Glogging In Quicksand

Now that we have read Nella Larsen's novel Quicksand, let's take a look at some multimedia sources in order to delve a little deeper into some of the social and cultural enclaves Larsen renders in her novel. For the purposes of this assignment let's focus on Helga Crane's time in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen presents both new opportunities as well as new limits for Helga Crane. Take a look at the glog we have created: Exoticism in Quicksand. What opportunities do you see for the black feminine character implicit in these images and videos? For example, what was Josephine Baker able to achieve and what were the limits to these achievements? In what ways does Baker's femininity and race play into her performances? What might Helga think of these performances? Would she approve? Could we consider her costumed exhibitionism, though superimposed by her aunt and uncle, a similar type of performance?

Before Josephine Baker there is a history of artistic preoccupation with the exotic of the primitive. Take a look at some of the artwork on the glog, and don't forget to check all the links. How does Helga's portrait, painted by Axel Olsen, fit into this history? What are the limits of black femininity as presented visually in these paintings?

Along with this visual history presented in paintings and sketches there is an ongoing literary history of exoticising and primitivising the racial other. Look at the books and plays exhibited on my glog here. Where does Quicksand fall in this (incomplete) history? What does it add? What does it question? What might be missing from the history presented on the glog that you might consider a necessary link to including Quicksand in this history? For example, would we need to include the trope of the sojourn in Europe that is often present in American slave narratives?

Finally, what can you infer from this glog and how does it inform your reading of Quicksand?

Take some time to think about these questions and to consider the glog in relation to the novel. On your blog, answer any or all of the questions that might help further your understanding of the novel. Also, include a brief "reading" of the glog and its relationship to the novel.