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Summary Of Quicksand By Nella Larsen

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Quicksand, the novel by Nella Larsen, delves into the hardships of African-American women to create a persona for themselves that is not comprised of stereotypes thrown at them from society’s word. The heroine of this story, Helga Crane, attempts to do this throughout the book. She herself is torn between two definitions of two separate races, which causes her to struggle to find her own home. There are two points of the story that contribute to illustrate her inner struggle to identify with her race. Her struggle to identify with her mixed race is seen in conversations with Anne. For example: , “Even the gentle Anne distressed her. Perhaps because Anne was obsessed by the race problem and fed her obsession”(44) She struggles to not only connect with herself but also the problem she faces with just one side of her race. Yet she herself appears very hypocritical because she …show more content…

Striking things,exotic things. You must make an impression.”(62). This creates this idea that she has to act in a way that is foreign to her, rather than act in a way she desires to act. There is this heavy undertone that she has to present herself in an accepted manner due to her mixed race. In addition, she chooses to leave Denmark despite the fact her family was letting her stay for quite some time.“Good-bye Denmark! Good-bye. Good-bye!”(87). She seems so happy to leave her home in Denmark, yet she leaves this home since she is leaving behind one half of her mixed race. This half would be her white half since she seems unwelcomed with her family. She is constantly moving about from one place to another that she can find her true race. This constant movement makes it harder for herself identify with both sides of her race since she can never feel comfortable with just one

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