Nella Larsen Passing Character Analysis

253 Words2 Pages
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin (1884), narrated by the protagonist Huck, Mark Twain shows the moral development of Huck on his journey down the Mississippi river with Jim, a runaway slave on his pursuit to civilization as he escape, not only his father but from morality, racial injustice and the societal constraints in which he lives. In contrast, Nella Larsen Passing (1929) is cantered around the protagonist Irene and childhood friend Clare as she interrogates the racial identity in Harlem New York. Like Larsen who is of mixed race, she represents Irene as part of this ambiguous racial identity group, and question the concept of “passing” in a racialized society. Ironically, Irene herself could pass but she refuses to do so,