Running into Irene made Clare realize she missed her culture, her friends, the lifestyle and sense of belonging. She could never really feel a true sense of belonging in the white community, because after all her whole world was a lie. She spent her life trying to “pass”, in essence wearing a mask of deception. “Passing” was a deception. This deception was a choice. In the end, this deception, this choice lead to her death. Did Clare take her own life, did Irene push her or was it an accident? Does it really matter? She lived as a white woman, longing for her black community. All the while Irene lived her life as a black woman, playing the role of good wife and mother, trying to shield her sons from the harsh reality of racism, fearing her