A well-to-do teacher at Naxos. He is engaged to Helga at the beginning of the story. Helga doesn’t really love or respect him, and she leaves him without letting him know when she impulsively quits her job and moves to Chicago. They bump into each other years later at a party in Harlem.
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James Vayle Character Timeline in Quicksand
The timeline below shows where the character James Vayle appears in Quicksand. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...really shouldn’t wait any longer to leave. Of course, Helga needs to tell her fiancé, James Vayle , and figure out how to get some money. It’s too late to do all...
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Now Helga thinks about how to tackle James Vayle . They got together when they were new and lonely at Naxos, and Helga was...
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Chapter 2
...way. Helga wants to leave right now, but there’s a lot to sort out: paperwork, James Vayle , money, and a new job. It makes more sense to wait a few months...
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Chapter 4
...change when she got the job at Naxos. Helga recalls how she broke up with James Vayle , calmly and quickly, and how he felt cheated by the discussion, as if she...
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Chapter 8
...man, have “laughing, appealing dark-eyed children,” and stay in Harlem forever. Helga never thinks of James Vayle , but—much to her distaste—she thinks often of Dr. Anderson. Happy to be far from...
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Chapter 18
Helga is amused to see James Vayle at the party and jokes breezily with him as they discuss Naxos and Helga’s time...
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Chapter 24
...the calm Audrey Denney who just lived her life the way she wanted, the smug James Vayle , the kind Mrs. Hayes-Rore, and the social-climbing Herr Dahl and Fru Dahl.
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