Nella Larsen deals with the crisis of racial identity Helga has throughout Quicksand. She comments on the life of a mulatto woman at a strict black southern school who wants to find herself. Larsen deals Helga as the ‘tragic mulatto’ from the beginning of the novel setting clearly the views of black racial characteristics. The tragic mulatto being a stereotypical idea of someone doomed to limbo between being black and white. Helga exhibits, an inability to conform anywhere long enough to discover whether she is black or white. The main issue of the novel is society’s guidelines viewing things as black or white with no healthy medium. Helga’s sexuality comes into this as she is unable commit to relations feeling things are missing from her life. The struggle that is primarily at conflict is that of Helga’s relationship with James and Naxos. This makes her frustrated in that she is restricted from herself and has to battle with both James’ ideals of her and her own. Larsen uses Axel Olsen as a figure that represents the white ideals that are present in Helga’s battle. He characterises how her ‘white’ desires and personality should be. Part of the conflict of self is that of Helga’s relationship with Dr Anderson he is seemingly part of the battle of her black self. It is his opinions of her that keep her from truly doing what she wants, it is frustration that keeps Helga. Another very important aspect of this book in screening the repression of Helga’s repressed sensuality is her eventual marriage of the Reverent. The final aspect is her dress and the way that she behaves, it is initially suppressed and comes slowly to be unleashed by her. These factors are all valid in showing the conflict of race in causing the repression and exhib...
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...g with the spiritual feeling of being black. This fact that she cannot find an equilibrium is due to those around her such as James, Dr Anderson, Anne, Axel Olsen and the Reverend. They all are on the black or white scale and she just fits in between. The book never concludes her struggle, so there is still the question of whether she will ever find her identity. The school of Naxos creates brainwashed ideas, even though it is clear she never agreed with them she still cannot escape the beliefs that they held. Therefore she is stuck in a kind of limbo. Dr Anderson is the only man she truly can relate but it is this want for more that stops her happiness with him. Happiness is the biggest issue for Helga and whilst she cannot find a helpful balance in closing she has the most important job of all bringing up children, she is the influential role in their lives.
Hodes article places itself in the theoretical framing of Fields, Holt, and Stoler to argue “the scrutiny of day-to-day lives demonstrates not only the mutability of race but also, and with equal force, the abiding power of race in local settings.” By examining Eunice’s day-to-day experience, Hodes seeks to show how even though the identifiability of race may change from place-to-place and period-to-period, the power of race to effect lives is not challenged. Eunice’s story is an interesting one to highlight the changing nature of race construction. After the death of Eunice’s first husband, she found herself forced to do work she previously saw as work of black women. This helps strengthen Hodes’ argument of the power of race because just as Eunice was forced to work these jobs to survive, so...
Nella Larsen’s “Quicksand” depicts a young woman who lives her life around her dyer need to find her place in society. In the setting of Quicksand, discrimination is a key factor in the text because Helga Crane, who is a biracial woman, is expected to settle in a race in which she does not necessarily call her own. With this said, Crane maintains her status as an outsider in both the white and black community, and is never content with her surroundings. She also disregards her peer’s philosophies on life as annoying or absurd. She is constantly looking for a “better” life that will bring her self-fulfillment, but to her misfortune she never finds it. In the text Quicksand, Helga Crane shows great dissatisfaction with her life because of the racial barriers she has set for herself psychologically. She has formed these barriers in her life to keep distance from facing racial discrimination and conformity. Crane fights to keep differentiation between herself and the rest of society, and makes a life choice to not repeat the same mistakes as her given mother. While trying to find her own happiness, Helga Crane looks towards her materialistic views which prove to dissatisfy her in every situation.
