https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.034
“The Marsh as Home”: Sensing Topophilia in Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing
DR NISHA MATHEW
Assistant Professor of English
St Cyril’s College, Adoor, Kerala
INDUJA P PANI
Independent Researcher, Kerala
Abstract: Humanistic geography has expanded the understanding of geographical concepts such as “place” and “space” beyond mere physical coordinates, transforming them into sites of lived experience and repositories of emotion. This perspective emphasizes the relationship between individuals and their environments, highlighting how places shape identity, memory, and human behavior. Consequently, a humanistic approach to literary criticism facilitates deeper interpretations of the spaces and landscapes that influence characters and their actions.
This paper, “The Marsh as Home”: Sensing Topophilia in Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing, examines the protagonist Kya’s profound attachment to the marshland that surrounds her. Drawing on the concept of topophilia—the affective bond between people and place—the study explores how the marsh functions as Kya’s primal landscape, shaping her sense of self, belonging, and survival. Through an analysis of Kya’s interactions with the natural environment, the paper demonstrates how the marsh transcends its role as a physical setting and becomes an emotional, cultural, and psychological home. By foregrounding the relationship between place and identity, the study illustrates how Owens’ novel presents nature as an active force in the formation of human experience and meaning.
Keywords: Humanistic Geography, Sense of Place, Topophilia, Primal Landscape
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