The kindness that Tate showed Kya in the marsh makes sense, since his father goes out of his way to teach him to do “what’s necessary to defend a woman.” Moreover, Scupper emphasizes that it’s all right for a man to be in touch with his emotions, which is perhaps why Tate finds it easy to empathize with Kya, a girl upon whom everyone else casts unfair judgment based on her socioeconomic status. In addition, Tate has apparently lost his mother and sister, and though the circumstances of this situation aren’t yet clear, the fact that he has been separated from his loved ones puts him in a position to understand—to a certain extent—Kya’s familial losses.