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Power of the word
The term passing is mostly shorthand for a racial passing which means people of one race passing for another. Nella Larsens Passing is the story about two light-skinned women, who both have African blood. Clare Kendry is one of them who chooses and succeeds at passing and Irene Redfield is one who doesnt. ... The tea party which appears in the beginning of the story plays an important role to throughout of the story because Jack Bellew enters the story at that moment. Jack is the white man who has strong revulsion at African-Americans. ... Jacks statements at the tea party lead the main characters transformation throughout the story and shape the ending as well. ... When Clare and Irene run into each other at the restaurant, Clare is confident of her `passing and is even sorry to those who didnt do the same thing. Passing to the white society is "even worth the price" to Clare (160). She believes that wealth is everybodys final desire and by passing she achieves that in a "frightfully easy" way (158). ...
At the tea party, Jack says words which humiliates African-Americans and shows how he hates Negroes (171-172). Against his statements, Irene exposes that Jack is "surrounded by three black devils" (172). It is significant that Irene includes Clare as one of the "black devils." This implies that Irene classifies Clare as a part of the black community even though Clare succeeds at passing and lives with the white man. Moreover Irenes such speaking tightens three women, including Clare and herself, with the same sympathies, anger and frighten, toward Jack which was Irenes own feeling. ... " The tea party event struck Clare and leads her to remind that she was one of the black cultures and so does now. ... Is passing still worth for Clare?
Approximate Word count = 1526
Approximate Pages = 6.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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