ipl-logo

Passing Nella Larson Quotes

595 Words3 Pages

Giovanni Silva
Mrs. Ortiz
African American Lit
20 April 2022
Losing your cultural identity

Passing by Nella Larson takes place in the 1920s with two main characters, Clare and Irene. Throughout the book they battle the decision if they should pass or not. Clare is an example of how people sacrifice their cultural identity to gain privileges and advantages in society. Passing occurs when a person who is classified as a member of a racial group is accepted or perceived as a member of another racial group.
Passing as white can have significant consequences for individuals who choose to do so. Especially with regards to sacrificing their cultural identity and who they are. For example, “Clare for instance, had passed completely, and so had lost everything that made up here n**** self” (Larson 18). This quote expresses the consequences of passing as white. Clare now has lost who she is as a person, this resulted in her losing her cultural identity. The thought of …show more content…

As you can see, “Her intense desire to escape the limitations imposed upon her by race and gender had blinded her to all other considerations”(Larson 95). For instance in this quote Clare has a strong motivation to overcome her limitations from her race and gender. However, this vigorous drive to gain advantages and privileges in society eagerly makes Clare overlook the significant consequences and idea of losing her cultural identity.
Passing as white helps that person gain advantages and privileges in society that they could not reach before. Clare feels that her new life as passing opens her up to a new world, an example being, “It was, she thought, like being wafted upward on a magic carpet to an-other world, pleasant, quiet, and strangely remote from the sizzling one

Show More
Related

Summary Of Passing By Nella Larson

211 Words | 1 Pages

Clare Kendy had no choice in denying her Black heritage, her hypocritical white Aunts did not want their neighbors to know that their niece was black and that their brother had mixed with the races. Therefore

Read More

Examples Of Passing In Little White Lie

1002 Words | 5 Pages

It could make you feel like you do not belong anywhere or that you lost the identity you were once certain of. These concepts were all demonstrated in the examples from Little White Lie, the class speaker, Rebecca Campbell, and the novel, Family. The moral of this passing for white story is that you cannot hate someone when you do not know them, “cause all these people livin are brothers and sisters and cousins. All these beautiful different colors! We! . . .

Read More

Summary Of Nella Larsen's Passing

703 Words | 3 Pages

In Passing, Nella Larsen narrates the story of Irene Redfield, a reserved woman who eventually encounters her childhood friend, the fierce and seductive Clare Bellew. Clare is a black woman with olive skin who is able to pass as white in all areas of society. She uses this attribute to her own benefit, and though when she was younger she denied her race, since after she reencountered Irene she started to rethink her situation. Although Irene is also able to pass, she maintains a pride of her race, which does not allow her to deny it, unless when needed. In spite of Irene not enjoying reencountering Clare, she cannot imagine the unexpected changes her life will take as her friend progressively enters her life.

Read More

The Role Of Deception In Nella Larsen's Passing

575 Words | 3 Pages

1920’s society offered a prominent way for blacks that look white to exploit its barrier and pass in society. Visible within Nella Larsen’s Passing, access to the regular world exists only for those who fit the criteria of white skin and white husband. Through internal conflict and characterization, the novella reveals deception slowly devours the deceitful. In Passing, Clare and Irene both deceive people. They both engage in deceit by having the ability to pass when they are not of the proper race to do so.

Read More

Summary Of Passing By Nella Larsen

1764 Words | 8 Pages

Nella Larsen’s novel Passing is a brilliant portrayal depicting how light skinned African Americans were able to live their lives as white people if they so wished and the fallout sometimes associated with this racial passing. Although passing may seem beneficial to those who can blend into mainstream society, passing has several negative effects on one’s acceptance in the African American community. Such a negative effects can include the view of passing “as an instance of racial self-hatred or disloyalty” (CITE 2). In a sense, the one who passes can be considered a traitor to their natural race in that they have abandoned their in favor of a less stigmatized race. After all, race plays an important role in the formation of one’s identity

Read More

A Critical Analysis Of The Novel Passing By Nella Larsen

1416 Words | 6 Pages

She introduces herself as white person, for certain purposes. In the course of her journey of passing, Clare has some moments of weakness and another of power which is normal in every person’s life especially in her case with all these difficulties and challenges with completely different community, she become part of

Read More

African American Identity In Nella Larson's Passing

409 Words | 2 Pages

Clare explains why she decided to leave her former African American identity for one of white privileges. However,

Read More

Motherhood In Nella Larsen's Passing

1484 Words | 6 Pages

Instead of internalizing her fear of her husband, Clare perseus pursues Brian. This affair relates to the open sexuality of the 1920s. Clare wasn’t getting the attention she wanted from her husband, therefore, she was determined to find it somewhere else, a revolutionary, and very 20s, attitude. Clare was intrigued by Harlem and all the parties she went to with the Redfields. She wanted to be a flapper and explore things, so she explored her boundaries with Brian.

