Where The Crawdads Sing Key Quotes Flashcards
“…why interrupt rats killing rats?”
- the people of Barkley cove perceive those of the marsh as less human and animal
- proving kya is seen as feral
‘No, I caint leave the gulls, the heron, the shack. The marsh is all the family I got’
Owens’ use of setting highlights that Kya’s love of the marsh and wildlife keep her tethered to the area. Owen’ use of symbolism of the marsh as Kya’s family emphasises that the marsh nurtures and protects her, she is determined to maintain her loyalty because pf how accommodating the marsh is
“The marsh did not confine them but defined them, and like any sacred ground, kept their secrets deep”
Owens’ use of contrasting language of confine and define suggests that kya is not restricted by the marsh but is rather shaped by it in a deep way. Owens has also used symbolism of the marsh as being sacred highlighting how significant of a place the marsh is as it is respected by Kya so much so that she sees it as something worth worshipping. Owens’ use of characterisation of the marsh as a place to ‘keep secrets deep’ gives it human like qualities implying that kya feels her connection with the marsh is a relationship more significant than those she missed out on throughout her life.
“Like most people chase knew the marsh as a thing to be used to boat and fish or drain for farming, so Kya’s knowledge of critters, currents and Cattails intrigued him’
Owens’ characterisation of chase shows that he does not take any real interest in getting to know kya and like most people has no interest in the marsh or learning anything about it proving he doesn’t share Kya’s passion. Owens’ use of symbolism highlights that symbolically chase and Kya’s relationship symbolises civilisation’s commodification of nature
“But even her wistful daydream had not envisioned them, standing together on top of the fire tower overlooking the world. A summit”
Owens’ use of setting shows that the fire tower is a man made structure and a place where the marsh can be looked down on quite literally the way the people of the town look down on kya. The fire tower symbolises civilisation encroaching on the natural world , much like chases advances towards kya. Owens’ use of language of the word summit brings a sense that the relationship chase and kya build is at the highest point they will reach, it is chase who allows kya to experience the marsh from another pov highlighting his privilege and dominance
“She tried to force herself to avoid the beach and stick to the marsh..stay safe, feeding grits to the gulls… but loneliness had a compass of its own. And she went back to the beach to look for him the next day.”
Owens’ characterisation of kya as a more vulnerable character due to her life experiences highlights how no matter what connection people have with nature humans are usually reliant on deep connections with others. Owens’ use of inner conflict highlights that the marsh is Kya’s safety blanket however she learns through her interactions with nature that it cannot nurture in a way that she deeply craves
“Chase would not let this go. Being isolated was one thing; living in fear quite another”
Owens’ use of of symbolism shows that symbolically chase in this situation represents the hostile attempts to destroy the marsh by nature and humanity. Owens has also used characterisation to show the possessive attitude chase has towards kya which reignites his sense of entitlement much like the entitlement humans have over nature. Owens’ use of inner conflict after chases brutal attack foreshadows Kya’s actions during the ending of the novel, where Kya’s internalised feelings from her trauma of this incident causes her to murder chase. Kya is cruelly aware of the power imbalance that exists between herself and chase and how men always have to have the last punch something she learns through her fathers abusive relationship with her family which foreshadows chases abusive actions during the climax.
“The sun, warm as a blanket, wrapped Kya’s shoulders, coaxing her deeper into the marsh… whenever she stumbled, it was the land that caught her… the marsh became her mother”
Owens’ use of imagery throughout the novel simultaneously exposes Kya’s incompatibility with civilisation contrasting the nature of the townspeople compared to those of the marsh. Owens’ symbolism of the marsh as Kya’s mother emphasises that the marsh nurtures and protects her whenever things go wrong in Kya’s life it is the marsh that is there for her this highlights her isolation from civilised society as she finds peace in the marsh whereas in society the marsh is looked down on by many
“But just as her collection grew, so did her loneliness… nothing eased it. Not the gulls, not a splendid sunset, not the rarest of shells… the lonely became larger than she could hold. She wished for someone’s voice,presence touch but wished more to protect her heart”
Owens’ use of symbolism of Kya’s collection highlights her growth as a human as her independence has allowed her to overcome the judgement that she is uneducated, her collection something she loves from a young age is something Tate adds to which is also why it holds so much significance in her life. Owens has also used inner conflict to suggest that although Kya desires human connections with others she understands that relationships are transactional and wants to save her peace, despite being forever changed by her connection with Tate.
‘There’s my lynx wilder than ever’
When chase brutally attacks Kya he refers to her using dehumanising language proving he sees her as an animal and inhumane
“Chase had probably bragged about their doings to everyone. No wonder people shunned her - she was unfit disgusting”
Owens’ use of characterisation highlights how kya internalises the feelings of the townspeople and now uses this to justify how others treat and isolate her. She rationalises in her head the reasons people isolate her so much coming to terms with the fact that it could be due to her own nature. Owens also highlights the theme of civilisation versus nature by showing that this incident represents the hostile attempts to destroy the marsh and nature by humanity. Due to prejudice and chase being more prominent in the town he always holds more power leaving Kya helpless
