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20th Century Poets In Nella Larsen's Passing

1160 Words5 Pages

In many of the text we’ve read this semester, including poems, the conflicts of the 20th century were evident. It was also evident that there are differences between the 20th and 21st century, as well as many similarities. Poets such as Langston Hughes and Claude McKay gave us an insight to what life was like during the Harlem Renaissance. Being black men was something that they felt was necessary to speak about during their time. The situations and problems that occurred around them is what gave them a sense of individuality, while at the same time, these problems challenged them in a sense that made them better poets. It gave them something to talk about; and though their poetry did not solve the problems, I’d like to think that it made it …show more content…

The saying “history just repeats itself,” is definitely true, no matter the situation. Authors like Nella Larsen showed her struggles through her writing, and though “Passing” was not based on a true story, it is very evident that the plot of the story was (and still is) an issue in society. In today’s society struggling with passing as black or white it is not as big of an issue as it was then, but it does still happen. For instance, I have a friend who is mixed (black and white), but her skin tone is so light that you would never know she was mixed until she began to talk about how her mom is half black. “The trouble with Clare was, not only that she wanted to have her cake and eat too, but that she wanted to nibble at the cakes of other folk as well. (Passing)” This quote from “Passing” is very interesting to me because I sometimes feel like this with my friend. For me, it seems as though she will claim her black side, but only when it is beneficial. Though it is not a very big deal to me, it sometimes bothers me because I love being black and I don’t get to pick and choose when it is appropriate to be that. As stated, “Passing” may not be based on a true story, but it can be said that Nella Larsen more than likely struggled with being a light skinned woman in that society. I …show more content…

In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Tennessee Williams shows us a little bit about people struggling with trying to understand sexuality and feminism. Though there is no full detail, we are shown how Blanche’s ex-husband was caught doing something that was really unspeakable during that time. Blanche did not know how to handle that nor could she deal with all the deaths that were happening in her life so she started to become her own woman, which was also not very acceptable. She lies to herself and others so that life can appear as what she thinks it should be. Tennessee Williams definitely explores over throwing boundaries in the

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In Passing by Nella Larson, two biracial women pass as white while one embraces her black identity the other denies her black identity. Race, identity, and belonging is determined by the culture the family choses to identity with. Clare has no other choice but to accept her white culture on the surface but she desires to be reconnected back to her black culture. Clare decision to accept her white culture was for the privileges that came from passing. Biracial children have a difficult time finding a sense of self and where they belong.

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According to Landry, Nella Larsen wrote Passing to furtively cover a subject that was more taboo than the racial issues of the early twentieth century. Specifically the issues that mulatto women faced when assimilating into the white world without self-identifying. Landry states that it was safe for Nella Larsen to write a story about the subject of the mulatto women while interweaving a love affair between two women. Landry argues that “ women of mixed ethnicity fear being defined by other African Americans as race traitors if they resist sexual and gender norms”(26) and that the direct consequence of defying the social norms of the era would be self-loathing and blame. Landry goes on to explain that the negative feelings toward their selves

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Racism was always a big issue and still occurs today. The story “Passing” took place in the 1920’s during the Harlem Renaissance and it spoke about the term “Passing” which indicates that African American’s who looked lighted skin can go to public places without being discriminated. In “Passing” Nella Larsen demonstrates how racism causes jealousy, resentment, and dishonesty in relationships. The idea is conveyed through inner conflict, the conflict between the main characters and how the Harlem Renaissance period inflicts tension in relationships.

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