Determinism In Quicksand Essay Research Paper During

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During the Harlem Renaissance, many literary plants concentrated on observing African American heritage. However, many other authors besides began concentrating on the darker subject of naturalism. Nella Larsen s Quicksand illustrates many elements of this motion. These include a biological determinism, where adult male is conceived of every bit controlled by his crude animate being inherent aptitudes and a sociological determinism, whereby the weak are destroyed and the strong survive in a universe of battle and opportunity. Helga Crane, Larsen s supporter in Quicksand, illustrates the elements of both biological and sociological determinism in her inability to stamp down her natural carnal inherent aptitude to fly uncomfortable state of affairss, and to comfortably conform in either of her opposing communities.

Helga can non stamp down her desire to fly from uncomfortable state of affairss in any metropolis that she lives in. In Naxos, she convinces herself that she is go forthing a topographic point that has grown into a machine ( 4 ) . Although the conformist nature of the establishment contributes to Helga s desire to go forth, she is besides stirred with an overmastering desire for action of some kind ( 4 ) . Alternatively of remaining in Naxos and contending a conflict against the institute s conservative attitudes, Helga chooses to fly an unpleasant world. This exemplifies the battle or flight animate being inherent aptitude that is said to command behaviour in state of affairss that become overpowering. Alternatively of contending, Helga clip and clip once more chooses to go forth what becomes intolerable to her. Once the determination is made to go forth Naxos, Helga feels like a individual who had been for months contending the Satan and so out of the blue had turned about and agreed to make his command ( 5 ) . Helga knows deep down that go forthing Naxos is incorrect, but the inherent aptitude to fly is so strong that she is powerless to deny it.

In New York, Helga is besides consumed by the carnal inherent aptitude of flight. When Dr. Anderson calls on her after a opportunity meeting at a cabaret, Helga had no purpose of running off, but something, some elf of contumacy, drove her from his presence, though she longed to remain ( 51 ) . Once once more, Helga succumbs to her overpowering desire to go forth an uncomfortable state of affairs. Later she realizes with a sense of weakness and inevitableness that the arm she had chosen had been a throwing stick, for she herself had felt the acute letdown of the denial ( 51 ) . Obviously Helga is denying her attractive force to Dr. Anderson and hides it with an unmanageable want to injure him ( 51 ) . Clearly, Helga is internally fighting with her sexual desire for Dr. Anderson by masking it with choler towards him. However, alternatively of facing these emotions, Helga once more allows her natural inherent aptitude of flight to take over in order to cover with the state of affairs.

Helga besides illustrates her inability to command the inherent aptitude of flight in Copenhagen. During her stay, she is incited to do an feeling and to inflame attending and esteem ( 74 ) . Helga s desire to pull attending is overshadowed by her internal battle with her natural inherent aptitudes. In Copenhagen she instinctively wanted to battle this seeking into one thing which, here, surrounded by all other things which for so long she has so positively wanted, made her a small afraid. Started obscure forebodings ( 79 ) . Helga is seeking for felicity but she intuitively knows from her forebodings that her hunt is ineffectual because of her inability to stay in a topographic point that becomes uncomfortable.

By the clip Helga s desire to go forth Alabama is apparent, it is clear that Helga s natural inherent aptitude to invariably get away the world of her life has become her ruin. This clip, she has duty towards her kids who she wanted non to go forth if that were possible ( 135 ) . Possibly, when she began to hold her 5th kid, Helga decides to remain in Alabama, thereby contending the interior devils that have controlled her life ( 135 ) . These kids are a changeless reminder to Helga of her internal battle of the overpowering desire to fly and, in the terminal, possibly her Jesus against her natural inherent aptitudes. Now she must allo

tungsten other inherent aptitudes to steer her, those of maternity.

Helga s inability to conform in her several communities illustrates her sociological determinism. In Naxos, she realizes that the African American society is as complicated and every bit stiff as the highest strata of white society. If you couldn t prove your lineage and connexions, you were tolerated, but you didn t belong ( 8 ) . Although Helga knows her lineage, she ne’er reveals her white heritage to African Americans. However, Helga s desire to be different is reflected in her dress. She wears luxuriant, colourful apparels that cause her equals to observe the elusive difference from their ain blamelessly conventional garments ( 18 ) . Helga does non want to conform in Naxos but she knows excessively that she is non happy in her unconformity ( 7 ) . Alternatively of make up one’s minding to accommodate to life at Naxos, Helga alienates herself from other persons.

In New York, Helga besides illustrates her inability to conform. Although she fits in as an African American in Harlem, her ideas are consumed with the European side of her heritage. She convinces herself that she does non hunger from those pale and powerful people, consciousness ( 45 ) . However, Helga is impressed with Audrey Denney who goes about with white people ( 60 ) . The fact that Helga admires Audrey s indifference proves that she is fascinated by the white universe that she has forsaken. Helga finds it useless to state Anne that what she felt for the beautiful, composure, cool miss who had the confidence, the bravery, so placidly to disregard racial barriers and give her attending to people, was non contempt, but covetous esteem ( 62 ) . Once once more Helga confronts her ain inability to conform to her ain thoughts of admirable behaviour.

Denmark besides proves to be a topographic point where Helga is unable to conform. While at that place, she is confronted with the impression that she should stress her differences and after awhile Helga gave herself up entirely to the absorbing concern of being seen, gaped at, desired ( 74 ) . The fact that she embraces this doctrine proves to be a error. The adult females of Denmark know that Helga is non to be reckoned earnestly in their strategy of things she wasn t one of them. She didn T at all count ( 70 ) . The realisation that she does non number in Denmark is non evident to Helga until she is faced with Axel Olsen s proposal. She tells him that she couldn T marry a white adult male ( 88 ) . Although Helga s refusal of Axel is deeper than her account, it is obvious that she knows she will ne’er be able to comfortably get married person so different from her. During this clip, Helga externally begins to show the interior battle between her African American and white heritage. She wonders why she couldn Ts have two lives, alternatively of the 1 that she is unable to accommodate to ( 93 ) .

Finally, Helga s life in Alabama besides illustrates Helga s inability to conform. Her mission is to repress the cleanly scrubbed ugliness of her ain surrounding to soft unoffending beauty, and to assist the other adult females do similarly ( 119 ) . Helga does non recognize that the advice she offers these adult females is looked upon with disdain. She begins to accommodate to her life after Sary Jones advises her to do de Bes of et but her attempts hesitation during her following gestation ( 125 ) . Alternatively of doing the best of her life, Helga hands over this duty to God which finally leads to the same feeling of dissatisfaction [ and ] suffocation that she felt in Naxos, New York and Copenhagen ( 134 ) . After all of her experiences, her inability to conform leads her right dorsum to the same topographic point she started from. It is obvious that Helga Crane will ne’er genuinely be able to suit in in any society.

It is evident that Nella Larsen s Quicksand is concerned with the realistic component of determinism. Helga Crane illustrates both a biological and sociological determinism in her carnal inherent aptitude for flight and her inability to conform in any of her environments. Larsen s ability to incorporate these subjects into the character of Helga proves that the Quicksand is non merely representative of the Harlem Renaissance, but besides of the realistic motion.

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