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.
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