Confusion with Larsen and Helga

Dear Nella Larsen,

Thank you for writing this story about a woman experiences with racism and racial inequality. I think Helga's experience as a mixed child relates closely to that of my own cousins and family because some of us are mixed and usually are not sure which culture we belong to. Besides this personal connection, though, I have a few questions. After Helga's fourth pregnancy, she realizes she hates her husband and she is happy her baby died. Why does she end up having a fifth baby? If it were me as Helga, I wouldn't want to have a child with a man I hate, nor would I stay with him as a preacher's wife. Second, the way Katrina dressed Helga also connected with our society's problem of exoticizing mixed race or foreigners, so I wanted to know why Helga felt confident in wearing the loud and eye-catching clothes, gaudy jewelry, and makeup when her aunt was exoticizing her and making her stand out as different in a predominantly white country, Denmark?

Thanks,
Dilan


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