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
A year after the announcement of Chase and Pearl’s engagement, 22-year-old Kya receives an advance copy of her own book in the mail. The book is called The Sea Shells of the Eastern Seaboard and is full of her own illustrations and descriptions of the many shells she has found over the years. Kya’s editor, Robert Foster, was able to fast-track the publishing process because Kya had already completed the entirety of the book’s contents, and she already has plans to write another book about birds. Moreover, she has received $5,000 as an advance payment—a staggering amount of money for her. Grateful for everything Tate did to help make this happen, Kya sits down to write him a letter, but she can’t find the right words to express her gratitude, since the money from the book will allow her to live a better life.
Kya finds it difficult to thank Tate because she has devoted herself to leading a solitary life, one in which she doesn’t depend upon other people. Despite this, there’s no denying that she has benefited from Tate’s kindness, and the fact that she’s made so much money as a result implies that sometimes putting faith in another person is actually worthwhile and beneficial. After all, Tate not only helped Kya find a publisher, but taught her how to read and write, ultimately making it possible for her to do this kind of work in the first place. Because this notion goes against Kya’s determination to lead an individualistic lifestyle, though, it is especially hard for her to express her gratitude to Tate.
Themes
Tate has recently started working at the new biology lab that is nearby, and though Kya has seen him from afar, they haven’t interacted since he last came to her shack and suggested that she publish a book. When she finally finishes her thank-you letter, she includes a postscript that tells him to pay her a visit next time he’s in the area. The following week, she hires a man to make improvements on the shack, installing various new appliances including a toilet, a water heater, and a bathtub. At the same time, though, she makes sure to preserve the shack’s rustic integrity.
That Kya not only manages to finish her thank-you letter but also invites Tate to visit her is noteworthy, since it suggests once again that she can’t help but embrace the possibility of human connection even though she has resolved to live an independent life.
Themes
One day, Jumpin’ tells Kya that a group of developers plans to cut down trees and drain parts of the marsh to build hotels. Kya is terrified they’ll encroach upon her land, since she doesn’t know if her family ever legally owned the area surrounding her shack. To address this, she goes to the Barkley Cove courthouse to check the public records. To her surprise, she discovers that her grandfather bought the land in 1897. However, there are years of back taxes to be paid, and the courthouse clerk tells her that anyone who pays them will have rightful ownership of the land. Nervously, Kya asks how much it would be to pay off all of the taxes and is relieved to hear that it will only cost $800 because the area is considered “waste-land.” Using the earnings from her book, she pays the back taxes in full.
Part of Kya’s ability to lead an independent, self-sufficient life depends upon whether or not she can exist undisturbed by people outside of the marsh. Consequently, cementing her ownership over her land is crucial, ultimately enabling her to lead the life she wants because she doesn’t have to worry about getting kicked out of her own home. Now, it seems, she can fully embody the kind of individualistic existence she has decided to embrace, though this doesn’t change the fact that she clearly still yearns for some kind of human contact but doesn’t yet know how to fit this into her otherwise autonomous lifestyle.
Themes
Tate visits Kya that afternoon, and she gives him a finished copy of her book. When he thanks her, she tells him that he’s largely responsible for her newfound success. In response, Tate says he hopes Kya will reach out to him next time she sees him in the marsh, and she assures him that she will. Later, Kya goes to Jumpin’s and gives him the book, thanking him and Mabel for all of their help over the years. Filled with emotion, Jumpin’ wants to hug her but cannot, knowing that an old black man and a young white woman could get into trouble for showing affection in public. Instead, he puts the book on display in his shop, showing it off with the pride of a father.
Slowly, Kya allows herself to feel fondly for the people in her life. Set against a backdrop of disappointment, mistreatment, and abandonment, her relationships begin to develop, and she learns to appreciate the various kindnesses that people like Jumpin’, Mabel, and even Tate have done for her. Unfortunately, though, there are things that hold Kya back from fully expressing her emotion. With Tate, it is their rocky relational background that keeps her from completely rekindling their connection. With Jumpin’, it is the racism and intolerance that runs throughout Barkley Cove and the South that make it harder for her to properly express just how much it means to her that Jumpin’ and Mabel have treated her so well over the years.
Themes
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