The ending of Nella Larsen’s Passing leaves us with a big mystery on our hands. That mystery forms from the question, “Who killed Clare Kendry?”. The novel chooses to leave readers with a rather ambiguous ending that never outright answers the question. The answer to this question can be found through in-depth psychological and textual analysis. This analysis will prove that Irene Redfield killed Clare Kendy. Passing takes place from Irene Redfield’s perspective. The novel may not have a first-person point of view, but the perspective is Irene’s. The novel concentrates on her thoughts, life, memories, interactions, and troubles with her identity. There is no shift from this perspective either. The novel is clearly about her. With that
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“Ah! Surely! They were Negro eyes! Myserious and concealing” (Larsen, pg. 46). Every time Irene’s attraction for Claire comes to light so does the uncomfortableness with her life choices. When Claire asked Irene why she never attempted to pass for white, regrets surface. Clare heard the disdain in Irene’s voice and knew she had thought about passing. Irene ultimately cannot stand her for noticing that. From that first encounter with Clare she pushes the blame onto Clare for everything. Irene is so uncomfortable with her racial identity, emphasizes on how right her life choices are versus Clare’s. During the tea scene on page sixty-one she points out how she has a dark child and married a dark man. She proudly proclaims these things to prove she is right unlike Clare. This “rightness” is called into question when she does not defend “her race” against Clare’s racist white husband Jack Bellow. Irene tries to maintain the picturesque vision of an African American family. She feels it is her duty to stay true to “her race” and doing anything else is leaves of feeling of traitorous guilt. Because of this she pushes these thoughts into her unconscious mind leaving her to not realize she wishes to have the “freedom” that Clare has in addition to Clare herself. Which is why she does not come to the African American …show more content…
Not only has she expressed interest in leaving her family and regretting her life choices, she also expresses a clear desire for Clare. She accused Brian of wanting to leave her and the children behind to live in Brazil. She said this would disrupt her family unit’s way of life. Hypocritically, she planed on sending her son off to a European school and send Brian off with him. (Larsen, pg. 107) If this had happened she would have had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. She could have passed for white. Her body language and exaggerated levels of protest shows she is regretting not doing so. She constantly thinks of Clare and praises her beauty and how seductive she is. She lights up whenever she see’s Clare and automatically comments on her beauty like it’s second nature. This is more than what she has ever said about the man she married. Irene constantly mentioning Brazil reflects the internal turmoil she has with her own
“Ah! Surely! They were Negro eyes! Myserious and concealing” (Larsen, pg. 46). Every time Irene’s attraction for Claire comes to light so does the uncomfortableness with her life choices. When Claire asked Irene why she never attempted to pass for white, regrets surface. Clare heard the disdain in Irene’s voice and knew she had thought about passing. Irene ultimately cannot stand her for noticing that. From that first encounter with Clare she pushes the blame onto Clare for everything. Irene is so uncomfortable with her racial identity, emphasizes on how right her life choices are versus Clare’s. During the tea scene on page sixty-one she points out how she has a dark child and married a dark man. She proudly proclaims these things to prove she is right unlike Clare. This “rightness” is called into question when she does not defend “her race” against Clare’s racist white husband Jack Bellow. Irene tries to maintain the picturesque vision of an African American family. She feels it is her duty to stay true to “her race” and doing anything else is leaves of feeling of traitorous guilt. Because of this she pushes these thoughts into her unconscious mind leaving her to not realize she wishes to have the “freedom” that Clare has in addition to Clare herself. Which is why she does not come to the African American …show more content…
Not only has she expressed interest in leaving her family and regretting her life choices, she also expresses a clear desire for Clare. She accused Brian of wanting to leave her and the children behind to live in Brazil. She said this would disrupt her family unit’s way of life. Hypocritically, she planed on sending her son off to a European school and send Brian off with him. (Larsen, pg. 107) If this had happened she would have had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. She could have passed for white. Her body language and exaggerated levels of protest shows she is regretting not doing so. She constantly thinks of Clare and praises her beauty and how seductive she is. She lights up whenever she see’s Clare and automatically comments on her beauty like it’s second nature. This is more than what she has ever said about the man she married. Irene constantly mentioning Brazil reflects the internal turmoil she has with her own