Taylor leaves her car at Mattie's and she and Turtle get a room at the Hotel Republic, within walking distance of Jesus Is Lord Used Tires. It is clear to Taylor that Tucson is nothing like rural Kentucky, where everyone knows everyone else and helps each other through good and bad times. Taylor feels lonely and depressed as she realizes that she and Turtle will have to "find [their] own way." Ironically, this struggle is necessary if Taylor is to mature as an adult and eventually recognize the human bonds between herself and the other women on whom she can rely. Earlier in the novel, when she still lived with her mother in Kentucky, Taylor relied totally on her mother for support and shied away from friendships with her schoolmates. Now, she cannot rely on her mother's protection and support and must learn to trust her own instincts.
The internal and external conflicts that Taylor experiences in Chapter 3 are representative of the struggle that many single mothers face. Taylor needs a job, but what can she do with Turtle when day care costs more than what she can earn? Where will she find a job with her limited experience? What if she can't provide for Turtle? What if her money runs out? How will they make it alone without family or friends to help? Also note that Kingsolver addresses the problem of teen pregnancy when Sandi, a young waitress at the Burger Derby restaurant, empathizes with Taylor, who describes Turtle as "just somebody I got stuck with."
