Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Where the Crawdads Sing, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Survival, Necessity, and Violence
Independence vs. Human Connection
Education, Coming of Age, and Adulthood
Prejudice, Intolerance, and Acceptance
Summary
Analysis
The day after finding the turkey feather, Kya walks to the stump but finds nothing there. Thinking for a moment, she realizes that she should leave something for the boy, so she sets down a tail feather from a bald eagle. While in bed that night, she thinks about how her family abandoned her, leaving her alone in the marsh. And yet, there is somebody out there—a boy—who has started coming to her and leaving her gifts. The more she thinks about it, the more she senses that this boy must not want to harm her. The following morning, Kya gives herself a haircut, cleans her fingernails, and puts on Ma’s old lipstick. Looking in the mirror, she notes that she looks pretty, though she wipes off the lipstick.
As Kya wraps her head around interacting with the unknown boy, she gets more and more comfortable with the idea of opening herself up to the possibility of human connection. In doing so, she also changes the way she views herself, beginning to think of herself not just as a child, but as a young woman who might even be pretty. In this regard, readers watch as Kya matures, noting that the possibility of human interaction informs her coming of age process.
Themes
Kya goes to the stump the next day and finds not only a beautiful feather, but a milk carton. Inside the carton there are packets of seeds, a note, and a spark plug for her boat’s motor. This last gift dizzies her, since she realizes that now she won’t have to worry when her current spark plug dies—she has never had extra supplies in her life. Turning her attention to the note, she wishes she could read the words.
Kya has already begun to benefit from her developing relationship with this unknown boy, who makes it easier for her to sustain herself in the marsh by giving her an extra spark plug. Unfortunately for her, though, she can’t fully reap the rewards of this budding friendship because she doesn’t know how to read, thereby missing out on whatever he has to say to her. In this moment, then, readers see the ways in which Kya’s lack of a formal education puts her at a disadvantage.
Themes
Kya turns back to her shack, having forgotten to bring something to leave for the mysterious boy. That evening, she puts a feather in her pocket and gathers blankets so she can sleep next to the marsh in order to wake up early to collect mussels. After filling two sacks with mussels the next morning, she carries them one by one to her boat. On her way, she stops at the stump to leave the feather, but when she enters the small clearing, she comes face to face with the boy, whom she recognizes as Tate. Before she can leave, he asks her not to run away. As he says this, he speaks slowly, as if he doesn’t know whether or not she understands English.
Although Kya has decided to embrace her developing friendship with Tate, she’s unprepared to do so in person. Leaving feathers and other gifts for one another is, for her, a perfect way to connect with another human without actually having to interact with anyone. Now, though, she must face Tate, a fact that clearly unnerves her because she’s so unused to interfacing with others.
Themes
Tate can’t stop himself from staring at Kya. She’s only 14, but he finds her extremely beautiful. Kya, for her part, wants to flee but decides to stay because of all the feathers Tate has left for her. Thinking of this, she hands him the swan feather that she intended to leave on the stump. When he takes it, he expresses genuine gratitude and identifies the feather as having come from a tundra swan. Unsure of what to say, she tells him that she can’t read his note, so he explains that it merely says that he has seen her around the marsh, which is why he wanted to give her some seeds and an extra spark plug. Plus, he thought she would be able to appreciate the feathers. Avoiding his eyes, Kya thanks him.
Tate puts Kya in an uncomfortable position by actually meeting her in person. However, he tries to relate to her on her own terms by speaking about the marsh and reminding her of their shared interest in bird feathers. By doing this, he helps her see that he means her no harm, effectively convincing her not to listen to her impulse to run away—an impulse that she has developed simply as a means of survival.
Themes
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Tate privately notices that Kya’s surprisingly mature body doesn’t match the somehow childish way that she speaks. In contrast, he thinks, all of the girls her age in Barkley Cove are less physically developed but have adopted excessively adult personas. Bidding farewell to Kya, he says that he might come see her every now and then, as long as she’s all right with that. Kya doesn’t respond. Just before Tate is about to leave, he turns once more and offers to teach Kya how to read.
While it is somewhat uncomfortable to consider Kya’s sexual maturity because she is only 14, her development is indeed one of Owens’s focuses in Where the Crawdads Sing, as the author charts Kya’s transition from childhood to adulthood. This dynamic emerges when Tate notices Kya’s body and notes that her physical maturity clashes with her otherwise childish demeanor—a consideration that will be important to bear in mind as their relationship progresses. On another note, Tate’s offer to teach Kya how to read once more emphasizes his unbridled kindness, proving that he truly means her no harm and simply wants to connect with her.
Themes
