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By passing as white, Clare has been able to float in and out of various social worlds and as a result has gained status and power. In contrast, Irene has dedicated her life to helping eliminate the mindset that would cause someone to want to "pass" as white. Irene's racial consciousness is a part of who she is, and her character is defined by her racial pride.
The novel's title also refers to Clare's passing away at the end of the novel. Her death is somewhat mysterious, but it seems as though Irene pushed her friend out of the window. Irene may have killed Clare because she felt threatened by her. Clare raised fears related to her sexual identity and also to her racial identity.
Irene also does not view her gender as being a potential source of power. Unlike Clare, Irene does not seem to draw power from her sexuality. Her marriage is sexless, and Irene seems to be sexually repressed....
On the other hand, Clare is conscious of her sexual power, and the power of her beautiful body. Irene finds Clare extremely attractive and is threatened by her feelings. Even if Irene were conscious of being sexually attracted to Clare it is unlikely that the two would have developed a romantic relationship because they both identify with being heterosexual. In some ways, Irene has "passed" as being straight.
Larsen's novel can be viewed simply as a book about friendship. Even without exploring the issues related to race, Passing is about how friendships that are formed in youth do not always pass the test of time. As young girls, Irene and Clare can be considered innocent. When they reminisce, the memories are pleasing, soft, and innocent. Clare and Irene did not yet understand how race would impact their personal identities, or how their identities would be affected by race, class, and gender.
Nella Larsen Passing Nella Larsen's novel Passing is about African-American culture and racial identity. The story focuses on the friendship between two women, Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. Both women are African-American yet both have light skin. Therefore, they pass for being white. However, each woman deals with her racial and ethnic identites differently. Clare Kendry grew up with white relatives and later marries a racially prejudiced white man who does
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The two have a unity in their interactions, wanting essentially the same things. The family forms a social system based on the interactions among the members of the family. This is seen throughout the book as each member shows that what he or she has, needs and values depends upon the nature of the social system to which he or she belongs. In this case, Maya, as do other people,