Quicksand

by

Nella Larsen

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Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) Character Analysis

The new principal at Naxos. He is a handsome black man with grey eyes, who unsuccessfully implores Helga to stay and help him fix the problems at Naxos. Helga is unnerved by her attraction to Dr. Anderson and angrily shuns him. He crosses paths with Helga again in Harlem where they are both living about a year after she leaves Naxos. There is palpable chemistry between Helga and Dr. Anderson, but Helga toys with him and stands him up on their date. Later in the story, after Helga moves to Denmark, Dr. Anderson marries Anne (Helga’s former roommate in Harlem) despite his obvious desire for Helga. He drunkenly kisses Helga one night at a party, and Helga thinks he will leave Anne for him after this happens, but he merely apologizes. Having rejected Dr. Anderson multiple times, Helga is devastated by Dr. Anderson’s polite apology and marries the next man she meets to spite him. Only years later does Helga realize that she has been in love with Dr. Anderson for most of her life, and she let her chance at happiness slip away.

Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) Quotes in Quicksand

The Quicksand quotes below are all either spoken by Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) or refer to Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Segregation, and Society Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

Until the very moment of his entrance she had had no intention of running away, but something, some imp of contumacy, drove her from his presence, though she longed to stay. Again abruptly had come the uncontrollable wish to wound. Later, with a sense of helplessness and inevitability, she realized that the weapon which she had chosen had been a boomerang, for she herself had felt the keep disappointment of the denial.

Related Characters: Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) (speaker), Helga Crane
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:
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Quicksand PDF

Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) Quotes in Quicksand

The Quicksand quotes below are all either spoken by Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) or refer to Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Segregation, and Society Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

Until the very moment of his entrance she had had no intention of running away, but something, some imp of contumacy, drove her from his presence, though she longed to stay. Again abruptly had come the uncontrollable wish to wound. Later, with a sense of helplessness and inevitability, she realized that the weapon which she had chosen had been a boomerang, for she herself had felt the keep disappointment of the denial.

Related Characters: Robert Anderson (Dr. Anderson) (speaker), Helga Crane
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis: