Passing, By Nella Larsen

We also learn about the new SAT and its essay component, which some college completely ignore. Some college and universities are eliminating their requirement for the SAT or ACT in an effort to minimize their importance and stress that surrounds them.

Racial passing is when a person classified of a specific racial group is also accepted as a member of another race. For example, in a reciting of “passing” by Toi Derricotte, a young light-skin african american woman passes as a white woman. One of the black students mentioned in the poem says “ sometimes light-skinned blacks think they can fool other blacks, but i can always tell.” (Derricotte 2016). The idea of passing is easy to get a hold of but it’s not easy to actually understand why a person would want to be someone they are not.

For centuries many have practiced a deception of identity called 'passing ' not only in America but other nations as well. Passing is a term that many Black/African-Americans have heard at one time or another from an acquaintance or possibly from someone in their own family speaking of a relative that 'passed ' as another race during a time period in America pre-civil rights era, for personal gain, whether it was for acceptance in their communities, ease of living or financial equality.

In Nella Larsen’s Passing, issues of race, identity, and privilege are explored. Irene Redfield, the African American wife of a doctor, is herself “passing” in the Drayton Hotel’s rooftop garden when she comes across Clare Kendry, a childhood friend. Clare is passing as white in her daily life with her husband believing that she is a white woman. Although Irene does not approve of Clare’s passing, and tension exists among the characters, Irene grows to feel sympathetic for Clare and becomes closer to her. The tension that exists between the two women is suggestive of another form of passing and sublimated desire. Through the novel, Larsen demonstrates that passing manifests.

Passing by Nella Larsen is a very peculiar novel of race, identity, family, friendship, love, and sexuality. Her novel portrays the characteristics and symbols of the racial society of 1920s. Larsen used Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry as examples of light-skinned African American of this Harlem Renaissance. Both women appear similar, but their views on race, family and friendship were significantly different. Clare differs from Irene by the fact that she uses her appearance as an advantage, leaving behind her motherhood and her racial identity to gain attention and wealth. For these two women, sexuality appeals to one another. Larsen presents Irene’s sexuality towards Clare as being dominated by obsession.

“My father started chipping away at a plaster wall in the living room of our house in Bybanks shortly after my mom left us one April morning” (Creech 3).Sal went through tough times. In the book, Walk Two Moons, By Sharon Creech, Sal the main character, goes through tough times when her mother disappears, When she moves to ohio, and when she leaves Bybanks. Sal’s view of Bybanks, Kentucky is important to sal because she made a lot of memories there. My first piece of evidence is, “I’m a country girl at heart, and belong at this fro farm.(1)”

In the book, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, Salva shows that success is achieved through constant courage. Some people think that success is achieved through patience, but Salva shows success is achieved through courage and bravery. Salva is nervous about the gun shooting going on around the school, but he was brave enough to go run out of the bushes. “Salva saw all this with one glance.

“A young man, now safely settled in Canada, once told me that he didn't mind being called a refugee because it described a situation that was forced on him; it didn't define who he was” (Goodwin, 2011). This comes from a discussion between Debi Goodwin and a former refugee about the current refugee crisis in the Middle East. This observation is also seen in the novels What Is the What, by Dave Eggers, and A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah. The displacement occurring in corrupt societies within What Is the What and A Long Way Gone display the contrasting religious and political views, which leads to civil war. The violence caused by rebel, militia, and government organizations in certain African countries leads to mass displacement. Therefore,

Clare Kendry was the character that most ruthlessly pushes her way over the color-line. Clare was described as “so daring, so lovely, and so ‘having’” (Larsen, 43). “There had been, even in those days, nothing sacrificial in Clare Kendry’s idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire” (10). “Clare Kendry cared nothing for the race. She only belonged to it” (52). She even considered herself a “deserter” of the race because of her life of passing (37).Clare got what she wanted, regardless of the cost to herself or to others. While telling Irene about her experience with passing, Clare explained that, “It’s such a frightfully easy thing to do. If one’s the type, all that’s needed is a little nerve” (25). She made clear that “Nothing could have been easier” (27) and that “It’s even worth the price” (28). Later in the novel however she changed her tone and started to tell the horrors of passing. She told Irene, “You’re free. You’re happy. And…safe” (67). She knew that if she were to be caught, she would be in real trouble. She would lose her daughter Margery, her marriage, and all of the physical comforts in life that she had gained from passing. The readers are also reminded that during that time in history, capital punishment was still used. Clare’s husband was so full of hatred for black

