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Passing Nella Larsen Summary

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Passing by Nella Larsen takes place in the 1920s, during an era where divided cliques between the Blacks and Whites were popular in the modern culture. However when one dared to pass into the ‘forbidden territory’ (between Blacks and Whites) of which they did not belong; they had to cross the racial boundaries through the dangerous act of ‘passing’. In Nella Larsen’s Passing, the characters go through the struggles of identity, racism, and isolation as they perform the act of ‘passing’. The psychoanalytical theory analyzes the unannounced/given information in the novel, and in passing as the characters develop, many emotions are kept in the subconscious minds of the characters which have an important role in the novella.
Nella Larsen’s childhood …show more content…

In Passing, Clare is rendered invisible throughout the novella. Clare is very lonely and she yearns to spend time with Irene. Even though she can spend time with many people she still wishes to be with Irene. This shows how she is invisible because when she passes she is not being who she truly is, she is living in the world of lies where she does not feel completely alive. After her encounter with Irene, Clare has not been able to do anything but survive with the thought of meeting Irene again. “Every day I went to that nasty little post-office place. I’m sure they were all beginning to think that I’d been on an illicit love-affair and that the man had thrown me over. Every morning the same answer: ‘nothing for you. I got into an awful fright. Thinking that something might have happened to your letter or to mine. And half the night would lie awake looking out at the watery stars- hopeless things, the stars- worrying and wondering.” (65). Clare’s life was at a standstill after her encounter with Irene and their separation, but when she finally reencountered with Irene, Clare did not seem to want to be separated from her. She found happiness in the presence of Irene which is odd because Clare gave up the life within the African American community. When Clare is again reunited with Irene the topic about a party is brought up. Irene

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