Quicksand

CHAPTERS 1-7

Reading Check

1. “It was, rather, the fault of the method, the general idea behind the system.” (Chapter 1)

2. “[T]hat it would be inconvenient” (Chapter 2)

3. “She detested cool, perfectly controlled people.” (Chapter 4)

4. That Mr. Nilssen was not really her uncle and that she should not expect him to do anything else for her (Chapter 5)

5. References (Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. The white preacher sermonizes that Naxos school is an example of how well white Southerners treated “Negros.” Helga reflects upon how the school had evolved into a “machine” devoid of individualism and laments that it was “a showplace in the black belt, exemplification of the white man’s magnanimity, refutation of the black man’s indecency. Life had died out of it.” (Chapter 1)

2. After reflecting on the realities of life at Naxos, Helga makes the decision that she wants to leave immediately. The following morning, she is slow to rise, causing panic from her colleague who informs her that it is best that she must not leave, especially during mid-terms for fear of being blacklisted from working at other schools in the south. (Chapter 2)

3. Helga approaches Dr. Anderson with her resignation. Although he makes convincing arguments that she is needed at the school to make lasting change, Helga resists the temptation to stay on and quits. (Chapter 3)

4. After quitting her job, she begins to think about her mother, a Scandinavian immigrant, who became involved with a Black man who eventually left Helga’s mother. She then married a white man who could not accept Helga as his own. After her mother’s death, she lived with her Uncle Peter, and for the first time felt she was among people who did not judge her for the color of her skin. (Chapter 4)

5. Hoping that her Uncle will be able to provide her with money, she quickly learns that she will not receive anything. She rents a room and tries to search for employment; however, she realizes that without references, as well as with her background in education, there are very few opportunities open to her. As a result, finding employment becomes more difficult than she expected. (Chapters 5-6)

6. Mrs. Hayes-Rore is a widow who hires Helga as her assistant to deliver lectures in New York. Uninspired by her time in Chicago, Helga decides to stay in New York after the lecture. Helga confides in Mrs. Hayes-Rore about her mixed-race identity, and Mrs. Hayes-Rore in return connects her with an extended family member, named Anne, who gives her lodging in New York. (Chapter 7)

CHAPTERS 8-17

Reading Check

1. “[H]erself” (Chapter 9)

2. “[T]he race problem” (Chapter 9)

3. That she spends time with white people who know that she is “colored” (Chapter 11)

4. “Things” (Chapter 13)

5. “A decoration. A curio. A peacock.” (Chapter 14)

6. Being happy (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. Helga lives with Anne in New York, whom Helga perceives as the “perfect” companion as well as an apartment to live in Harlem. Helga spends most of her time either doing secretarial work for the “Negro” insurance company or partaking in artistic ventures in the evening. Her experience in Harlem is starkly contrasted with “white New York’’ which seems “distant” from her life in Harlem. (Chapter 8)

2. Helga encounters Dr. Anderson at a Harlem church, where she realizes there are still lingering emotions from their previous encounter. She does her best to avoid Dr. Anderson, yet finds him everywhere, and learns that he has left Naxos and is now employed as a welfare worker in New York. While on the ship to Denmark, she also considers that she might love him. (Chapter 9)

3. Helga receives a letter from her Uncle, which had tried to be sent to her in Chicago. It apologized for his wife’s behavior, while seconding the decision to cut her off, as well as giving her a check of $5000 and the address of an aunt in Copenhagen. With her newfound financial freedom, Helga begins to plan her visit to the Danish city. (Chapter 10)

4. Helga’s aunt informs her that she should wear lively and bright clothing while out to social events; this contrasts with the clothing she was told to wear while in Naxos, as well as the more serious fashion choices that she made for herself in New York. She is embarrassed about the increase in attention from people, as she feels that she is putting on show in front of the Danish people, yet she also maintains her feeling of happiness. (Chapter 13)

5. Axel Olsen is an upper-class Danish artist who insists on drawing Helga. As they spend time together, Helga begins to wonder about the nature of race relations in Denmark, surmising that Danes believe in “Enhanc[ing] what was already in one’s possession,” as opposed to “negros” in the America who “wanted, asked for, begged for, [ ] to be like their white overlords.” (Chapter 14)

6. During Helga’s second year in Denmark, Axel proposes to Helga, a moment that she had briefly yearned for, but in the exact moment she realizes that she does not desire to be married to him. During this time, she receives a letter from Anne stating that she will marry Dr. Anderson. Although Helga originally does not want to return to the US for the wedding, she realizes that she misses being among her own racial community. (Chapters 15-17)

CHAPTERS 18-25

Reading Check

1. They kiss. (Chapter 18)

2. That “she had now no desire to go” (Chapter 18)

3. “Because, she thought, all I’ve ever had in life has been things—except just this one time.” (Chapter 21)

4. In her garden (Chapter 22)

5. “[B]ecause Helga had been ill so long and unable to tend it” (Chapter 24)

6. That she is pregnant with her “fifth child” (Chapter 25)

Short Answer

1. At Helen’s party, Helga unexpectedly sees her old fiancé James Vayle, who is visiting for work. The two talk about marriage, race, and life in New York. James implies that marriage, as well as childrearing, is important for the continuation of their race. At the mention of his idea that he would like to marry her, she leaves him for another man on the dance floor. (Chapter 18)

2. After their kiss, Dr. Anderson suggests that Helga and he meet the following day. In anticipation of further intimacy, Helga prepares for the visit with earnest excitement; however, to her dismay, Dr. Anderson only wishes to apologize for his actions and assumes that Helga’s visual appearance is meant for another party. She is embarrassed by the interaction, slaps him, runs out of the hotel, and drinks herself into a stupor. (Chapter 19)

3. Deeply troubled by her interaction with Dr. Anderson, Helga wanders through the streets of Harlem, lost and considering dying. She happens upon a religious revival meeting where she hears people singing. She becomes wrapped up in the religious atmosphere, as many people tell her that they will save her soul. (Chapter 20)

4. Meeting him at the religious revival meeting, she takes it upon herself to change her life; as a result, she quickly marries the Reverend and moves with him to his parish in Alabama, where she dons the role of a preacher’s wife. (Chapters 21-22)

5. Soon after her arrival to Alabama, Helga gives birth to twin boys and a girl. She begins to realize the struggles of motherhood, which includes foregoing her own appearance, living in untidy surroundings, and struggling with the upkeep of life. Other women in her new town remind her that it is her duty as a wife to bear children; however, in her fourth pregnancy, she tries to use faith to accept her lot in life and shield her from burdens. (Chapter 23)

6. Helga experiences a difficult birth of her fourth child, who dies one week later. Her difficult birth causes her to question her faith and begin to hate her husband. She schemes to leave her home in Alabama, although this is a mere fantasy as she is pregnant again. (Chapters 24-25)