Eng 63 Final
Sean Connors
Eng 63
Essay Q: 5
“Her quaking knees gave way under her. She moaned and sank down, moaned again. Through the great heaviness that submerged and drowned her she was dimly conscious of strong arms lifting her up. Then everything was dark.
Centuries after, she heard the strange man saying: “Death by misadventure, I’m inclined to believe. Let’s go up and have another look at that window.”
Upon a second reading of the novel Passing by Nella Larson, I have found undisputable evidence that Irene Redfield murdered Clare Kendry. Irene was mentally unstable from the beginning of the book. Her twisted interpretations of reality drove her to the point of being unhealthily obsessed with her husband, Brian, and ultimately to murdering Clare. Concrete evidence is given in the last paragraph of the novel, where Irene is sent to hell for the things she did. When re-read, Irene’s guilt is foreshadowed several times in the novel before arriving at the smoking gun that is the last paragraph. Starting on page 110, Irene is at the party where the final scene takes place. She is still arriving to the party and is offered a drink almost immediately. Irene says “Thanks. If I must take something, make it a glass of ginger-ale and three drops of scotch.” This implies that Irene has at least some alcohol in her system at the time of the incident; and this very likely could have contributed to clouding her judgement and, with inhibitions lowered as an effect of the alcohol, encouraged her to do something she normally wouldn’t have done otherwise. Further implicating Irene in Clares murder is when Irene is speaking with Felise and says “It seems dreadfully warm in here. Mind if I open this window?” It seems strange to me that no one else was complaining about the heat in the room, and it is too much of a coincidence that this turns out to be the window Clare falls from later on. Another quote that completely foreshadows the events about to take place is said by the narrator
Eng 63
Essay Q: 5
“Her quaking knees gave way under her. She moaned and sank down, moaned again. Through the great heaviness that submerged and drowned her she was dimly conscious of strong arms lifting her up. Then everything was dark.
Centuries after, she heard the strange man saying: “Death by misadventure, I’m inclined to believe. Let’s go up and have another look at that window.”
Upon a second reading of the novel Passing by Nella Larson, I have found undisputable evidence that Irene Redfield murdered Clare Kendry. Irene was mentally unstable from the beginning of the book. Her twisted interpretations of reality drove her to the point of being unhealthily obsessed with her husband, Brian, and ultimately to murdering Clare. Concrete evidence is given in the last paragraph of the novel, where Irene is sent to hell for the things she did. When re-read, Irene’s guilt is foreshadowed several times in the novel before arriving at the smoking gun that is the last paragraph. Starting on page 110, Irene is at the party where the final scene takes place. She is still arriving to the party and is offered a drink almost immediately. Irene says “Thanks. If I must take something, make it a glass of ginger-ale and three drops of scotch.” This implies that Irene has at least some alcohol in her system at the time of the incident; and this very likely could have contributed to clouding her judgement and, with inhibitions lowered as an effect of the alcohol, encouraged her to do something she normally wouldn’t have done otherwise. Further implicating Irene in Clares murder is when Irene is speaking with Felise and says “It seems dreadfully warm in here. Mind if I open this window?” It seems strange to me that no one else was complaining about the heat in the room, and it is too much of a coincidence that this turns out to be the window Clare falls from later on. Another quote that completely foreshadows the events about to take place is said by the narrator