Out of all the Domains your story could reside in, perhaps the most difficult to understand is the Psychology, or Manipulations, Domain. Most authors have no problem describing problematic situations, or activities, or even problematic fixed attitudes like prejudice or racism. But problematic ways of thinking? That one is usually the big stumper. Luckily, ol’ Yertle the Turtle is there to help explain…

In case you have forgotten the story (or you haven’t had the pleasure of reading it nightly for the past 18 weeks, like some of us!) Yertle the Turtle tells the story of a king (Yertle) who keeps imagining a kingdom larger than it currently is. He calls on the turtles in his kingdom to stack up one on top of the other in an effort to raise his “throne” higher and higher. The turtles begrudgingly comply.

At first glance, the story seems to describe a problematic situation - hundreds of turtles stacked up on one another. This would give us an Objective Story Domain of Universe (or Situation, as it is commonly referred to now).

But note, in the following passage, where the source of the inequity for all the turtles involved comes from:

until Yertle, the king of them all,
Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.
“I’m ruler,” said Yertle, “of all that I see.
But I don’t see enough. That’s the trouble with me.
With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond
But I cannot look down on the places beyond.
This throne that I sit on is too, too low down.
It ought to be higher!” he said with a frown.
“If I could sit high, how much greater I’d be!
What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”

It’s not so much the situation that is the problem as it is the way Yertle puts all the pieces together. His kingdom, while big enough for most turtles, is simply not enough for him. He keeps envisioning a kingdom that could be so much more. How much greater it would be, he thinks to himself, if he could sit higher and see farther?

THEN Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,
He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky!
“Hooray!” shouted Yertle. “I’m king of the trees!
I’m king of the birds! And I’m king of the bees!
I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air!
Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!
I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, Marvelous me!
For I am ruler of all that I see!”

Poor Mack, the lowly turtle at the bottom of the stack, is not as pleased. And neither are any of the other turtles.

So yes, forty or so turtles stacked up could present an uncomfortable situation and therefore could be the Objective Story Domain. But what about an Objective Story of Physics (or Activities)? There are difficulties involved in climbing up to the top of the stack (using poor Mack’s head as the first stepping stone!). And what about an Objective Story of Mind (or Fixed Attitudes)? King Yertle obviously thinks he is better than all the other turtles.

Those effects are all there, but it is precisely Yertle’s way of thinking that is the true source of all their problems.

But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise
That the moon of the evening was starting to rise
Up over his head in the darkening skies.
“What’s THAT?” snorted Yertle. “Say, what IS that thing
That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?
I shall not allow it! I’ll go higher still!
I’ll build my throne higher! I can and I will!
I’ll call some more turtles. I’ll stack ‘em to heaven!
I need ’bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!”

200 turtles and it is still not enough for Yertle! Is there no end to his dastardly imagination?

Little to no protest is heard until Mack finally speaks up. If you haven’t read the story, (here comes a Major Spoiler Alert Warning!) Mack burps, sending all the turtles, including Yertle, crashing down into the pond.

Of course, there is not enough here to warrant a full Dramatica Grand Argument Story. Short stories, especially stories as short as this one, simply do not provide enough storytelling real estate to make a complete argument. Still, it is interesting to see how an Objective Story Domain of Psychology reveals itself…even in a simple children’s story.

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