Passing by Nella Larsen

Part One: "Encounter"

Irene Redfield is a light-skinned Black woman who lives in Harlem, New York. Due to her complexion, she can "pass" as white in certain social situations, a privilege she occasionally uses to her advantage. Despite her ability to pass, Irene maintains a connection to her Black identity and is involved in several community groups seeking to improve African Americans' conditions. Irene's childhood friend, Clare Kendry, is even more light-skinned than Irene and has completely turned her back on her Black identity and married a white man who does not know she is Black.

Fig. 1 - Despite the everyday racism in New York, Irene enjoys a comfortable life in Harlem.

While visiting family in Chicago, Irene runs into Clare, who talks about her fabulous new life as the wife of an investment banker moving between exotic locations in Europe and America. When Irene visits Claire at her hotel, she meets another light-skinned friend of Clare's who also passes as white. John Bellew, Clare's husband, arrives and begins to make racist remarks about Black people, unaware that the three women are Black.

Shortly afterward, Irene receives a letter from Clare apologizing for her husband's behavior, but she burns the letter and moves on with her life.

Part Two: "Re-encounter"

Two years later, Clare moves to New York and attempts to reconcile her friendship with Irene. Unable to rebuff her old friend's effort, Irene meets Clare and tells her about her work with the "Negro Welfare League," a social society run by upper-class Black people. Despite Irene's protests, Clare invites herself to an upcoming event hosted by the league. As Clare spends more time in Harlem, she explores Black culture and becomes increasingly popular within Irene's social group.

Meanwhile, Irene notices her husband's growing frustration with life. Despite enjoying a comfortable life as a doctor, Brian is disgusted by the human body and feels like he only became a doctor at Irene's bidding. He yearns to leave the racism of America behind and move the family to the more tolerant atmosphere of Brazil.

Part Three: "Finale"

Irene suspects Brian and Clare are having an affair and considers outing Clare to her racist husband for revenge. One day Irene goes shopping with her friend, Felise Freeland, who has a darker complexion, and they run into Clare's husband, John. He attempts to start a conversation, but a panicked Irene fears that the presence of her Black friend may make John suspect her and Clare's true identity.

Irene does not inform Clare of the situation, fearful that it may lead to a divorce. She also fears that Brian may run off with Clare if she is single. Irene and Brian attend a Black social function with Clare, and John storms in to tell Clare he knows about her secret. A chaotic argument ensues as Clare edges closer to an open window. Both John and Irene move towards her, and in confusion, Clare falls out the window and plummets to her death. It is unclear whether she was pushed or jumped.

Fig. 2 - Harlem was home to a thriving Black cultural scene during the 1920s. The neighborhood's nightclubs hosted some of the world's best jazz bands.

In the end, various accounts of the incident cannot agree on the true nature of Clare's death. The police rule the incident as an accidental death, and Irene is left to mourn for her friend.

Characters in Passing by Nella Larsen

Each of the novella's main characters has a different relationship with race and their identity.

The Setting of Passing by Nella Larsen

The setting of Nella Larsen's novel Passing is primarily in the city of Chicago in the 1920s. The novel takes place during the era of the Harlem Renaissance, a time of cultural and artistic flourishing for African Americans in the North, particularly in New York City and Chicago.

The story also takes place in other locations such as New York City, and a summer resort. The novel explores the experiences and perspectives of a small group of middle-class African Americans living in Chicago during this time period. It also touches on the social and cultural issues of the era, such as racial identity, passing, and the limitations and discrimination faced by African Americans in a society that does not accept them for who they are.

Themes in Passing by Nella Larsen

In Passing, Larsen uses the contrasting experiences of two light-skinned Black women to examine themes of race and racial identity.

Race and Identity in Passing

As two light-skinned women in an upper-class setting, Irene and Clare have conflicting views on their identities. While Irene sometimes uses her ability to "pass" to her advantage, she remains proud of her Black identity. She is involved in social organizations aimed at improving life for Black Americans. Conversely, Clare has a light complexion which allows her to "pass" as white all the time. Clare seems proud of her ability to avoid discrimination, while Irene sees this as a betrayal.

Fig. 3 - Irene and Clare live in a time when segregation was openly encouraged by the vast majority of the population.

Despite their opposing views on "passing," both women can quickly move between Black and white social settings without detection. Larsen uses the women's ability to "pass" to highlight the arbitrary nature of racial classifications. The term "passing" can be read as either meeting a standard for entrance or passing from one state to another. With Passing, Larsen challenges the strict system of segregation that dictated many aspects of life in American society.

Passing by Nella Larsen: Analysis

What can we analyse from the novella? To begin, the novella's title comes from the sociological concept of racial "passing," whereby an individual from one ethnic group "passes off" as a member of another group. In American history, the concept was mainly applied to light-skinned Black Americans who appeared white and could enjoy freedom from discrimination. As a biracial individual, Nella Larsen had first-hand experience of this phenomenon but also suffered from conflicted feelings about enjoying a privilege that meant denying her true identity.

This conflicted feeling informs much of Irene and Clare's relationship. Larsen uses a third-person limited narrative view to explore the conflicting emotions of biracial individuals. This perspective makes Passing an example of the psychological fiction genre.

Larsen exposes the reader to Irene's inner thoughts on race, gender, class, and family issues. Some prose sections reflect her mind's inner workings by employing free-flowing associations or real-time reactions to the story's events.

For example, Irene considers the different identities in the Negro Welfare League Dance, with her conversation with Hugh Wentworth showing the time's (perhaps shallow) interest in knowing and finding out the name, status, and race of people simply by looking at them.

As well as reflecting on Irene's struggles, Larsen uses the techniques of this genre to share Irene's thoughts concerning the social setting. Irene's thinking and beliefs are constant challenges by the social settings and shared expectations of her time.

Fig. 5 - The fancy teacup shatters, mirroring Clare's death.

Symbolism in Passing

Larsen uses a fancy teacup to symbolize Clare's fragile situation and foreshadow the novella's ending. As Clare begins to reconnect with Black society, she attends a tea party with Irene's friends. During the event, Irene becomes paranoid that the beautiful Clare may usurp her in the group of friends and steal Brian away. Enraged at the thought, Irene purposely smashes a teacup on the ground. The cup was a family heirloom dating back to the Civil War and was decorated with Confederate flags. Irene explains that she smashed the cup because of the Confederate flags to mask her anger and jealousy. This action suggests that Irene may have purposely pushed Clare out of the window at the end.

Passing by Nella Larsen: Quotes

In the following quotes, Nella Larsen illustrates the character's complex relationship to "passing" and each other.

Irene and Clare have radically different views on "passing." While Irene admits it can sometimes be helpful, she remains proud of her Black identity. Clare attempts to live her entire life as a white person, but her new life is at risk when she begins to reconnect with her true identity.

As a work of psychological fiction, the novella gives vital insights into Irene's thoughts and feelings. Although Irene dislikes Clare's efforts to hide her Black identity, she is also jealous of her ability to attract friends and the attention of men effortlessly. Irene's jealousy of Clare often clouds her judgments.