Theme and Language in Passing by Nella Larsen

In this next part of my series, I’m posting material from my MFA program and this time we’re talking about the brilliant book Passing by Nella Larsen.

In Passing by Nella Larsen, she uses the theme of the title in the language and the interactions between the main characters to create a compelling theme throughout the story. 

The first thing that stands out about this book is how Clare called Irene ‘Rene. It is the only appearance of African-American vernacular English in the text. It is an interesting choice not to have more black-coded language. This, however, has the effect of showing how each of the women is doing a certain amount of passing. Clare has to perform whiteness to keep her position with her openly racist husband, while Irene performs whiteness within the context of blackness as a choice. There is a dynamic of force and choice within the text to some degree. This leads to the second theme: Irene’s anger. 

The second thing to note in the text is how most of our time is spent in the head of Irene Redfield; the story is essentially about her, although it is Clare who suffers the ultimate tragedy in losing her father and finally acknowledging him. Most of the book is the narration about how Irene feels about things. Irene is angry at Clare. Thematically, it is about betrayal, but there are so many small slights along the way. Is it the choice of Irene or the forced performative whiteness of Clare that irks her so? They are two black women who can travel in and out of white spaces. Irene has kept to her race with her husband and children but can appear in places like the Drayton.

Meanwhile, Clare has lied about her past and married someone openly racist. There is passing, and then there is passing. Irene appears to be bothered by a sense of the injustice of it all. “The trouble with Clare was that she wanted her cake and ate it too, but that she wanted to nibble at the cakes of others.” 

The third thing is about passing itself as a theme. The idea of being a negro capable of moving within a greater white society. The only reason this is a concept to consider is because of the racial politics of American culture. Set in the 1920s, society has very defined roles for people of color versus whites. Through an accident of birth, Clare and Irene can pass over the boundary separating them from white society. Irene can move back and forth, whereas Clare has chosen her side and does not move back and forth. As I stated before, this is the central tension. Still, no matter what happens in the book, both characters are reminded of their actions and how fundamental they are to their existence within greater American society. Through the lens of racial politics, we see the veracity of racism through these two women and how they use whiteness or don’t. Nella Larsen can use this to create the effect of the danger and absurdity of racial politics without saying so. It is something that the reader experiences through the lens of the characters. 

This book inspired me to take more time in my character’s thoughts and feelings. It also got me thinking about how to break my big themes down into manageable ideas that I can show through the story’s action. There is a certain feeling I want the reader to be left with, and I’m now looking at my pages with an eye for moments when I can create situations and scenarios that make those feelings and reinforce my themes.