Race Theory And Sociological Perspectives In Nella Larsen's Passing

of a fractured identity, the third is anonymous letters symbolizing homoerotic attraction, and finally, an ambiguous death. This outline is fully present in the novel. Growing up with a white father and later two white aunts, Clare receives that belated learning of her race. She is not the typical black woman because she did not grow up necessarily thinking she was. She dosen’t display the same loyalty to blackness as Irene does because she never found comfort in it growing up. That might be one of the reasons why it was so startlingly easy for her to pass over. Throughout the novel, she displays signs of double consciousness. She’s is hyperaware of how others might perceive her. That is why she is such an expert on navigating conversation.

This topic engages race theory and historical and sociological perspectives. The theme of race in Passing is important on a few levels. First, it’s a deeply personal story. As seen in George Hutchinson’s article, “Nella Larsen and the Veil of Race”, Passing mirrors many aspects of Larsen’s life and shows her specific experiences and confrontations with race. Hutchinson argues that the trauma of being rejected by her white family led Larsen to have a “critical perspective on American racial ideologies, both black and white” (Hutchinson). Secondly, the novel focuses specifically on black middle class culture in the 1920s. It was written by an “insider” of this marginalized group and it sheds light it. By writing about African Americans as part of the middle class, and not solely slaves or people living in poverty, Larsen shows the multifaceted reality of the “black experience.” Lastly, the questions about race brought up by the novel are relevant to broader societal issues. By comprehending how race is created and understood, the audience can begin to dismantle oppressive systems in their own