freddy well from what was described of them in these chapters.

[Lildove3]

I like Freddy and yes, Mary and Him act like brother and sister, but above and beyond they do

share a wonderful brother /sister relationship and beyond words love one another.

Freddy and Lamb have a unique sort of relationship...sometimes difficult to figure out.

[Zia01]

What do you make of Freddy as Mary's brother? Is he who/what you might expect? How would you describe him? I adore Freddy and he is just like his sister.  They both take life by the horns and go where it leads. They live life how they want to and not by someone else's standards.

Do you get any clear sense of Freddy and Lamb's relationship, or who Lamb is, as a character? Other than I get the sense she is a strong, independent, woman, I don't really feel we get to know her much or her relationship with Freddy.

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors? I think Freddy truely loves the turtles and the envioroment. His whole nature is to preserve.

I think he'd rather not have to deal with donor but at the same times understands their roles are very important  to his cause so he has to make room for them in his life.

[mnbc]

I don't think Freddy has the disease. He strikes me as the type who would have to know and there has been no mention of it from him. I think he would have told Cobb that he was suffering from the disease from the get go. I love both Mary & Freddy and how they have been taught to live their live to the fullest. Enjoy what makes you happy! Great way to live whether you have a disease or not.

I can say that there is not one character that I don't like. Each one comes to life in so many different ways. Their personalities are well written. Love this book so far

[coffee_luvr]

No, I did not get a sense that Freddy had the disease.  I had a sense that he wanted to have a long talk with Cobb about Mary, but that he restrained.

[MKDeanna]

What do you make of Freddy as Mary's brother? Is he who/what you might expect? How would you describe him?

I thought Freddy was a great character.  Everything I expected Mary's brother to be.  He loves the outdoors and cares for turtles the way Mary cares for birds.  I would say he's your typical island/surfer stereotype.

Do you get any clear sense of Freddy and Lamb's relationship, or who Lamb is, as a character?

I did not get a clear sense of Lamb's character or her relationship to Freddy, although it seemed very odd to me.

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors?

I think that Freddy appreciates the significance of the turtle release, but I think that he finds the theatrics involved in filming the event a bit unnecessary.  I think Freddy's attitude is to be expected of someone in this position:  if he wants to continue his work, he needs to keep his donors happy.  I think Freddy has a deep love and passion for the reef and the turtles or he would not be putting all of this work into the project.  Freddy's attitude with his donors reminded me of the first chapter of Jurassic Park - catering to your donors may not make you happy, but it keeps your project funded, like it or not.

Is there any question around Freddy suffering from Huntington's? Has this been explained somewhere else in the novel?

If this was explained, I missed it because I was wondering the whole time they were in Indonesia if this topic would come up in the story.

[coffee_luvr]

Mary's Brother:

I thought Freddy was a wonderful character add to the story.  I liked that he was kind of a "hippie" type character.  At least that is the way I pictured him, probably because of the beard and all.  He seemed to be a loving brother to his sister, typical teasing but without any malice.  He kind of reminded me of my older brother in that way.  He seemed to have a brotherly protectiveness around Mary as well.  I thought the look into that relationship was a great add to the story. 

Freddy and Lamb:

You know I did not get a clear picture in my mind of Lamb.  She seemed to really remain in the background as a character for me.  What I could get from the relationship is that it seemed like a no pressure and comfortable one to go along with their environment.

Freddy seemed committed to his cause but he did not seem to take himself too seriously. I think his passion kind of snuck up on him.  I think the "business" side of the cause is something Freddy is not so comfortable with.  I got the feeling he would prefer to be with his turtles rather than talking to donors but unfortunately, that is how it works.  Often times you need be able to market and sell your art, talent or passion so that you can continue to work on your art, talent or passion....(sigh).

[dclement04]

What do you make of Freddy as Mary's brother? Is he who/what you might expect? How would you describe him?

I think Freddy is a believable brother to Mary. Both of them are adventurous and love the outdoors. Freddy just seems like hes a go getter...I like that. I love the relationship they have as brother and sister. Its very caring and loving and you can tell he genuinely cares about whether or not the man dating his sister will really take care of her when the time comes when she needs it the most. My brother (although younger than me) acts like he is older sometimes with that protectiveness.

