Research Paper on:
Ethnicity in Paradise by Toni Morrison, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and Quicksand by Nella Larsen

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
The constructs of ethnicity can find a number of diverse manifestations in literature. This is true  both of contemporary literature and of literature stretching further back into our history So too can these constructs of ethnicity be interpreted in either positive or negative ways.  Three novels in particular provide an interesting insight into the myriad of ways that ethnicity can impact an individual. These novels are Nella Larsens "Quicksand", Amy Tans "The Joy  Luck Club", and Toni Morrisons "Paradise". Larsens novel provides us with a glimpse of the many negativities associated with being of mixed white and black heritage in the 1920s  while Morrisons novel reveals that even all-black communities and the individuals that live within them can be fraught with trouble and dissent. Amy Tans "The Joy Luck Club", however,  provides a much more positive look at the challenges and potential rewards which can be associated with ethnicity. Writing in the early 1900s  author Nella Larsen provides an interesting look at the constructs of ethnicity as they impact her fictional character Helga Crane. Helga is the daughter of a white mother and  a black father. Although her father does not take an active role in her life his presence is forever reflected in the color of her skin. Although she  is beautiful, intelligent, and articulate, Helga is neither truly white nor black. Consequently, she has a difficult time finding her place in life. Much of the discord she  experiences, however, is the result of the mixed cultural signals which is being sent. These signals can, in fact, be an important determinate in all of our lives.