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, for this was the thing which she had ardently desired to share in, to be a part of this monument to one man's genius and vision." (Quicksand. 3) This is one of the clearest portrayals of Helga feeling betrayed, as the second part of the quote describes that Helga originally had a desire to work at Naxos because she believed it was great. Now, Helga feels an intense hatred for Naxos (why that is is explained later), which represents betrayal because she now believes that her original experience with Naxos and the South in general was not the truth, and the reality is much darker. Victoria Lynn Schmidt's version of the heroine's journey allows us to understand this moment in Helga's development as the betrayal, since it's preceded by the illusion of the perfect world and followed by the Awakening (when Helga decides to leave Naxos), and also portrays Helga as discovering the grim reality of Naxos and the south.

"Helga Crane had taught in Naxos for almost two years, at first with the keen joy and zest of those immature people who have dreamed dreams of doing good to their fellow men. But gradually this zest was blotted out, giving place to a deep hatred for the trivial hypocrisies and careless cruelties which were, unintentionally perhaps, part of the Naxos policy of uplift." (Quicksand, 5) this quote is also a clear portrayal of the betrayal step in the story, as it explains that Helga's perception of Naxos had shifted from joy and excitement to hatred and disgust. It also gives a more clear reason to why exactly Helga hates Naxos so much. Helga's betrayal was caused by her realizing the hypocrisies and cruelties that were part of Naxos's system. This corresponds to the betrayal step, as the step is often defined as the step where the heroine's coping strategies fall apart, and in this case Helga's coping strategy was believing that Naxos was a good place and the right place for her, but it fell apart after Helga found out how terrible it was, making her feel like she didn't want to be there.

"This great community, she thought, was no longer a school. It had grown into a machine. It was now a show place in the black belt, exemplification of the white man's magnanimity, refutation of the black man's inefficiency." (Quicksand, 4) this quote further explains Helga's hate for Naxos, as it shows some of the hypocrisies and cruelties that Helga feels Naxos has, such as Naxos being a place that shows people untrue statements about race, like the magnanimity of white men.

In Conclusion, Nella Larsen's "Quicksand" Portrays the second step in Victoria Lynn Schmidt's version of the Heroine's journey with realization. Helga used to think that Naxos was a good institution to work at, but realized that it was actually a terrible place, with racism and cruelty. The heroine's journey allows us to understand this as betrayal because Naxos being a bad place is portrayed as the truth, while Naxos being a good place is portrayed as a lie that Helga had believed, causing her to go from the "Illusion of the Perfect World" step to the "Betrayal" step. "Quicksand" also follows This part of the story with portrayals of the other 7 steps in the journey, such as Helga choosing to leave Naxos, which is the "Awakening and Preparation for the Journey" step.