Quicksand
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25
Themes
All Themes Race, Segregation, and Society Mixed-Race Identity Racial Shame and Emotional Repression Race, Beauty, and Exoticism Religion, Poverty, and Oppression
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Helga Crane Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) Anne Grey Reverend Mr. Pleasant Green Herr Axel Olsen (Herr Olsen) Fru Dahl (Aunt Katrina) Herr Dahl (Uncle Poul) James Vayle Sary Jones
Symbols
All Symbols Portrait
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Quicksand

by

Nella Larsen

Quicksand Symbols

Portrait

Axel Olsen’s portrait of Helga Crane symbolizes the way in which European people often treat blackness as an exotic sexual commodity. Axel, a wealthy and eccentric artist, paints Helga’s portrait while Helga is living…

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