Essay Questions

How does Helga Crane make up for the lost opportunities while in New York?

Before leaving for New York, Helga Crane is living with her aunt and uncle in Denmark who are not giving her the freedom to do what she wants. While living with them, she feels that she is detained and she looks forward to the day when she will have the freedom of doing everything she desires. When she relocates to New York, she gets the freedom she has been looking forward to. To compensate for the lost opportunities while in Denmark, she decides to attend every party in her vicinity to have as much fun as she can. While partying, she meets many people and she is doing everything possible to attract the attention of men. During one of the parties, she meets Dr. Anderson who kisses her, and she thinks that he is in love with her which is not the case. When she goes to a religious gathering, she meets Pastor Green who expresses an intimate relationship with her and she later moves in with him. Therefore, while in New York Helga uses her freedom to explore the country and people who she develops various relations with including marriage.

What is the figurative meaning of the title Quicksand?

Quicksand symbolizes the reoccurrence of misfortunes. Using the character Helga Crane, the author points out clearly how she struggles to get out of femininity bigotry and racial chauvinism. Despite doing everything possible to salvage herself, she keeps on backsliding to the same misfortunate's she is going through.

How does the author use Helga Crane’s exquisiteness to depict the fictional tool simile?

The author uses various comparisons to bring out the true definition of Helga's prettiness. Firstly, Helga's gorgeousness is compared to her diverse racial heritage. The mixed-race girls are always beautiful and Helga is no exception to this natural privilege. Secondly, Helga's beauty is compared to a yellow satin which is a depiction of the most dazzling look. Therefore, the literary device simile has precisely come out when the author is comparing her beauty to the mixed-race birthright and the yellow satin.