Quicksand: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

Fru Dahl and Herr Dahl have arranged for Axel Olsen to paint Helga’s portrait, and for him to come out shopping with them to pick out new clothes for Helga. She’s a little intimidated by his arrogance, and it starts to dawn on her that to this community, she is nothing but “A decoration. A curio. A peacock.” Helga looks over the exotic, colorful, and extravagant clothing that has been purchased for her. At first, she’s a little put off, but this feeling is soon replaced with pleasure at having such lovely clothes. Helga knows she’s being dressed and schooled to make a “voluptuous impression” but she goes along with it, as it makes her feel important.

Helga doesn’t think about America much, except to reflect that people of color don’t try to celebrate difference as her family does here. Instead, they try to subdue themselves and be like “their white overlords.” She realizes she was stupid to imagine she could have had children in a country where “every dark child was handicapped at the start” by indignity, by lynching, and by hatred. Helga feels so humiliated and disturbed when she thinks of America that she distracts herself with thoughts about how happy she is in her luxurious new life.

Helga leans into her life as an “accepted curiosity” in a quaint and picturesque Denmark. In the countryside, people are shocked by her well-dressed appearance and golden skin, having assumed that “Negros were black and had woolly hair.” Although she misses dancing, Helga enjoys her busy social life of spirited dinner parties and cultural excursions. Mostly, however, her mind is preoccupied with the worldly and eccentric Axel Olsen. She has been posing for him often, as he is painting her portrait. Helga knows he likes her but wonders why he doesn’t make a move. She wonders if it is because of her race.

One afternoon, at the Hotel Vivili, Fru Dahl casually suggests that Helga should think about “making a good marriage,” and lists a number of well-established potential suitors. Helga is shocked, and protests that she doesn’t believe in mixed marriages, reflecting on her own “bitter” childhood. Fru Dahl thinks this over and says that Helga only feels that way because Helga’s mother was silly to remarry instead of returning to Denmark with Helga, where she would have been loved. She warns Helga not to be a fool herself, before suggesting Herr Olsen would be ideal husband material, especially since he likes Helga. Helga feels exposed, outraged, and fearful all at the same time, and pretends she doesn’t know what Fru Dahl is talking about.