Passing by Nella Larsen: A Complex Exploration of Race, Identity, and Belonging (PDF included)

“Passing” is a complex novel that explores the themes of race, identity, and belonging through the story of two mixed-race women who make different choices about how they live and identify. Clare Kendry chooses to pass as white, while Irene Redfield identifies as black.

Their different choices create a strain on their relationship and force them to confront the complex realities of race and identity in America.

About PDF

• Two mixed-race women reconnect as adults.

Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield were childhood friends, but they lost touch after they moved to different cities. As adults, they reconnect by chance in New York City.

• The women, Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield have different approaches to race and identity.

Clare chooses to pass as white, meaning that she lives and identifies as a white person, even though she is mixed-race. Irene, on the other hand, chooses to identify as black.

• Clare’s choice to pass as white has a profound impact on her life.

Clare’s choice to pass as white allows her to experience the privileges of white society. However, it also forces her to deny her true identity.

• The women’s relationship is complicated by their different choices.

Clare and Irene’s relationship is strained by their different approaches to race and identity. Clare’s choice to pass as white creates a barrier between the two friends.

• The novel explores the themes of race, identity, and belonging.

“Passing” is a complex novel that explores the themes of race, identity, and belonging. It is a novel that is still relevant today, as it raises important questions about what it means to be mixed-race and how we navigate our identities in a society that is often divided by race.