”Sometimes I feel so invisible I wonder if I’m here at all.” : - en analys av existentiella teman i filmen Där kräftorna sjunger

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to identify the existential themes present in the movie Where the crawdads sing (2022) by using the method thematic content analysis. The method is used when the aim is to identify themes or patterns within the data. In the movie the main character, Kya, faces challenges in life that raise existential thoughts and questions that together point to the existential themes being identified. Furthermore, the study examined how the main character deals with these existential challenges by applying Pargament’s religious coping theory. The theory explains how people use religious or spiritual beliefs to cope with stress and adversity. The research questions for this study are:  What existential themes challenge Kya? How does Kya relate and deal with these existential challenges? The result of the study showed that the movie explores themes of social context, to be exposed to threats and thoughts of life and death. When researching how Kya copes with her challenges, it was discovered that nature and social relationships are significant for Kya throughout the movie. However, she uses a reconstructive coping mechanism in order to conserve her significance. Kya does this by getting rid of obstacles in her way.