Where's Home?


Dear Nella Larsen,

After reading a second book of yours titled Quicksand, I notice a common theme of a search for acceptance for Black women in their diverse communities- particularly mixed race Black women. The two books Quicksand and Passing provide an insight into your inner struggles and stories as a mixed race woman and the complicated battle of choosing "which side" and whether that side will accept you as their own. Helga's failures and reoccurring disappointments at each of the "homes" she discovers such as Copenhagen, Harlem and Chicago portray this conflict in a honest way- is there one true place for her? Helga seems to face some adversary or prejudice in every community, even in Harlem where the Black community seems to be hypocritical and cynical about race relations which she can't relate to completely. But that's one of the things I admire about your writing: you create complex, genuine characters that avoid likeability but instead face real issues and inner conflicts. Humans have multiple layers and I think the choice to write about mixed race women (aided by your personal knowledge) demonstrates clearly human conflict and the universal yearning for acceptance, especially for Black people who have been beaten down for so long.

-Kaela

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