In Quicksand by Nella Larsen, Helga Crane's journey is a heroine's search for identity and belonging that closely fits within Maureen Murdock’s heroine’s journey. One scene in her journey that exemplifies the "refusal of the call" is Helga's initial decision to leave her job at Naxos, a school that embodies the oppressive values she personally disagrees with. She has a moment of doubt before fully committing to her choice to leave. Looking at this moment through Murdock’s model, we can see how Helga's journey is less about external action and more about the emotional battles and struggles she faces.
The "refusal of the call" happens when Margaret Creighton, a fellow teacher, warns Helga about the risks of leaving her job at Naxos. Margaret tells her that leaving abruptly will damage her reputation and could make it hard to find another job, since Naxos has a lot of influence in the South. Although Helga is frustrated with Naxos and wants to leave, Margaret's words make her hesitate. She realizes that it won't be as easy to leave as she had hoped, it will cost a lot. This moment of hesitation shows how Helga's journey is more complicated than it seems, having to consider the social consequences, which further adds to her internal conflict.
This scene is crucial as it shows Helga's doubts, but it isn't a total refusal. Instead, it's more like a moment of realization of what she’s up against. Later, when she meets with the principal Dr. Anderson, he emphasizes Naxos' values and tries to pressure her into staying at Naxos. In the end, the encounter makes her want to leave even more. Murdock describes the heroine's journey as moving away from societal expectations and toward a sense of self that aligns with your own values and desires. According to Murdock's heroine’s journey, Helga's hesitation reflects how she needs to reject the influence of societal expectations and learn to follow her own path. Her initial hesitation and then later final decision to leave Naxos illustrates her awareness of needing to resist outside pressure in order to stay true to herself.
Helga's story through the lens of the heroine's journey helps us better understand her inner struggle for independence. In these particular moments that represent the refusal of the call, we find that her hesitation isn't about fear but about understanding the cost of defying societal norms which every character going through Murdock's model experiences. Her choice to leave Naxos serves as an act of courage, illustrating that the heroine’s journey is about pushing past internal and external struggles in the search for identity and belonging.
Comments
Post a Comment