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Race And Identity In Irene Larsen's Passing

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Race is a concept of grouping people with similar physical characteristics. Such a concept is commonly used to categorize people, but the identity of a person is defined by inner feelings rather than physical features. However, finding individual identity can be troubling at times because of the societal pressure on the concept of race. Irene Redfield, a character in Nella Larsen’s Passing, faces racial change as her friend, Clare Kendry, undergoes passing. Through this new change, Irene is able to gain a new perspective and a better understanding of the world. Through Irene's ambiguous point of view on race and her interactions with Clare, Larsen emphasizes the significance of race, identity, and society. Larsen stresses the importance of …show more content…

When meeting Clare, Irene expresses her disdain, “Clare Kendry cares nothing for the race. She only belonged to it” (Larsen 61). The lighter skin color of Clare enables her to benefit from the same advantages as a white woman despite being of African American descent. As Clare identifies herself as a white woman through passing, Irene recognizes that Clare no longer associates herself with her African American heritage and passed on her previous race. Irene believes Clare has no regard for her African dynasty, therefore she views her as offensive. However, after speaking with Clare, Irene wishes, “Sitting alone… Irene Redfield wished, for the first time in her life that she had not been born a negro. She suffered and rebelled from the burden of race” (Larsen 113). Irene seems to contradict the beginning of the novel where she boasted about her African heritage. Now conflicted, Irene finds herself realizing the harshness of having dark skin when she hears about Clare’s life. Because of Irene’s struggling marriage, She starts questioning whether the life she chose is the right one. Contemplating, Irene finds it hard to uncover her true identity of who she wants to be. The pressure from society makes Irene doubt her previous beliefs which align with Clare’s experience with the world before she passed. The constant exchange of feelings and insights between Irene and Clare allows Irene to widen her perspective to a better understanding of race, identity, and

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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

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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.

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For instance, there is a conflict in the relationship between Irene and Clare because Clare wants to reconnect with her old life, nevertheless this causes instability in Irene’s secure lifestyle. Clare secretly visits and spends time with Irene’s family which causes jealousy because change occurs. Clare’s frequent visits causes Irene to: “secretly resenting these visits to the playroom, for some obscure reason which shied away from putting into words, never requested that make an end of them, or hinted that she wouldn’t spoiled her own Margaery outrageously nor be so friendly with white servants” (63). This indicates that Clare is spending time at the Redfield’s tying to pass as a black woman trying to live as an African American woman while forgetting about her own responsibilities with her own daughter. In addition, Irene feels insecure that Clare will jeopardize her role as a mother at the Redfield residence.

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