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Chapter 17
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Quicksand, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Segregation, and Society
Mixed-Race Identity
Racial Shame and Emotional Repression
Race, Beauty, and Exoticism
Religion, Poverty, and Oppression
Summary
Analysis
One November evening, Helga is dressing for a party at Helen Tavenor’s place. She hopes that Anne won’t come. Their friendship has cooled because of Anne’s marriage to Dr. Anderson, and Anne’s disapproval of Helga’s time with white folk in Denmark. The party proves to be a lot of fun, especially as Mrs. Tavenor has invited people from many different races and social groups, including white people and Audrey Denney, much to Anne’s disgust. Helga confides to Mrs. Tavenor that she’s never met Audrey Denney, and Mrs. Tavenor says that’s a shame, for they’d surely get on even though Anne hates Audrey.
Larsen leverages the party to contrast the progressive attitudes of Mrs. Tavenor and Audrey Denney with Anne’s disapproval of racial intermingling. Anne’s disapproval creates tension, even though this is one of the few environments where Helga actually feels comfortable, because there is a diverse array of guests from multiple backgrounds—including people like Audrey Denney who have no interest in appeasing segregationist attitudes.
Themes
Helga is amused to see James Vayle at the party and jokes breezily with him as they discuss Naxos and Helga’s time in Europe. James gestures at an interracial couple, saying he doesn’t like the way white men come uptown to flirt with “colored girls” in Harlem. Helga laughs and explains that the pair he’s looking at are, in fact, married. James asks Helga if she’ll ever marry, and she scowls, explaining that it’s wrong to have children of color in a society where they will face so much prejudice. James is horrified, as he thinks people of color must have children to keep the race going. In fact, he starts proposing to Helga again, but she makes a swift exit.
James Vayle assumes that interracial parties only happen because white men want to objectify women of color. James’s assumption shows that there is still a long way to go in American society before interracial relationships will be normalized. Many people (like James) still assume that something perverse rather than progressive is going on. Once again, Larsen leverages Helga’s worries about having children to highlight the racial inequality of American society in her time.
Themes
Later in the evening, Helga tears her dress, so she heads upstairs to the bathroom to pin up her hem. As she steps out into the hall, she somehow falls directly into the arms of Robert Anderson. She looks up to apologize, but he swoops in for a deep, passionate kiss. She fights him off at first, but eventually gives in, and returns the kiss with passion. Suddenly, she’s overcome with anger and pushes him indignantly away, before straightening herself out and heading down to rejoin the party.
The kiss shows that Helga and Robert Anderson still have chemistry after all this time. Once again, the romantic confrontation triggers Helga’s turbulent emotions and she pushes Robert Anderson away. Importantly, it’s Helga’s own emotional discomfort (rather than any loyalty toward Anne) that motivates her response to this encounter.
Themes
