| Abstract |
"American author Nella Larsen's novel Quicksand features the mixed-race daughter of a Danish white mother and a West Indian black father. As protagonist Helga Crane searches for a community of people among whom she feels comfortable, she experiences the racial prejudice, sexism, and suffocating disillusionment and entrapment many women of color endured at the time. The text of Quicksand in enriched by a full introduction, A "Queer Dark Creature," a note on the text, and explanatory footnotes. A section entitled "Backgrounds and Contexts" presents contemporary reviews of and articles on Quicksand, in addition to further writings and various relevant correspondence of Larsen's. The section is rounded out by selections from historical and contemporary sources that shed light on the cultural context for Larsen's novel. "Criticism" contains commentaries from several scholars on the theme of sexuality, race, and identity as they pertain to Quicksand. A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included"-- Provided by publisher. |
