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AFS 332
12/10/2022
Title: Subtitle
Nella Larsen’s Passing is a novel about black women who pass for white in American society following the First World War. To describe it as merely a novel about a black woman who passes for white would be to ignore its multiple layers of concerns. The book is about the cultural transformations that occurred in the country after the war. It also explores the relationship between race and gender. The novel explores the tension between personal liberty and social obligation. It shows how impossible it is to create oneself in a society that values ambiguity and nuance. It also criticizes consumerism and the dangers it poses to one’s integrity. The power of desire and the lengths people will go to to get what they want are revealed in Passing. It is a story about betrayal, fear, and hypocrisy and features a tumultuous relationship between Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. The racial passing issue is featured in Passing, published in 1929. It shows how segregation persists in society and segregates people of color from the majority. The novel is set in Harlem during the peak of its vogue. It also acknowledges the risks associated with the changes that occurred during that period. One of the main characters, Irene Redfield, can pass. She chooses to live in Harlem and be with a colored husband.
In the Passing, the two main characters, Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, are presented with two completely contradicting versions of Passing. Clare Kendry is married to a white man who doesn’t know who she is. Clare began to pass after the death of her father, Bob Kendry. After his death, Clare’s great aunts, Grace and Edna did their Christian duties and bought Clare to live with them to give her a home since both of her parents died. Clare had to do all the housework to earn her keep, which made her determined to leave. She gave credit to her great aunts for making her pass by treating her inhumanely and giving her no other choice. The great aunts didn’t make Clare feel like family. They made her feel like she was just the help and that it was a problem for her to live there. Clare’s great-aunts were also embarrassed that Clare was African American and did not want anyone to know. They forbade her from mentioning she was African American and where she grew up. This was when Clare began to pass. As Clare got older, she began to pass to be able to dine at fashionable hotels and ride around in expensive cars with wealthy men.
Irene is an unreliable narrator of the novel because she tells the story from her point of view and is often contradictory. While at the Drayton hotel having tea with Clare, Clare asked Irene about her thoughts on passing for white. Irene stated she had no plans to pass as white and didn’t need to pass. This contradicts because Irene passed as a white woman at the Drayton hotel. Irene’s actions and words sometimes correspond to what she says. For instance, Irene also claimed that she has never passed, except for the convenience of getting food and going to the movies and restaurants.
Although Irene and Clare are diffrent they both pass for similar reasons, personal gain. For example, as Clare got older, she began to pass to be able to dine at fashionable hotels and ride around in expensive cars with wealthy men. When she turned 18, Clare eloped with Jack to get her desired lifestyle. At last, Clare found her chance for stable financial gain and living the lifestyle she wanted when a rich schoolboy name Jack moved into the neighborhood. As I stated earlier Irene also passed for convience. She passes when she is alone for the convenience of getting food and going to the movies and restaurants she desires. Also, the lifestyles of Irene and Clare each create their unique contrast, and they either affirm or contradict their beliefs. As a result, they have to distance themselves from one another. In addition, the characters of Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry are shown to be living unhappy lives. Although they have different reasons for their unhappiness, they can sympathize with each other. The relationships of Irene and Clare reflect Larsen’s beliefs and thoughts on marriage.
Works Cited
AuthorLastName, FirstName. Title of the Book Being Referenced. City Name: Name of Publisher, Year. Type of Medium (e.g., Print).
LastName, First, Middle. “Article Title.” Journal Title (Year): Pages From – To. Print.