Representation of the betrayal in Quicksand
Nella Larsen's "Quicksand" is a story that follows the structure of both versions the Heroine's Journey. Specifically, the beginning of the story, where Helga decides to leave Naxos, is a representation of the "betrayal" step in Victoria Lynn Schmidt's version of the Heroine's journey. The story seems to start at the "Betrayal" step as opposed to the "illusion of the perfect world" step, which Victoria's version of the hero's journey usually starts with. Helga seems unsatisfied in the beginning, and the story frequently expresses Helga's dislike for Naxos. The "illusion of the perfect world" step is represented, but only in some anecdotes from when Helga started working at Naxos. Even though the beginning as a whole represents the "Betrayal" step, there is a particular moment that represents the step especially well. "The South. Naxos. Negro education. Suddenly she hated them all. Strange, too,...