A story to remember

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The two main characters of the story, Irene and Clare, leave the reader wanting to know more about the life that two very different cultures live. The racism, society, and views of all people have changed since the time period the book was based off of. Irene is left unaccepted into the world and ashamed to be a Negro, where Clare is fighting to keep her Negro past a secret to everyone around her. Reading Passing by Nella Larson is an eye opening experience that will have a lasting effect on the reader.

There is a lasting anger throughout the story because of the racism of the people that are surrounding Clare and Irene. Clare’s husband, John Bellew throws around racial slurs as if blacks have no meaning in the world. Clare’s husband represents all whites and how they feel toward different cultures and races in the late 1900’s. In one part he is rudely joking with Clare about her skin color: “Well, you see, it’s like this. When we were first married, she was as white as – as—well as white as a lily. But I declare she’s getting darker and darker. I tell her if she don’t look out, she’ll wake up one of these days and find she’s turned into a nigger” (Larson 39). He is talking like being a colored person is the worst thing that could happen to someone. Whites are scared to associate with blacks because they are different from themselves, and they do not know the lives blacks live. All whites look down on Irene and other colored people as if

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they could never be equal. Blacks were never to be treated as equal or given respect because of the color of their skin. John explains ““Oh no, Nig,” he declared. “Nothing like that with me. I know you’re no nigger, so it’s all right. You can get as black as you please as far as I’m c...

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...ms with two different races dating or getting married but in one hundred years things will change. There will always be some group or some person that does not like another race but things have become better. Irene and Clare would have fit into today’s culture.

Irene and Clare lived very different lives. During the time period of the book “passing” was the only way to be wanted. The late 1900’s was based off of racism, society and everyone being the same as one another. Society has changed since then and people are starting to have open eyes about the people surrounding them. Today Irene would have fit into society today without feeling discriminated against. Clare would not have been ashamed to be a Negro and live the culture that she wanted to live. After finishing, the reader understands the feelings and emotions that every one person has.

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