On Spatial Writing And The Pursuit Of Identity In Quicksand

Nella Larsen is one of the most prominent female writers in African American literature. Her concern for the living conditions and mental crisis of mulattos has won much appreciation from domestic and overseas critics. Quicksand, as one of Larsen's representative works, is a realistic portrayal of a hybrid pursuing her identity.Previous researches mainly interpreted Quicksand from the perspective of feminism and post-colonialism, with the identity, race and gender problem separately elaborated. This paper attempts to analyze the protagonist's pursuit of identity by studying the physical and psychological space she is in with the application of Foucault's space-power theory, as well as Homi Bhabha's notion of Third Space, based on the close reading of the text.In the first part, this paper discusses the different modes of power and its influence on the protagonist with a detailed analysis of the different physical settings depicted by Larsen. Then it delves into the psychological space of the mulatto on the way to search for an ideal world to settle in. Finally it comes to the conclusion that the heroine's suffering is caused both by the external pressure by superior power, and the inner dilemma concerning race and identity as many hybrids may encounter. Moreover, it argues that the heroine's pursuit of her identity reflects her longing for an ideal world, or Third Space, where all forms of binary oppositions could be eliminated, thus making it possible for a mulatto to get physical and mental freedom.This paper is the first attempt to study the identity problem in Quicksand by analyzing the external and inner space of the heroine. Also, it may provide a new idea for the study of interracial literature.