She Isn T Everything Character Analysis

Larson discusses the jealously and attraction Irene has for Clare. Irene believes Clare is violating her standards of a black women for her promiscuous ways. Throughout the novel Irene mentally struggles with her emotions about Clare. Irene thoughts and emotion expresses that she does not want anything to do with Clare, but for some reason she cannot get rid of her. At times she shows jealously towards Clare because she passes and enjoys the freedom. Nonetheless, she dislikes Clare for passing and for her rejection of race. Larson explains Irene’s mixed emotion for Clare, “she had reminded almost what she had always been, an attractive, somewhat lonely child – selfish, willful, and disturbing” (58). Irene describes Clare as “attractive” shows

After all that is the lifestyle Irene intended to have and it shows her jealously for Clare’s social success. However, Irene is a successful African American women, but with a little less money than Clare. Though if Irene was passing as white, most likely she can have more money and live the same lifestyle as Clare. Larson talks about how Clare is happy in New York with Irene and wishes to stay for months. Irene tells Clare that she still has her daughter back home, but Clare expresses that “Children aren’t everything” (64). This shows that Clare is willing to give up important people in her life so she can live her the life she wants. Clare emotionally tells Irene, “‘Oh but you have, you have. It’s just that I haven’t any proper morals or sense of duty, as you have, that makes me act as I do’” (65). Irene plays a role for her husband and kids, unlike Clare her child is in Switzerland, so she has “sense of duty”. Clare later expresses “‘Can’t you realize that I’m not like you a bit? Why, to get the things I want badly enough, I’d do anything, hurt anybody, throw anything away. Really, Rene I’m not safe” (65). Clare shows pure selfishness and is a bit cold hearted, she is too dependent on her