Passing seems like a fictional action, yet we still approve of it in today’s society. In the novel, “Passing” Nella Larsen speaks on how passing may not be all as cool as it may seem. How race seems to be something you choose, but with that multiple consequences, like hiding your race from your own husband. “That no one is ever completely happy, or free, or safe (Larsen 101). Clare explaining how being able to pass has challenges and problems. She felt trapped, having to be a race that it not your’s and struggle to know where you belong. In addition, as Clare passes as white, it is not as glamorous or fun as it seems, she just wanted to find her place. Being able to pass makes it difficult to choose and be happy. You have to pick one and will

Holding Onto the Air an autobiography by Suzanne Farrell takes the reader backstage in the dramatic life of the world-renowned Balanchine ballerina. From her childhood in Cincinnati to her retirement from ballet in 1989, Farrell's story is truly a remarkable one. The book describes at length her time with the New York City Ballet as well as her complex relationship with the legendary Balanchine. Although Mrs. Farrell goes a bit too far into the ballet descriptions, her beautiful imagery allows reader to experience the joy of performing on stage.

The novel, Passing by Nella Larsen, was written and based on Nella Larsen’s own family life where she was treated terribly by her mother, who was white. Shown by Thadious Davis Nella Larsen, the novel Passing by Nella Larsen may be built on the suffering and events that Nella Larsen faced as a child of mixed ancestry in a time when it was not accepted like it is in the present. As Davis stated, Nella Larsen wrote many of her novels with reversed names and “paternal/maternal roles” making Clare supposed to represent Nella Larsen’s father and John Bellew representing Nella Larsen’s mother. This would explain many things about Nella Larsen’s difficult childhood and the roles her parents participated in shaping her childhood years. Such as John, Clare’s wife, representing Nella Larsen’s white mother who was not a caring mother towards Nella Larsen because of her mixed ancestry. Like John, Nella Larsen’s mother was a racist who was in a relationship with a person of non-white ancestry that was passing as white because of their lighter skin and to gain more equality than they had before.

Nella Larsen had gained a reputation for herself in the early 20th century as a skilled writer and was highly praised by other acclaimed writers such as W. E. B. Du Bois. Known as one of the more distinguished Harlem Renaissance writers, Larsen often wrote novels and short stories that contained themes tied to social and cultural norms in society. Consequent of her .mixed race, Nella Larsen had often conflicted with issues of race and her racial identity; this oftentimes correlated with her writing. In her second novel, Passing, one of the societal/cultural norms Larsen addresses is the complicated topic of race in society. Nella Larsen questions society’s perception of race as merely

Passing” by Nella Larsen is a great piece of art, that is mostly concentrated on the act of passing as a member of other race in order to assimilate with them and cover their own race. I have to be honest through reading the book I developed love hate relationship because how this book was structured. It is filled with really charismatic personalities such as Claire Kendry or Irene Redfield but at the same time I was really frustrated how they behave themselves regarding their race. For someone who never had any conflicts regarding race it was really hard for to rationalize Clare’s or Irene’s actions that involved covering their own identity to benefit from it either socially or financially. Book still lacks clarity in most of the cases that happen in story, for example ending where Clare dies but it might be also seen as way for reader to think and guess who might be the murderer. Even though this story takes place in the early 20th century when the African American society was still harshly treated by white society, I think we can still see a lot of racial conflicts that happen nowadays among all races that live in big cities such as New York or Paris and etc. Also, depiction of how race might be sign of belonging to specific class was interesting topic. Most importantly what frustrates me most in the story is how racial difference is troubling or forcing characters act in specific ways. By that I mean how Clare went extra mile and even married a white bigot John Bellew

The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point for many African Americans. A vast amount of literature was created specifically for this group during this era. For the first time, African Americans were being told that it was okay to be proud of who they were. This new consciousness and self-awareness was prominent in many works of literature, but several writers began exploring the darker side of this movement with literature that concentrated on the negative aspects of race relations in America. Nella Larsen's novel Passing concentrates on this theme with the story of Clare, a tragic mulatto who "passes" as a white person. Not only is Passing representative of