Passing and Human Relationships
Passing and Human Relationships
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 the plight of the tragic mulatto, it is also a novel that explores the complexities of human relationships. As defined by critic Claudia Tate, a tragic mulatto is a "character who passes [as a white person] and then reveals pangs of anguish resulting from forsaking his or her black identity" (142). Clare Kendry 's life is a perfect example of the plight of the tragic mulatto. In Passing, Clare seems to have "one overriding urge: to return to the [African American] world she left" (Davis 98). Clare tells her friend Irene Redfield that "she can 't know how in this pale life of mine I am all the time seeing the bright pictures of that other that I once thought I was glad to be free of It 's like an ache, a pain that never ceases" (Larsen 145). She also realizes how much she wants to see African Americans, "to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh" (Larsen 200). Although Irene feels that there is "nothing sacrificial in Clare 's idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," it is apparent that Clare 's desire to return to her African American race is honest, even if the motives seem one-sided (Larsen 144). Irene considers Clare to be "selfish, cold and hard" (Larsen 144). Irene also feels that Clare does not have "even the
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 the plight of the tragic mulatto, it is also a novel that explores the complexities of human relationships. As defined by critic Claudia Tate, a tragic mulatto is a "character who passes [as a white person] and then reveals pangs of anguish resulting from forsaking his or her black identity" (142). Clare Kendry 's life is a perfect example of the plight of the tragic mulatto. In Passing, Clare seems to have "one overriding urge: to return to the [African American] world she left" (Davis 98). Clare tells her friend Irene Redfield that "she can 't know how in this pale life of mine I am all the time seeing the bright pictures of that other that I once thought I was glad to be free of It 's like an ache, a pain that never ceases" (Larsen 145). She also realizes how much she wants to see African Americans, "to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh" (Larsen 200). Although Irene feels that there is "nothing sacrificial in Clare 's idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," it is apparent that Clare 's desire to return to her African American race is honest, even if the motives seem one-sided (Larsen 144). Irene considers Clare to be "selfish, cold and hard" (Larsen 144). Irene also feels that Clare does not have "even the