Quicksand: The More You Fight, the Deeper You Sink

Dear Nella Larsen,

Paired with Clare’s journey in your other novel Passing, Helga’s experiences in Quicksand show how a black woman must attempt to define her identity without running from it. And Helga’s repeated hope and disillusionment, first in Naxos, then in Harlem, then in Copenhagen, then in the Southern Church, shows how difficult it is to accept herself in a society that views her as inferior. I find it interesting that, like quicksand, there is a paradox in Helga's story: the more she fights her feeling of discontent, the more unhappy she becomes. This novel contextualizes Clare’s decision to pass, because the reader sees how much struggle and loss comes through Helga’s story; it makes sense why Clare would attempt to escape that, though we see that’s not a viable solution either. As with your other story, you leave the ending to Quicksand ambiguous and open-ended. Is that because you wish to present the reader with the challenge of deciding for themselves how Helga can make peace with yourself, or because you think there is no way to do so unless the fundamental racial structure of American society is uprooted? I also am intrigued by your probing of Helga’s biracial identity. Do you use this to highlight the arbitrariness of segregation, since it leaves no room for people who straddle the line? Given the arguments you make, I wonder how we can escape the quicksand Helga falls victim to, and how much progress we’ve made in the years since you wrote this novel.

Sincerely,

Julia Chaffers