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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 6 page paper discusses the practice by light skinned blacks of 'passing' themselves off as Caucasian at the turn of the century in America. Nella Larsen's books cited and quoted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_MBpsin.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
wheels tended to grind slower if one were born on the wrong side of the tracks or were not of the right gender or race. This led many minorities who
were lighter in coloring to attempt to convince others that they were not African American, but were Caucasian. The works of Nella Larsen illustrate the trials and tribulation of the
minority during this time period as they either embraced their heritage or hid it in order to experience the good things in life. Racial ambiguity seems to be Helga Cranes
biggest problem in Larsens first novel, QuickSand. Part black, part white, Helga feels trapped between the world of the white man and the black man. This ambiguity and ambivalence is
shown through her sexual escapades with several men, both black and white. Additionally, this dualism that she endures leaves her insecure, as she does not know where she fits
in, nor with whom to identify herself. This is evident in her passive reactions toward racial slurs toward blacks and her lack of reaction toward blacks whom speaking harshly about
whites. What this tends to do is leave her to become a woman without a people. Alone. This illustrates the plurality that many minorities felt during this time in history.
In order to enjoy the better things in life, it was better to deny ones heritage, while reclaiming ones heritage, while noble and self fulfilling, could ultimately place one in
the poor house(Haynes). As a result Helgas self esteem is eroded almost from the beginning. The way she feels about herself is evident when her Uncle Peters new wife
makes a racist comment about Helga. "She saw herself for an obscene sore in all their lives, at all costs to be hidden"(Larsen 29). She begins to see herself as
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