Read More

Passing Nella Larsen Analysis

1551 Words | 7 Pages

Passing, a novel by Nella Larsen, addresses the issue of race by telling the story of two African American women - Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield - who represent different aspects of passing1. In the novel, passing refers to the process of crossing the color line, where a light skinned person who belongs to the black racial community enjoys white privilege2. However, people who pass struggle with double consciousness as they long to honor their race without necessarily being associated with it3. The novel is highly invested in ambiguity to show the fluidity and complexity of race, and how it paves the way for passing4. Passing illustrates the struggle African Americans face with their unchosen race and their attempt to control their identity

Read More

Passing By Nella Larsen Sparknotes

940 Words | 4 Pages

Ca’ren Franklin Dr. Vargas 30 April 2024 While exploring the complex ideas and motifs woven throughout my artistic endeavor, a remarkable resemblance emerges between Nella Larsen's groundbreaking book Passing and the symbolic meaning embedded in Erzulie's Skirt. Both are important platforms for investigating identity, exploring dualism in dimensions, and scrutinizing the standards that are currently in place in society. In her novel Passing, Nella Larsen masterfully explores racist occurrences and the intricacies of racial identity in early 20th-century America. Within this rich tapestry, one such instance is when Irene Redfield, who has a fair complexion, encounters discrimination in her native community because of her choice to identify as African American. Her

Read More

Pudd Nhead Wilson Identity

1042 Words | 5 Pages

The novel highlights the devastating impact of racial segregation on individuals and society, as Roxy and Chambers are forced to live as slaves despite their proximity to whiteness. The novel also highlights the complexity of identity and the ways in which societal norms shape an individual's sense of self. The exposure of Tom's true identity as a slave at the end of the story highlights the absurdity and injustice of the racial hierarchy of the time. Tom has been raised as a white person and has enjoyed all the privileges that come with that status, but the truth of his racial identity ultimately exposes him as a slave and a murderer. The exposure of Tom's true identity also underscores the devastating impact of racial segregation and discrimination on individuals and society.

Read More

Passing By Nella Larsen Sparknotes

1651 Words | 7 Pages

Through the experiences of their characters and themselves, these authors demonstrate the emotional and psychological toll that passing as white can take on individuals. Passing as white, which is the act of hiding one's racial identity in order to escape discrimination, can lead to a loss of one's true identity and a disconnection from one's sense of self. This is illustrated in Larsen's novel through the characters of Irene and Clare, who both choose to pass as white but ultimately realize the limitations and drawbacks of this decision. Similarly, in McWilliams' and Lusasik's personal accounts, it is shown that passing as white can lead to alienation, disconnection, and emotional turmoil. Furthermore, these works also highlight the societal pressure and discrimination that individuals of color face, which can lead them to make the decision to pass as white.

Read More

Nella Larsen Passing Analysis

1919 Words | 8 Pages

Nella Larsen’s Passing is a novella about the past experiences of African American women ‘passing’ as whites for equal opportunities. Larsen presents the day to day issues African American women face during their ‘passing’ journey through her characters of Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. During the reading process, we progressively realize ‘passing’ in Harlem, New York during the 1920’s becomes difficult for both of these women physically and mentally as different kinds of challenges approach ahead. Although Larsen decides the novella to be told in a third person narrative, different thoughts and messages of Irene and Clare communicate broken ideas for the reader, causing the interpretation of the novella to vary from different perspectives.

Read More

Stereotypes In The Film Imitation Of Life

418 Words | 2 Pages

Moreover, demonstrate consequences are taken to oppress racial and ethnic minorities to keep them in a subservient position. Overall, this film has provided me with a visual depiction of how stereotypes are a mental tool that enforces racial segregation and self-hate. The label of “White” became a necessity for Sarah Jane to achieve in society. To attain it she needed to move to a new city, change her name and deny her mother.

Read More

Essay On Invisibility Of Whiteness

1788 Words | 8 Pages

At the heart of whiteness studies is the invisibility of whiteness and white privilege (Ahmed, 2004). Whiteness is thought of as the hidden criterion to which every other race is measured against. Through the lens of whiteness, the “other” is seen as deviant (Ahmed, 2004). The invisibility of whiteness, however, is only from the perspective of those who are white (Matthews, 2012). To people who are not white, it is pervasive and blatant.

Read More

More about Passing Nella Larson Quotes

Related Topics

Open Document