Passing By Nella Larsen Analysis

The eyes can lie, they may miss things that are truly there or make things appear from nothing. Despite these mistakes we trust our vision completely, depending on it to determine the truth. Race, an important ‘truth’ in the 1920’s is often determined by sight, and can be quite fickle. People look for numerous traits that a person has to determine their race; traits that can easily be hidden, or have no truth to them at all, like ones finger nails, palms, ears, teeth or obviously skin colour (Larsen 8). Characters like Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield prove these assumptions of race false when they pass for being white, despite their African heritage, and that there must be instead other ways to dictating ones race. As shown in Nella Larsen’s novella Passing, race, while it was often determined by the colour of one’s skin, can only truly be determined by ones loyalties and social ties. …show more content…
Blacks and whites were separated but were said to be equal. Despite this ‘equality’ many African American citizens tried to pass the colour line to improve their quality of life. In a time when this passing was so common, chauvinists often looked for other means to determine race. Some look for physical indications, but others, like Hugh Wentworth, just had an itch or talent for knowing. (Larsen 61) Hugh tries to determine Clare’s race at the Harlem dance, but despite his knack for it, he is unable to do so. Irene’s response to his inability is that “nobody can. Not by looking” (Larsen 61). Clare Bellew demonstrates this best, as she is not only able to convince everyone she meets that she is a white woman, but also her husband, a man who should know everything about