Human Relationships in Nella Larsen's Passing
Works Cited Not Included
The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point for many African Americans. A vast amount of literature was created specifically for this group during this era. For the first time, African Americans were being told that it was okay to be proud of who they were. This new consciousness and self-awareness was prominent in many works of literature, but several writers began exploring the darker side of this movement with literature that concentrated on the negative aspects of race relations in America. Nella Larsen's novel Passing concentrates on this theme with the story of Clare, a tragic mulatto who "passes" as a white person. Not only is Passing representative of the plight of the tragic mulatto, it is also a novel that explores the complexities of human relationships.
As defined by critic Claudia Tate, a tragic mulatto is a "character who passes [as a white person] and then reveals pangs of anguish resulting from forsaking his or her black identity" (142). Clare Kendry's life is a perfect example of the plight of the tragic mulatto. In Passing, Clare seems to have "one overriding urge: to return to the [African American] world she left" (Davis 98). Clare tells her friend Irene Redfield that "she can't know how in this pale life of mine I am all the time seeing the bright pictures of that other that I once thought I was glad to be free of?It's like an ache, a pain that never ceases" (Larsen 145). She also realizes how much she wants to see African Americans, "to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh" (Larsen 200). Although Irene feels that there is "nothing sacrificial in Clare's idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," it is apparent that Clare's desire to return to her African American race is honest, even if the motives seem one-sided (Larsen 144).
Irene considers Clare to be "selfish, cold and hard" (Larsen 144). Irene also feels that Clare does not have "even the slightest artistic or sociological interest in the race that some members of other races displayed. [She] cared nothing of the race, she only belonged to it" (Larsen 182). Although there may be some truth to this statement, it does not diminish Clare's own pain at having to deny her African American heritage, and her desire to return to it. Irene represents a po...
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...nding the incident prevents determining Irene's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, she seems to be the one character who benefits the most from Clare's death. Like Clare, Irene will "do anything, hurt anybody, throw anything away" in order to "Get the things she wants badly enough" (Larsen 210).
In the end, the differences between Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield are overshadowed by their similarities revealing that their relationships are just as significant as the issue of passing. Nella Larsen's Passing successfully deals with the plight of the "tragic mulatto," and the complexities of human relationships. Her literary contribution is significant because of her ability to confidently handle a sensitive racial issue while also exploring the ramifications of this issue on human relationships. IT is clear that Larsen meant to include both the social and psychological aspects of passing in her novel. Because of this, Passing remains a novel that is clearly representative of the Harlem Renaissance.
Works Cited:
Larsen, Nella. "Passing." The Prentice Hall Anthology of African American Women's
Literature. Ed. Valerie Lee. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006.
Historically, people were granted certain rights and privileges based merely on their skin color. Persons of darker skin are often less opportune; persons of lighter skin are almost automatically glorified. However, with the mass interracial breeding, many African American descendants started to look “white” even though they were of “black” descent. Many “mulattos” used this to their advantage to acquire higher social status and respect. The act of identifying as a different race and hiding one’s true race is known as “passing.” In the short novel, “Passing” by Nella Larsen, it follows two childhood friends of mixed-race, Irene Westover/Redfield and Clare Kendry, who later reconnected later in their different adult lives; both appear to have light complexion but one embraces her ancestry while the other tries to “pass” as something else. The latter’s decision usually ends unpleasantly. So while it may seem beneficial to “pass,” the end result is that the truth will come out. Literary articles which critique “Passing” such as “Sororophobia” by Helena Michie and “Black Female Sexuality in Passing” by Deborah E. McDowell discusses the issues of passing. Juanita Ellsworth’s “White Negros” provide scenarios where skin color played a factor in education and professional experiences. Louis Fremont Baldwin’s “Negro to Caucasion, Or How the Ethiopian Is Changing His Skin” explains the different ways people pass and how it can be undetected. Blatantly “passing” as a different race can lead to catastrophe and should be avoided.
Gates, Henry Louis, and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. Print.
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James, Johson Weldon. Comp. Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 832. Print.
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