While Helga identified herself with African-Americans while living in Harlem this idea quickly fades as she becomes exasperated with some of the societal norms that come with living in Harlem. She hates how focused everyone is on “the race problem” and wishes to get away from it. “Even the gentle Anne distressed her. Perhaps because Anne was obsessed by the race problem and fed her obsession.” (p. 50-51) When Helga first came to Harlem she really admired Anne for her intelligence and aesthetic sense when it came to interior decoration. But the longer she stayed in Harlem among purely African-Americans, the more hypocritical she found Anne to be: “Anne’s insinuations were too revolting. She had a slightly sickish feeling, and a flash of anger touched her. She mastered it and ignored Anne’s inadequate answer.” The more intellectual side of Helga becomes annoyed with Anne because she contradicts herself constantly when it comes to “the race
The character of Helga Crane from the novel Quicksand by Nella Larsen is a very complex character, struggling with racial identity, social class and sexism. Helga Crane is a twenty-three year old schoolteacher that comes from a mixed racial background. Her birth mother was a Danish woman, while her birth father was of West African descent. In the novel, she is depicted as a very exotic, beautiful and intelligent looking woman. Her racial dilemma however has left her lonely, alienated and psychologically uncertain to her belonging in the world. While growing up, due to her significant dark-skin and European features she was ostracized by both the Caucasian and African American community. In order to find herself a place in the world, and feel at home she traveled from the South, to cities such as Chicago, Harlem and even the European city of Copenhagen in Denmark. When it came to her travels, everywhere she would go she stated a strong opinion on her belonging. With that being said, I would like to focus this paper on three passages regarding her life at Naxos, in Harlem, and in Copenhagen.
The first encounter with Helga Crane, Nella Larsen’s protagonist in the novel Quicksand, introduces the heroine unwinding after a day of work in a dimly lit room. She is alone. And while no one else is present in the room, Helga is accompanied by her own thoughts, feelings, and her worrisome perceptions of the world around her. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that most of Helga’s concerns revolve around two issues- race and sex. Even though there are many human character antagonists that play a significant role in the novel and in the story of Helga Crane, such as her friends, coworkers, relatives, and ultimately even her own children, her race and her sexuality become Helga’s biggest challenges. These two taxing antagonists appear throughout the novel in many subtle forms. It becomes obvious that racial confusion and sexual repression are a substantial source of Helga’s apprehensions and eventually lead to her tragic demise.
There certainly was a divide between the two races, but now it was more of a passive aggressive approach. Biracial coupling and children were especially uncommon in this time, therefore society didn’t know how to react to it. Since it was so uncommon, society decided that if you weren’t a part of the norm, you wouldn’t be treated that way. The normal was to be of one race and to grow up, live, and die within the community of that race. Helga being from a mixed background did not fit it or conform to society’s norm in “Quicksand”. In Helga’s perfect world she would like to live in a community of both white and black people, and eventually hope that in the new generation would be a breed of mixed children like herself. Unfortunately this was not the society Helga was born into, therefore she could never find a true place to call home. She would move back and forth between both races. When she lives among blacks, she longs to experience the white side of her soul, but when she lives among whites, she misses being around black people. For this reason, Helga is always tempted to leave her current residence to go someplace else. Eventually Helga begins to give in to society out of exhaustion from trying to reject and break its rules. Larsen reveals this by writing “And after a little while she gave herself up wholly to the fascinating business of being seen, gaped at, desired.” Larsen is telling us how Helga gives in to society, even if it is in a seemingly positive light, she is depicting for us, her surrender to society and it’s rules. Once she realizes that she is giving in, she does all she can to try and escape doing that again. Although she tries to escape society’s claws and find herself a home, she discovers it is a lot more difficult that it was when she was
The book is not very long and is organized in chapters, which makes the process of reading more comfortable. Despite being a historical piece of literature, the language is not formally harsh and the readers are given an opportunity to delve into the feelings and emotions that the main character, young slave Celia, has to go through in her daily life in slavery. In the introductory part of the book, McLaurin puts forward the purpose of
Nella Larsen's Passing tells the story of the reconnection of two childhood friends whose lives take divergent paths. Through these characters Larsen weaves together a cautionary tale about the consequences of living a double life, and the harm associated with internalized racism. Through Clair and Irene, Larsen conveys to readers the consequences of desiring to live life as a bicultural individual during the early 20th century. Claire represents the archetypical character known as the tragic mulatto, as she brings tragedy to all those she encounters. Irene represents someone grappling with internalized racism; catalyzed by Claire's reentrance into her life. Larsen juxtaposes the two characters to demonstrate the inescapability of social regulations. Clare attempts to escape the social barriers placed upon African-Americans, and she does, but not without consequence. Through diction, tone, and imagery Larsen makes it luminous to readers that "passing" may seem glamorous, however, the sacrifice one makes to do so is not without consequences for themselves and those they care about.
