Quicksand, By Nella Larsen

Theme: Quicksand as a novel is unique, as it is a firsthand account that showcases the complexities of what it means and means to be a mixed-race woman and how that can cause struggles with identity. Helga Crane is an example of the tragic Mulatta character, and her life and experiences demonstrate the importance of intersectionality, as multiple systems of oppression exist simultaneously and intersectionality accounts for these systems and helps to define how and why individuals are placed in certain boxes. Intersectionality is a lens that was created because Black women were and are excluded from equality movements and their experiences are often overlooked, which has left Black women at the bottom of our social hierarchies.

Thesis: I want …show more content…
Getting married was not really a choice, but a societal expectation and for Helga it was a way to climb the social ladder and “have” something of her own (relates to the next idea of class). In this argument, I will consider gender by exploring marriage and sexuality. The third source I will discuss is “Black Cosmofeminism: Commodity, Sexuality, and the Transnational Mixed-Race Subject in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand” by Hsiao-Wen Chen. This article supports my arguments concerning marriage, sexuality and how these factors aid in the characterization of the tragic mulatta, as she is imprisoned by her repression and marriage, which leads to her tragic end. The fourth source I will discuss is “The Aesthetics of Race and Gender in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand” by Ann E. Hostetler. This article supports my arguments concerning Helga’s time in Denmark where she has a lot of marital interest due to her mixed-race status. This focuses on the hyper-sexualization and fetishization of Black women, as Helga is still being “othered” and subjected to