The Complexities of Human Relationships Explored in Nella Larsens Pass

A huge amount of literature was created exclusively for African Americans during Larsen’s time. For the first time, African Americans were being told that it was okay to be proud of who they were. This knowledge and self-awareness was important in many works of literature, but a number of writers began exploring the darker side of this group with literature that concentrated on the pessimistic aspects of race relations in America. Nella Larsen's novel, Passing, focuses on this idea with the story of Clare Kendry, a tragic mulatto who "passes" as a white person. Not only is Passing representative of the dilemma of the tragic mulatto, it is also a novel that explores the difficulties of human relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clare Kendry's life is a great example of the difficulty of the tragic mulatto. In Passing, Clare seems to have and urge to go back to the African American world she left. 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 a great deal how she wants to see African Americans, "to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh" (Larsen 200). Even though Irene feels that there is "nothing sacrificial in Clare's idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," (Larsen 144) it is obvious that Clare's wish to return to her African American race is sincere, even if the reasons seem unfair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irene believes Clare to be "selfish, cold and hard" (Larsen 144). Irene also feels that Clare does not have "even the slightest artistic or sociological interest in the race that some members of other races displayed. [She] cared nothing of the race, she only belonged to it" (Larsen 182). While there may be a little truth to this report, it does not lessen Clare's own pain at having to deny her African American legacy, and her longing to return to it. Irene isn’t being fair to Clare. She is not being the true friend that Clare needs. Irene represents a piece of society who feel that people who pass must have a ethically satisfactory reason to return to their African American roots such as a want to rebel against a white humanity that has forced them into the role of a white person. In my opinion, Clare’s desire to return to her ... ...ar just how Clare falls from the window after Jon discovers her dishonesty, just before the fall Irene reveals "that she couldn’t have Clare Kendry cast aside by Bellew...she couldn’t have her free" (Larsen 239). This tells that Irene is very likely accountable for Clare's death. Although the vagueness adjoining the incident prevents determining Irene's guilt beyond a practical disbelief, she seems to be the one character who benefits the most from Clare's death. In the end, the variations between Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield are overshadowed by their similarities revealing that their relationships are just as noteworthy as the subject of passing. Nella Larsen's Passing effectively deals with the troubles of the "tragic mulatto," and the complexities of human relationships. Her literary donation is important because of her capability to boldly handle a sensitive racial issue while also exploring the consequences of this issue on human relationships. It is obvious that Larsen included both the social and psychological characteristics of passing in her novel, and I believe that is what truly made the novel great. Works Cited Larsen, Nella. Passing. New York: Penguin, 1997.