Literature:
Quicksand by Nella Larsen is a book riddled with symbolism as well as ideologies. It delves deep into the ugly world of racial discrimination and racism. It also deals with identity and acceptance issues. It was very easy for either white people or black people to choose sides when it came to racism. Everyone knew what side to support. People of mixed races however did not have that luxury. They found themselves sitting on the fence and more often than not being rejected by both sides. This raised deep psychological issues in mixed race people as they struggled to find self-identity and acceptance from people of their own kind yet found rejection from both fronts.
The title of the book in itself is both symbolic and to a very large extent artistic. Quicksand is sand in which a person can sink and die. When trapped in quick sand the rate at which a person struggles to break free I s directly proportional to the rate at which the person sinks thus inching closer to their death. This reality of quicksand is used symbolically to depict Helga crane’s struggle with acceptance in both her races. Her need for acceptance becomes her undoing as she finds rejection from both corners. The more Helga crane tries to be accepted by both her black race and her white race the more she encounters rejection and prejudice. The author artistically likens the predicament Helga crane finds herself in to quick sand. Just as struggle hastens the demise of a person trapped in quick sand Helga crane’s struggle for acceptance worsens the situation for her. Seemingly both the black race and the white ace have come to a unanimous resolution to reject her and leave her ever yearning for acceptance and a sense of identity. Her continuous and gallant effort at gaining favor from both races seems only serving to strengthen the apparent joint resolution by both races, which despise each other, to reject her and leave her feeling even more alone and unwanted.
It is also very interesting to note the turn of events that ensue after Helga crane moves to Denmark to live with her aunt and uncle. Unlike most of her white relatives they seem rather supportive of Helga and it would appear that they are completely turning a blind eye to the fact that she is of mixed races. They even go as far as encouraging her fashion sense to wear clothes with a color that that complements her appearance and skin intonation so that she can stand out even more than she already does in a crowd. These seem like the best aunt and uncle in the world. They are supportive, encouraging and apparently they do not care that Helga crane is mixed race in nature especially at a time when racism was at its peak. The reasons behind this special and strange treatment of Helga crane by her aunt and uncle is rather sinister and to be honest very insulting even from the perspective of her white person. The reason why they treated preferential well in comparison to her other acquaintances was because she helped raise their social standing.in Copenhagen black people were considered exotic not much unlike a tiger in a modern zoo. Having Helga crane around helped raise their profile as the family with a hint of uniqueness in their home. The reasons for their acceptance of Helga crane were actually more racist than one would believe. Having a mixed race relative was something to marvel at, something strange that helped raise the profile of a family much like having a closet full of trophies would earn the local family the respect of their community.
In the novel Helga crane is brought out as an unsympathetic character and quite frankly just unpleasant to deal with. She is very impulsive and more often than not tends to take offense to other people in ways that are unpleasant and quite frustrating to say the least. These emotions and their unpredictability with regard to Helga crane are really representative of a woman under the complete guidance of her passions. Helga crane is acting out her passions in the way best available to her, emotionally. A key theme of this novel is that seemingly it is giving voice to the sexual needs and desires of black women who are represented by Helga crane. Therefore Helga’s behavior and regular emotional outbursts are really reflective of the larger black women society, their passions and emotional disposition a well as the way they use their emotions as a way of expression and letting the world know exactly how they feel.an example from the novel is the instance where Helga has this urge to wear bright colored clothes which in her opinion will complement her skin color. Deep down she has an urge to be noticed by society on grounds of her attractiveness and beauty as well as fashion sense and stylistic prowess. This is really representative of the black women community and to a greater extent the entire female community.
The book quicksand by Nella Larsen is very insightful in terms of racism and understanding the feminine nature as well as the psychology of women all over the world. From the experiences of Helga crane we can learn just how deeply rooted racism is in our society and how there are really no innocent sides in this regard. The book also brings to light the psychology of a woman and the reason why women are always so emotional.
Works Cited
Larsen, Nella, and Thadious M. Davis. Quicksand. New York: Penguin Books, 2002. Print.