Do you get any clear sense of Freddy and Lamb's relationship, or who Lamb is, as a character?

I think Freddy likes Lamb because she is very straight to the point and sometimes Freddy seems like he could be aloof so he needs someone who will keep him on the right track but other than that I didnt really get a sense of who she is.

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors?

I think he feels obligated to show the "donors" some love and let them know that their money is being wisely spent. Sometimes people with alot of money feel obligated to give it away and never really know where and what their money is going towards because they dont really care about the cause it just seems like the right thing to do. When Freddy was entertaining that one couple the book said that that was the first time they had been down there to see what was going on...good example of my comment earlier.

[troubleactingn…]

I really liked Freddy. I found him charming and sweet and a good compliment to Mary. I thought that his relationship to Lamb was one of the weaker things in the book, she seemed a little stereotyped as "the native girlfriend" and I don't think that it was really clear what they were like together, or even what brought them together in the first place. I sort of think that the feel, the plot, the story overall would be no different if we just removed all mention of Lamb. Freddy however, was very important. At some point, Mary brings up Freddy having the disease, and it was clear to me from that conversation that he didn't. He was the kind of person that wanted to get tested and get on with his life, and although it was never stated, I think that the test was negative. To me that was an important part of Mary's perception of her own disease. HUntington's is cruel in that if your parent has it, it's random and 50/50 whether or not you will as well. I think it speaks to the strength and depth of Mary and Freddy's relationship that she didn't seem to show any resentment even after it was clear that she had drawn the bad card, when Freddy had not. In a lot of other situations, the ill sibling might resent the well one for dodging the genetic bullet.

[T-Mo]

I love Freddy’s work and emotion toward the turtles. Indeed, this is a genuine issue for the real world. I think Monninger does a wonder job highlighting this in a very positive way. Freddy’s emotion toward the turtles, upon their release was very heartfelt and certainly one of my favorite parts of the novel thus far. I may be a little biased however, as I have a huge soft spot in my own heart for sea turtles. They are amazing creatures.

I think the seriousness of the fate of the turtles is not something Freddy takes lightly. However, in an effort to bring in funding and support of his efforts, he has to cast the release in a light that will draw people in. I think the fact that the turtle cause is not something that is widely considered makes his approach that much more important. Freddy’s reference to “donor porn” seems, to me, to be simply witty sarcasm. I think he recognizes the fact that not many people view his effort with the same intensity as he does, as many people do not realize the importance of saving the turtles. So, while Freddy is passionate about the turtles, he realizes he may have to commercialize his efforts so that he can maintain his funding and support as a means for continuing his efforts. 

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Rachel-K wrote:

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors?

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[T-Mo]

I tend to agree with you in terms of Lamb keeping Freddy grounded. While he seems to be very free-spirited, it is easy to see how he could get carried away with something, and loose all track of time or even reality. I think Lamb helps him keep things in perspective. For example, she participated in his release of the turtles, yet her role was different from Freddy’s. Lamb stayed on the more pragmatic, and business side of the endeavor. She seemed to respect Freddy, and his cause, yet she did not let him get swept away in it.  He had his space and time to do what he needed to do, and feel his emotion, yet she did not let him get too wrapped up to forget the other half of the equation. Lamb is Freddy’s anchor. 

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dclement04 wrote:

Do you get any clear sense of Freddy and Lamb's relationship, or who Lamb is, as a character?

I think Freddy likes Lamb because she is very straight to the point and sometimes Freddy seems like he could be aloof so he needs someone who will keep him on the right track but other than that I didnt really get a sense of who she is.

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[T-Mo]

I think this is a very interesting and insightful. The turtles could very well be a metaphor. Taking it one step further, maybe Freddy does have the disease, maybe he knows he has it, and is putting forth this effort for the turtles so that he knows he is indeed living his life, doing something that he loves, and making a difference while he still can, instead of waiting until later in life when it will be too late. Perhaps the fact that he can’t save himself is in part a motivator for his effort to save the turtles.

Or, as you said, it could simply be that he has come to terms with the fact that his sister is ill, he has come to terms with it and the fact that there is nothing he can do for her, and is thus putting his energy toward something he can help.

I think though, that Freddy is also suffering from Hungtington’s. 

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mgmama33 wrote:

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors?

