Analysis Of Passing By Clare Kendry

740 Words2 Pages

Chris Rock once said, “Yeah, I love being famous. It 's almost like being white, y 'know?”, and after reading Passing by Nella Larsen, I see that the views of white people in the past are similar to today. In the book Clare Kendry passes as a white person and disowns her race to have an easy, more successful life than she would as a black person during the time. You can see how her views are similar to how most African American view white people today. Unlike Clare, Irene Redfield passes for white to get a taxi and get in to a fancy café, but she still owns and accepts her true race. That raised the question to me, which way is the best way? To me, you should always be yourself and make the world understand that we are all equal.
Before
The two contrasting life choice make for an interesting interpretation on how black people view class status of race in America during that time. I feel like Clare represents the black people who feel try to “act white” in order to have success. She abandoned everything, including her black pride, in order to achieve financial success. You are able to see that her husband explains why he calls her Nig, “Well you see, it’s like this. When we first married, she was as white as – as – well as a lily. But I declare she’s getting’ darker and darker. I tell her if she don’t look out, she’ll wake up one of these days and find she’s turned into a nigger” (pg. 67). The disrespect she takes from him in order to be financially successful is tragic, but it is very similar to what to what black people go through today. She just takes it to a whole new level. I understand that people thought she was black and it was a different time so it is understandable that what she went through. The problem is then, just like now, that people believe they have to change to be successful. That the only way to have financial success is to act, or in Clare’s case be whiter. That

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