tragedy of an African American woman‚ Clare Kendry‚ who tried to “pass” in the white American community. However‚ while she passes as white‚ she constantly seeks comfort from her friend Irene Redfield who is a representation of the African American community. Gradually‚ Clare has become the double image of Irene‚ due to the similarities of their ethnicity and the contrasting lives they lead. At the end of the story‚ Clare’s death is a result of the extreme burden on Irene’s shoulder due to the presence
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to a question of sexuality. Irene is sexually attracted to Clare and the allure of risk she brings with her. Clare’s attraction to Irene‚ however‚ is more driven by the desire to get the life she wants. Throughout the story Irene fights her attraction to risk‚ ultimately leading her to the realization that the only way for her to be safe and secure is by‚ literally‚ pushing away Clare. In Nella Larsen’s Passing the idea of a sexual attraction between Clare and Irene is an subtle but driving force
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dynamics of the friendship Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry share. Irene presents herself as a wealthy‚ well educated‚ sophisticated woman and a respected member of the Harlem community. She is married to a wealthy black doctor‚ has two children‚ and a perfect life. Nothing could mess that up. On the other hand‚ we learn about Clare Kendry through the eyes of Irene. Clare Kendry is the character who seems to stroll undisturbed back and forth across the color line. Irene describes Clare as traitor
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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
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The therapist in the following sessions helped Irene make the emotions in the unconscious mind conscious. This was done by interpreting those feelings in order to make sense of them. After going through those feelings the mind becomes conscious as everything starts to make sense for Irene and that sense this theory has been very helpful for Irene (Lin Travis 2013). One of the weaknesses of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it is not scientifically
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caused by Irene pushing her out of the window. Nella Larsen does not specify what exactly happened‚ but Irene pushing Clare out of the window seems like the most plausible one. I don’t know whether Larsen intentionally left the ending so abruptly but I just feel as if Irene was the one to kill Clare. Larsen makes this point clear through the phrasing she uses when describing the self-esteem destruction Irene undergoes once Clare has reinserted herself into Irene’s life‚ and the situations Irene finds
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Explain the importance of the concluding scene of Passing to our understanding of the novella. Your response should do more than argue Irene killed Clare‚ it should explain how this result is forshadowed in the text. In other Words‚ your essay should be able to answer the larger question concerning why Clare seemingly " has" to die. The novel " Passing" by Nella Larsen deals with an America in 1929. The " Golden Era"‚ " The twenties" were very famous in American history. It was the time of the
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novel that explores the idea of black women being able to pass as white. The main character Irene is often stuck in the dichotomy of action and inaction but often chooses not to follow through with what she wants. Irene encounters Claire (a friend from twelve years ago) and her white husband‚ John Bellow‚ at a party. In this encounter‚ she learned that John is a racist who thinks that Claire is a white woman. Irene is talking using very emotional and descriptive language‚ saying Claire‚ Gertrude and herself
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Oregon. Sheps death caused Irene and Nate to fall apart Bliss was too young to truly understand her brother being gone. The family moved back to Illinois‚ they continued their lives in a sort of trance‚ never discussing Shep or mentioning his name. Bliss was a forgotten child until she made her mother see that her life was bring wasted. Bliss went off to college defying the standards of her town. Irene struggled with living so she tried to take her own life‚ after this fail Irene decided that forgiveness
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attempts to compensate for her guilt by warning Irene about the affair that she is having with Irene’s husband. When Clare ties to warn Irene‚ Clare does it in the most ambiguous way and does not distinctly communicate anything. Clare tries to show Irene her dislike towards settling down with a family. When Irene reminds Clare to “think how glad you’ll be to see [Margery] after all this time‚” Clare states “children aren’t everything.” Clare intends for Irene to realize she does not care for settling
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