Passing Essay
In Nella Larsen's novel, Passing, Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry can be considered as the protagonists. The novel concentrates on the issue of skin color and passing. Passing is when African-American's with light skin pass as white in order to enjoy the privileges that white people enjoyed. Irene Redfield is a middle-class, light-skin African-American woman who regrets passing but occasionally passes as white. She is married to Brian a doctor who is too dark to pass. Irene's life is going along as usual when she runs into a childhood friend, Clare Kendry. Clare Kendry is also a light-skin African-American woman who passes for white. Even her own husband is oblivious of Clare's African American blood. Irene passes not by adopting a white identity as Clare does, but by adopting white values. Throughout the novel Irene changes as she experiences life after her encounter with Clare.
Irene and her husband, Brian, live in Harlem with their two sons. Irene is proud of her African American background and only passes when she needs to in public places. Irene has an encounter with her childhood friend Clare at the Drayton Hotel, ironically Irene is passing as well because she is at this all white hotel. Clare tells Irene that after her father's death, she left behind the black neighborhood of her youth and began passing for white, hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband. Irene disapproves of Clare Kendry's passing by keeping the truth from her husband and discourages Clare's desire to renew their friendship even though Irene can, and occasionally does, pass for white herself sometimes. Clare invites Irene for tea, where she meets Clare's husband John Bellew, a racist white man who showed his hate towards white people in a very hostile manner. After this experience Irene is hurt and decides not to have anything to do with Clare Kendry. Clare visits Irene after she has not had any answer to the letters she has sent...
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