This article is an excerpt from the Shortform summary of "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens. Shortform has the world's best summaries of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here .
Is Chase Andrews in Where the Crawdads Sing an example of manipulative partner? What did he do and what happened to him?
Where the Crawdads Sing offers an important example of what a manipulative partner looks like. Through Kya’s relationship with Chase Andrews, readers can see signs of a manipulative partner. This helps us understand Kya’s relationship, and her motivation for events that happen later in the novel.
Chase Andrews: A Manipulative Partner to Kya?
Kya and Chase began a strange relationship. Initially, Chase tried to pressure Kya into physical intimacy. This was the first sign he would become a manipulative partner.
The next time Kya saw Chase was ten days later sitting alone in his boat off the shore of Point Beach. She knew what he’d done was wrong, but he’d also stopped when she said to and apologized. Her loneliness convinced her to give him a second chance.
When Kya motored up to his boat, Chase again apologized. He offered to show her a view of the marsh from the top of the fire tower. The fire tower stood in the swamp on the other side of Barkley Cove, a place Kya had never ventured before. Once at the top, Kya greeted the full form of her true soulmate for the first time. The marsh was beautiful in its entirety.
Chase said he knew he was out of line before and would never pressure her again. In response, Kya took a necklace from her pocket. She’d made it with the shell they’d found on the beach. She was planning on wearing it but, in the moment, decided Chase should have it. Chase put it on, letting his fingers linger on the shell. Chase’s pressuring Kya and apology is a tactic of a manipulative partner.
Kya led him to the beach, a piece of stale cornbread in her hands for the birds. As Kya fed the birds and became engulfed in their gleeful dance, Chase felt a stirring inside. He’d never intended to have feelings for the feral Marsh Girl, but he couldn’t help but be entranced by her bravery and beauty. He asked if he could come back again, and Kya nodded.
A Manipulative Partner
During the first week of their relationship, Chase visited Kya every night. They’d take his boat and explore the marsh estuaries. One weekend, he took her farther up the coast than she’d ever been. The water was clear and uninhabited by water plants like in the marsh. Kya avidly took notes on everything she saw. She motioned for Chase to slow down whenever deer or nests were present, and she collected whatever new specimens she could find.
Chase thought Kya’s habits were ridiculous. He was annoyed with her concern for the wildlife and questioned why she cared so much. When Kya told him she wanted to learn about the marsh, he said all she needed to know was when the fish were biting. Kya laughed despite herself. For the first time, she betrayed her own interests for a man. This is another way a manipulative partner made Kya doubt herself.
Chase and Kya never met in town and never went on normal dates. They were isolated in their courtship, but Chase always remained the gentleman. Then, one night, they were huddled around a small beach fire under a blanket when Chase asked to kiss her. They kissed passionately, but Chase didn’t push for more.
Things continued in this way, but after the first couple of weeks, Chase’s visits became more sporadic. Once again, Kya was consumed with longing as she waited on her beach for the sounds of Chase’s boat, never knowing when he might show up. To shake herself out of this desperate, hopeful routine, she packed a bag and decided to go to the secret cabin.
Being away from the possibility of Chase’s visits was a relief. Without the sick worrying, Kya was free to explore and read. She’d started going to a library in Sea Oaks, a larger town down the coast, where no one knew her or whispered about the Marsh Girl behind her back. She checked out college-level science books and read to her heart’s content in the cabin.
When Kya returned to her shack, she found Chase, shaken from the surprise of not finding her there when he wanted her. He started scheduling his visits and was always punctual.
Kya started fantasizing about what it might be like to be part of Chase’s real world. She imagined them picnicking with his friends, marriage, and children, but every time she thought about broaching the subject, she clammed up.
Months had passed since that first picnic on the beach, and Chase had kept his promise to not pressure her. One day, they were lazing on his boat off the coast, and Chase suggested they go swimming. He told her he wouldn’t look when she took off her clothes, but when she pulled her shirt off, he stared at her bare chest. Slowly, he began undressing her down to her underwear. To be touched was glorious, and Kya moved against him. But when he tried to take off her underwear, she stopped him.
Chase protested that it had been long enough and he’d been good. Kya asked what would happen after she gave in. How could she be sure he wouldn’t abandon her once he got what he wanted? Chase said no one ever had guarantees, but he was falling for her. Wasn’t that good enough? Kya searched his expression, looking for a trace of the love he’d professed, but his face was hard and gave nothing away. Still, she wasn’t alone, and that seemed good enough for now. She told him she’d be ready soon.
———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best summary of Delia Owens's "Where the Crawdads Sing" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Where the Crawdads Sing summary :
- How Kya Clark's abandonment as a child affected her through her entire life
- How Kya discovered love despite steep obstacles
- The murder trial that embroiled Kya's town, and the ultimate truth behind the murder