In Quicksand, there were many occasions that depicted materialism and spirituality. This fixation on materialism and belongings, also interesting spiritual views carried on throughout the work. Helga encountered many problems with her materialistic and spiritual values, and in the end, I believe that it finally got the best of her.
Her dissatisfaction with her role in life also leads Godwin's protagonist to try on other roles. Though she tries on many, none of these seem to satisfy her either; she "tried these personalities on like costumes, then discarded them." Her inability to find any role that actually satisfies her probably contributes to her general sense of helplessness and continued withdrawal from her family and, indeed, the rest of the world. Since she cannot find any particular role that suits her, she attempts not to have any role at all; the coldness and isolation of the undecorated white room make it seem that she is trying to empty herself of her previous life.
In the story, “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison uses vague signs and traits to create Roberta and Twyla’s racial identity to show how the characters relationship is shaped by their racial difference. Morrison wants the reader’s to face their racial preconceptions and stereotypical assumptions. Racial identity in “Recitatif,” is most clear through the author’s use of traits that are linked to vague stereotypes, views on racial tension, intelligence, or ones physical appearance. Toni Morrison provides specific social and historical descriptions of the two girls to make readers question the way that stereotypes affect our understanding of a character. The uncertainties about racial identity of the characters causes the reader to become pre-occupied with assigning a race to a specific character based merely upon the associations and stereotypes that the reader creates based on the clues given by Morrison throughout the story. Morrison accomplishes this through the relationship between Twyla and Roberta, the role of Maggie, and questioning race and racial stereotypes of the characters. Throughout the story, Roberta and Twyla meet throughout five distinct moments that shapes their friendship by racial differences.
In Nella Larsen's Quicksand, Helga Crane passively opts out of situations; her actions are consistently reactionary. Helga’s anxiety is the figurative “quicksand” in which she sinks throughout the novel: Helga is too afraid to commit to a decision and thus flees geographically, failing to realize she can not find happiness through avoiding decisions.
In Toni Morrison’s novel Sula, the theme of the story is good versus evil. It’s embodied into the story in various forms to question what defines right and wrong. Good versus evil is presented in forms that are understood on the surface and beneath the surface which gives it multiple meanings. The relationship between Sula and Nel is the main expression of this theme, however, there are also many other contributors such as color schemes, gender and race differences, and life and death. This theme sheds light on the significance and interpretation of issues of everyday reality which includes controversies related to identity struggles, super natural forces, the impact and relevance of upbringing on development, family structure, and racism. Morrison demonstrates the importance of good versus evil with her writing in the way that she overlaps them and interprets them as products of one another. The friendship of Sula and Nel creates a presence of good and evil within their relationship to each other and their community.
Helga feels most out of place when she has to confront the eroticism of the clubs in Harlem and her disassociation from sexuality. For example, Helga realizes how the music moves her in the club, “… the music died, she dragged herself back to the present with a conscious effort; and shameful certainty that not only had she been in the jungle, but she had enjoyed it…” (Larsen, 59). Helga also feels social disconnection from Anne Grey who’s hypocritical of the culture she participates in. Anne Grey makes her hypocrisy clear when she says, “That’s what’s the matter with the Negro race. They won’t stick together. She certainly ought to be ostracized”, while at the same time participating in white society and even enjoying the music and other cultural products (Larsen, 61). Due to Helga’s alternative views to that of the Harlem and New York City society she leaves for Denmark where instead of feeling appreciated she’s fetishized and put on display like a freak show. Helga realizes she’s being made into an eroticized version of herself when Herr Olsen says, “…You have the warm impulsive nature of Africa, but, my lovely, you have, I fear, the soul of a prostitute. You sell yourself to the highest bidder, I should of course be happy that it is I…” (Larsen, 87). For this and other reasons, Helga leaves Denmark and moves back to New York City but this is not her final
The character of Hedda Gabler in Ibsen’s play is a unique and extraordinary person. There has been a lot of public dislike towards her and seen as a very manipulative, cold and even masculine portrayal of a woman. As stated by Jones “has imagination, and an intense appetite for beauty, she has no conscience, no conviction: with plenty of cleverness, energy, and personal fascination she remains mean, envious, insolent, cruel in protest against others ' happiness, fiendish in her dislike of inartistic people and things, a bully in reaction from her own cowardice." (2). Her personality was considered to be too different for the time that she lived in; it was seen as obstinate, and people went as far as to say she was less of a woman for the way