The Pros and Cons of Passing

    Passing, by Nella Larson, was an extremely insightful, well written book. It truly made me think about the racial barrier during the twentieth century. I had never realized that having an African American heritage would put a label of being black on someone, even if they appeared to be white. Clare Kendry looked white to anyone that didn't know her, but still felt ties to the black community, proving that race is more than just the color of your skin. Clare passed into the white community due to her need for social acceptance and the finer things in life; she knew she could not get all of what she wanted if she stayed involved with African Americans. The fact that she had to make this decision simply because of her heritage is awful, but I don't necessarily agree with that fact that she faked her identity for the majority of her life. Personally, I would rather be poor with my identity, then rich without it. Clearly, Clare Kendry did not feel the same way.
     On the other hand, Irene Redfield, who was also black but could pass as white, chose to stay in the African American community. She lived a life almost free of racial complications, but was not accepted into the white community; although, I don't feel as if she really felt the need to be. Irene was much more of an independent person than Clare. Irene centered herself around her children, while Clare focused only on herself. At the end of the book, Clare's death to me almost symbolized who made the right decision. You cannot lie to many people for most of your life and not expect consequences. However, Irene was still not left in a good situation. Her husband had been cheating on her with Clare, proving that, no matter what path you take in life, it's never going to be perfect.
   

Blinding Racism

     In Passing, the second meeting between Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, after going well at first despite Irene's reluctance, falls apart with the arrival of Clare's husband, John Bellew. Immediately, he walks in and greets his wife as "Nig", despite his unknowing of her African American heritage. Bellew does not seem to have any problems talking to Irene and Clare's other friend, even though he is extremely racist. He casually carries a conversation with the three of them, including expressing his racist ideals. Irene's blood boils, but she stays composed, though, I have no idea how. The entire time, John Bellew never even suspected that, in reality, he was talking to three African American women that were "passing" as white.
     John Bellew is a perfect example of how racism, or any extremely strong feeling for that matter, can blind someone. He sat talking to three black women who, if they were looked at close enough, could have been identified as a least a little negro but, knowing that he would only associate with whites, he doesn't even consider that these women were not white. He married Clare and, so, had been extremely close to her for years and had even had a daughter with her, never suspecting she was black. John Bellew never saw the little things that gave Clare away-her forehead that was just a hair too wide or her deep, brown, African American eyes. Bellew did notice one thing, though; he saw that Clare was getting darker with age, hence the nickname "Nig", but probably just brushed it off to too much sun. He couldn't even see that his own wife was part black due to his racism.
     Finally, when John Bellew discovered his wife and Irene at a negro party, he put two and two together. It took him catching Clare with many African Americans to realize that she, too, had a negro heritage. As he stormed towards her, I can only imagine the fear she felt. Although, I can't say that she didn't deserve it. She had been "passing" as white for years and had been lying to both her husband and her daughter. Honestly, that just is not fair to anyone. I have no idea how Clare lived with John's racism; however, in the end, it ended up costing her everything. Due to Clare's need to be involved with her black heritage she was sneaking around behind her husband's back and due to her want of the material things in life, she lied to her husband and passed as white. Whether she fainted, or someone pushed her out of the window that day, Clare Kendry died, in part due to her husband's blinding racism.

To Be Secure.

     "Security. Was it just a word? If not, then was it only by the sacrifice of other things, happiness, love, or some wild ecstasy that she had never known, that it could be obtained?...to her, security was the most important and desired thing in life" (Passing by Larson, 107). Towards the end of Passing, Irene Redfield questions her need for security. She has realized that her husband had been cheating on her with one of her friends, or more, acquaintances. In this part of the book, Irene battles between what she knows is true (that her husband is cheating on her) and what she wants to believe is true (that her husband is being faithful and she's just being paranoid). The latter leaves her secure and leaves her life in place which, I believe, is exactly what she wishes would happen.
     As I was reading this, I knew what she was feeling. I've been through the same dilemma in my head. Truly, it's the classic "should I stay or should I go?" argument that so many people have with themselves so often. Once you do the same thing for so long, it becomes hard to imagine life without it. You become secure and, honestly, who wants to loose their security? I know, as I realized that I had been cheated on in one relationship and my emotions had been essentially cast aside in another, that no matter how horrific the thing that your significant other did, it is still a hard decision to end the relationship. It's easy to be secure, and to stay secure. It's not easy to rip that security blanket off yourself and be left exposed and empty. To say the least, it's a huge change in any one's life.
     However, Irene Redfield did not leave her husband. She kept her mouth shut and continued in her daily life, though her happiness had essentially been taken from her. Even when she stared the woman that her husband had had an affair with right in the face, she kept her mouth shut. I know that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't have been able to do that. I would have had to say something and, whatever did happen to come out of my mouth, I'm sure it wouldn't be nice. The book ends with Clare Kendry, Irene's husband's mistress, falling or, possibly, being pushed out of a sixth story window. After Clare is gone, Irene still stands by her husband. I figure it must be because of her children; I would never be able to do that, but I also don't have children to take care of. The closest comparison I can make is if somebody tried to take my dog, Josie, from me. If it was between keeping her and staying, or losing her and leaving, I would have to consider everything down to the last detail. Most likely, I would stay, just like Irene. I suppose it just shows that everyone has priorities in their life and that these priorities truly define the path you take.