I really think that the turtles is a metaphor here for what he can't do for his sister.  He can't nurse her back to health.  She is going to die and he has come to terms with this.  The turtles are a way for him to relate and help out part of nature to continue.  He is passionate and giving of himself just like Mary is.

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[nfam]

I thought Freddie was a great character. Perfect for Mary's brother. He was substantially larger than life, but believable. His self deprecation of his efforts to save the turtles rang true to me. He was doing it because he loved the animals, not because he wanted glory. I loved Freddie.

[ambika22]

I liked Freddy, and specially his love for the turtles. Mary and him are very similar, they both love nature and they really care a lot about each other.

I enjoyed a lot the "donor porn", and as someone said before, its so similar to Jack in Men in Trees!

What i didnt fully understand was if Freddy has Huntington's or not, because since they are brother&sister he has much chances of having it.

[Deltadawn]

I absolutely love Mary's brother, Freddy. He is definitely what I would expect. He's completely devoted to and focused on his cause - saving the turtles. He's extremely easy going and down to earth. Not afraid to make a joke at his expense - or that of his own cause.... Freddy is also completely devoted to his sister, and his love for her is apparant.

[Deltadawn]

I do not think Freddy has the disease either.

[DSaff]

Turtle Freddy is one of my favorite characters. He absolutely loves what he is doing, and while he misses home and winter weather, he knows where he belongs for now. His "free-spirit" demeanor is balanced by his ecological astuteness. Freddy loves the turtles and knows he is saving some. He also knows that there needs to be funding and publicity, two things I think he wishes didn't need to be. He also fiercely loves his sister and now knows she is in good hands. Like his mother, Freddy supports Mary in her decision about the illness. It must hurt him, but he makes the most of his time with her. Will he see her again? I await the next section of the book to find out. 

Lamb is Freddy's partner on the island, but I'm not sure how far the relationship goes. She is his key to owning land. I hope to find out more about her in the coming chapters.

[GreenFairyLV]

What do you make of Freddy as Mary's brother? Is he who/what you might expect? How would you describe him?

I think they are both free spirits and he was pretty much exactly what I thought he would be.

Do you get any clear sense of Freddy and Lamb's relationship, or who Lamb is, as a character?

No I didn't.  I couldn't tell if I liked her or not.  She seemed bossy.  I really don't know how I feel about her.

Although we have spent all of the novel in beautiful outdoor settings, this is the first place in the novel we come across a character working for an ecological cause. How is it that Freddy seems both to make fun of his own efforts--filming, for example, "donor porn" to show the release of the turtles--and then show his own obvious depth of genuine emotion about letting the turtles go? What is Freddy's attitude toward his own role? What is his attitude toward the reef and the turtles? What is his attitude toward his donors?

Freddy's feelings for the turtles is genuine.  He knows he has to play a part to get donors and help the cause. 

[mrsareads]

I felt Freddy was a perfect brother for Mary. They both had a passion that moved them forward and lived life on their own terms. Freddy is a free spirit who lives life full of the passion and fun we all wish we could.

Freddy and Lamb's relationship seems a bit different. It is not very clear - hopefully we will learn more.

Freddy's genuine emotion when releasing the turtles makes it more believable that he calls the video "donor porn" (a phrase I love by the way). He has a true connection; he lives the life of protecting and raising the turtles on a daily basis. But he understands the reality of needing the money to make it all happen. He appreciates the donors and understands they need to feel they are doing something 'good' and the video can help them feel that way.

[MSaff]

  Hello Everyone,

What do you make of Freddy as Mary's brother? Is he who/what you might expect? How would you describe him?

The description of Freddy fits perfectly with Mary.  As he is so much like Mary, such as his care free attitude, but passion for life, that they could only be brother and sister.  Joseph has put them together as though no effort was needed, yet if you look closely at them, you do see some differences.  Mary is living her life with sheer abandonment, because of her illness, so she lives each day to its fullest.  Freddy, also lives each day to its fullest, but he has taken up his cause for the Turtles and the Coral Reef.  Both are adventuress and completely dedicated to their life’s work and determined to see it to the end. 

  I so love this story.

  I must say that Freddy has chosen a wonderful cause, and I just wish that I could have been there to both assist and watch as the Turtles were set free.  I could feel the joy of seeing them swimming out of the netted area, and I felt the fear for their survival.