Summary Of Passing By Jane Sa Larsen

Larsen argues that Irene is unable to put herself in Brian's shoes since she is considered white passing. Her selfishness is why she is unable to accept why Brian wants to move so he and one of his sons do not face more prosecution. “I wish you wouldn’t talk about lynching before Ted and Junior” (Larsen 69). She refuses to fathom the prosecution of some members in her family. The only reason that Irene wishes to stay in New York is because she will lose everything she has built over the years. “She belongs in this land of rising towers” (Larsen 72). When Irene disregarded the reason Brian wanted to move to Brazil at this point their already fractured relationship crumbled even more. “The life which she had so admirably arranged for them all,

Deborah McDowell argues that the novella contains a “homoerotic subplot” detailing “Irene’s subliminal attraction to Clare” (Blackmore 476). Furthermore, Blackmore talks about the unknown emotions that they are experiencing. Passing explores various kinds of passing, including passing as heterosexual: “Larsen hints at the idea of homosexual desire both between Irene and Clare and in the case of Brian” (Blackmore 475). Irene cannot “articulate explicitly her attraction,” but can also not “escape the urges which Clare evokes” (Blackmore 476). Irene struggles to accept the feelings she is experiencing which leads to her downfall in the end. Irene “must destroy Clare” since her attraction threatens “her middle-class existence” and allows her “to purge” her “forbidden desires” (482). Irene is utterly jealous of Clare because Clare is not only white passing, but she was able to pass even further than Irene did because Irene married Brian who is black. Clare was able to marry Jack/John Bellow who is a typical white man for this time. Clare married Jack/John Bellow, a wealthy white man without even telling him that she was African American. "So, you dislike Negroes, Mr. Bellew?” (Larsen

As soon as he saw Irene he said, “So you’re a nigger, a damned dirty nigger!” (Larsen75). Clare just stood at the window with no care in the world for her or the people staring at her. “She stood there as composed as if everyone were not staring at her in curiosity and wonder, as if the whole structure of her life were not lying in fragments before her” (Larsen 76). Irene looked at Clare and she saw the faint smile that Clare expressed. This smile along with Irene's jealousy of Clare led her to do something she would normally never think about doing. Irene “laid a hand on Clare’s bare arm” she only thought of one thing “She couldn’t have Clare Kendry cast aside” and “She couldn’t have her free” (Larsen 76). Irene never clearly remembered what occurred next. "Clare was there, a vital glowing thing, like a flame of red and gold, the next she was gone" (Larsen 76). The next thing anyone knew was that Clare went flying out the window. Bellow exclaimed “Nig! My God! Nig!” (Larsen 76). Clare’s death resulted in actions that Irene had done. Irene’s judgment was clouded; she had killed Clare. Irene had questions cross her mind while the mob rushed down to see what became of Clare. “What would the others think? That Clare had fallen? That she had deliberately leaned backward?” (Larsen 76). Irene was never sorry for what happened; she was