I just finished “Where the Crawdad’s Sing” by Delia Owens. I was stricken by how closely the story follows what is called the “fallen woman” narrative which I have read in Regency and Victorian novels such as “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy or “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
I will compare it to the narrative in Tess (especially since both involve a murder). Tess is rejected by society due to a tragic rape (sexual impurity) at the beginning of the story which leads to a life of isolation.
Kya in Crawdad’s, is rejected due to her families collapse and her becoming a “Swamp Girl”, untouchable by society.
Tess meets her true love, but he leaves her when faced with her past (rejecting her for the same reasons society does).
Kya meets her true love, but he leaves her when faced with her strange isolated life (rejecting her for the same reason the town does).
Tess is then forced into a relationship with Alec (the guy who originally raped her), and she ultimately murders him to escape his control.
Kya falls into a relationship with Chase, who is using her and eventually tries to rape her, Kya murders him to escape his control.
Tess then reunites with her true love – though she is soon caught and executed for murder.
Kya then reunites with her true love – though she gets away with murder.
For those who have read Crawdad, did you see this pattern as well? Just looking for thoughts.
by The-literary-jukes