Helga Crane Literature Reviews Example

Helga Crane is the main character in “Quicksand”, by author, Nella Larsen, who is on a journey to find herself. The story begins by introducing her as a young school teacher teaching at the prestigious southern school, Naxos. She begins to lose her way as she become disenchanted with the false façade the school emits. This makes her rethink her decision to become a school teacher. She leaves Naxos and moves to Chicago. It is only a short matter of time before she realizes she is way out of her comfort zone. She moves from there to Harlem and eventually lands in her native land, Denmark.
In every instance of her life, Helga finds herself searching to fulfill the missing pieces within. She always believes there is something more and something missing from her life. Her sense of identity is a big part of the problem. She strives to fit in but finds it is easier said than done. This is due in large part to having to hide her true identity for the bulk of her life in order to maintain her career and meet societal approval. She looks for approval in all the wrong places and seeks those things and people that she believes will bring her that ultimate self-satisfaction that she so desperately needs.
The key to Helga’s happiness is being true to herself. She denied herself true happiness because of being seemingly ashamed of whom she was, where she came from, and fearing rejection if anyone knew her real identity. This misnomer about her resulted in a vicious cycle that always bore the same end results. Perhaps the bane of Helga’s entire gloomy life can be summed up in the novel’s opening statement, “Helga Crane sat alone in her room, which at that hour, eight in the evening, was in soft gloom” (Larsen), which depicts a woman who is isolated and alone; which ironically is how Helga spent the vast majority of her life. Despite the fact she knew love, adventure, and purpose, she never really overcame her sense of self in being able to admit to her real identity and being comfortable in her own skin.

Work Cited

Larsen, Nella. Quicksand and Passing. Radford: Wilder Publications, 2010. Print.