Nella Larsen Essay

Nella Larsen was a influential author in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Although Larsen is often called the “Novelist of the Harlem Renaissance” because the renaissance was happening at the time her novels were published, it was not the only factor her compositions were influenced by. As Larsen was a female mulatto and the rest of her family was white, she had a rough childhood which influenced every area of her life, especially her writing. Larsen lived from 1891-1964, and she was at the height of her fame from 1928 to the early 1930s. Many different historical events occurred during Larsen’s lifetime. Even though she was born 26 years after the civil war, racism had a major impact on Larsen’s life. During her lifetime racial tensions led

When she was two years old, Nella’s father died, and two years later, her mother married a white man named Peter Larsen, and they had a daughter named Anna. As Nella Larsen was the only colored person in the family, she was treated differently and her mother even denied Nella as her daughter. Because her childhood was so hard, Larsen almost never talked about it, and when she was an adult she would sometimes make up stories to people who asked about it. The oppression Larsen experienced in her early years may have been factor which influenced her be ambitious, desire to be famous, and to crave comfort. Nella Larsen wanted to have economic stability. Although it was uncommon for a colored woman to be able to support herself during the time period in which she lived, Nella Larsen studied to become a nurse which allowed her to be independent. She married a physicist named Elmer Imes who she had attended Fisk University with, they had no children and their marriage ended in divorce shortly after Nella published her novels. Nella Larsen still had financial security after her marriage ended because Imes continued to support her until he