Nella Larsen's Passing

Nella Larsen’s Passing, published during the Harlem Renaissance, attempts to demonstrate the role that racial passing plays in society. The novel revolves around Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, whose fair complexions present them the opportunity to pass as white. However, as society progresses, the ways that Clare and Irene pass are no longer relevant or necessary. Societal norms no longer warrant a full transition into whiteness, as Clare does in the novel. Despite this change, many still feel the need to emphasize their light skin in order to gain societal and economical advantages. Clare shares this motivation with many contemporary people. Although the ways in which people try to pass for another culture have changed since the publication

During the time of Passing’s publication, many people of color felt the need to pass as white for social and economic benefits. There is a clear need for passing because of huge societal differences between black and white people. Kennedy discusses the distinct present day races that America has: “The classic racial passer in the United States has been the ‘white Negro:’ the individual whose physical appearance allows him to present himself as ‘white’ but whose ‘black’ lineage (typically only a very partial black lineage) makes him a Negro according to dominant racial rules” (Kennedy 1). In America, one is either white or black. There is no middle ground. The label that one receives from society has a huge effect on one’s daily life. Whiteness comes with privilege and opportunity. This is a huge motivating factor behind passing. The benefits of being white or appearing to be white have not changed since Passing was released. Juanita Ellsworth writes in 1929: “That is to say, a light-skinned Negro is surprised on occasion to find himself or herself accepted as a white person. If the new recognition is allowed to stand, economic opportunity and a new status result. The economic

Racial tension during the 1920s was at a high. Many African Americans faced harsh racism and often could not have economic or social opportunities because of this. This is why many felt the need to “pass;” however, if one wanted to have these benefits, free from fear of being caught, one would need to totally erase their blackness. During the 1920s, Emilie Hahn researched about how many people were actually passing. She estimated that in 1929, “People has estimated that bout [sic] 5,000 people a year decide to drop all claim to Negro blood and enter the world of the white man” (Hahn 119). The reason that one would need to “drop all claim to Negro blood” is because if it was discovered that one had any black ancestral history, one would immediately be labeled as black, and thus would face harsh racism, even if one looked white. So, this led many people who were once classified as black, to disappear from records. Hahn explains this occurrence; “The only way of arriving at any estimate is to watch the discrepancy in the number of light skinned Negroes that have been born and accounted for up to the time of their disappearance, and the number of those who are actually there to be counted” (Hahn 119). She refers to passing, as a “disappearance.” In order to be perceived as white, there needed to be a full fledged transformation of