Essays on Quicksand

In “Quicksand”, Ellen Widman is a young, mixed-race woman living in early 20th century America. She is in love with a white man, but their relationship is forbidden by both society and her family. When she becomes pregnant with his child, she is forced to marry a black man. Ellen is unhappy in her marriage and feels trapped. She becomes increasingly depressed and withdraws from the world. Her husband begins to suspect that she is having an affair and hires a detective to follow her. Ellen’s world begins to unravel as she realizes that she is being watched and her husband is becoming more controlling. She starts to feel like she is sinking in quicksand and her life is spiraling out of control.