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Passing By Nella Larsen: A Character Analysis

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A person's sense of identity is crucial in their well-being, shaping their behavior and their overall content state of life. Nella Larsen’s Passing clearly depicts the main character, Irene’s, struggle with her identity. Thereby, Irene continually allows Clare Kendry, a girl from her past, to affect her, despite the several occasions when Irene claimed she was finished with Clare Kendry. Irene Redfield relies on Clare Kendry to maintain her sense of her own identity because she used Clare as a foundation. If Clare Kendry no longer continues to pass as a white woman, she will be just like Irene, potentially causing her to lose everything important to her. These important factors include her family and her social status. Further proving, Irene Redfield is an incredibly unstable character, for her own sense of sanity, she needs Clare Kendry to continue to pass to help her maintain her own sense of identity.
Before Clare and Irene reunite at the Drayton, they had a civil relationship during their childhoods before Clare drifted apart from her old community after her father’s passing. After lunch, Clare becomes desperate to see Irene again and continues to assert her presence in not only Irene’s life, but her family, and her social life. Clare’s authors a letter to Irene at the beginning of the novel, shortly after their …show more content…
She would feel threatened by her if she were black. Irene is hesitant to completely allow Clare back into her life, despite the nice time they had when they ran into each other at the restaurant (look it up). As Andrew W. Davis mentions in his article, Constructing Identity: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand and Passing, “Irene seemingly disapproves of Clare, yet Clare’s inhibitions equally excite Irene and cause her to protect Clare.” (Davis, pg. 30). However, Irene continues to see and spend time with Clare even after she meets

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