In today’s society one of the occasions where passing is recognized is that of a homosexual person passing for a heterosexual. Amid the Harlem Renaissance racial passing was significantly more prevalent; African Americans with lighter complexions passed for white on the grounds that throughout a period of racial isolation life as a white individual was much simpler than uncovering an African American character. The foundation of passing can be credited to racism and its furtherance is attributed to the prejudice against misogyny, sexism, ethnocentrism etc. A famous literary account of passing is Nella Larsen’s novel Passing; in this novel she reveals that passing is more than just a racial conflict and that it is about social status and identity. …show more content…
It is difficult to give the term passing one concrete definition. The idea itself is easy to grasp but it’s no easy task to comprehend why anyone would choose to reject who they are to be part of a community they know nothing about. When addressing the phrase ‘passing,’ the idea that is most related to it is race meaning passing for the sake of social or financial reasons. When passing, people choose to do so to become something they’ve never been in order to achieve something they believe they could not achieve on the basis of their ancestry. But physicality determines the limits of passing so when passing there is present a portion of authenticity but it is used to reach cultural dominance. Passing is repressing one’s identity in order to be part of what complies with social norms. This is seen throughout Larsen’s Passing; it shows characters who pass. In Larsen’s Passing the main character, Irene Redfield, runs into a childhood friend, Clare Kendry, with whom she had lost contact for a few years.
After spending some time catching up with Clare, Irene realizes that Clare is passing for white completely and is married to a white man. As perceived by Irene, Clare has abandoned her African American origins. Clare then invites Irene over for a drink of tea. Another childhood friend of theirs known as Gertrude is present at this get-together and is also passing off as white. John enters the room believing that he is entering a room full with white women and says “Hello, Nig” (28) to his wife which makes Irene feel uncomfortable due to the fact that she perceives it as an insult but then she soon learns that he is just unaware to the fact that his wife is African American. Clare then proceeds to ask John in a playful tone, “What difference would it make if, after all these years, you were to find out that I was one or two percent colored?” What Bellew says to Clare makes how he feels very apparent, “I know you’re no nigger, so it’s all right. You can get as black as you please as far as I’m concerned, since I know you’re no nigger. I draw the line at that. No niggers in my family. Never have been and never will be” (29). Passing can be a dangerous thing to do even more so for Clare because she is putting her way of life at stake. After this evening Clare puts herself in a risky position by wanting to spend more time in the black community with
Irene. The idea of a reversal or opposite of passing is brought to light in the conversation that Irene has with Hugh Wentworth at the N.W.L Dance. In this conversation Irene says, “It’s easy for a Negro to ‘pass’ for white. But I don’t think it would be so simple for a white person to ‘pass’ for colored” and Hugh’s reply was, “Never thought of that” (61-62). This section reveals that there is a significant difference between Whites and African Americans; it is shown that African Americans have a higher capability for changing and adapting and so it’s easier for them to pass with more ease and without detection. So this brings up the idea of why a person of white descent wouldn’t pass: they would have immense difficulty and they don’t have reason to as they are part of the society that is favorable.
Post-emancipation life was just as bad for the people of “mixed blood” because they were more black than white, but not accepted by whites. In the story those with mixed blood often grouped together in societies, in hopes to raise their social standards so that there were more opportunities for...
“A Spectacle in Color: The Lesbian and Gay Subculture of Jazz Age Harlem” by Eric Garber discusses how the Great Migration to Harlem was not only significant for blacks but for gays and lesbians as well. Garber argues that Harlem’s gay subculture was at its peak in the 1920’s and declined to shell of its previous self after the Stock Market crash in 1929. He goes on to discuss how in black communities, specifically Harlem, there were troubles of segregation, racism, and economic despair, but that being gay in Harlem added new troubles.
The novel The Garies and their Friends is a realistic examination of the complex psychology of blacks who try to assimilate through miscegenation and crossing the color barrier by “passing as white.” Frank J. Webb critiques why blacks cannot pass as being white through the characters Mr. Winston and Clarence Jr.
Florence is in her headquarters at the hospital, she works at. She is writing a letter to a patient's mother. When all of a sudden, Mary, a fellow nurse, walks in. Mary and Florence talk about how nice it is to work with each other and how happy Mary is here. Mary quotes, “ I’m glad I’m here with you Miss Nightengale. Good Night.” at the end of their discussion.Also, they talk about how both of their families don’t really want them there. They talk for a little and Florence seems very at home and happy. Later, after Mary had left, two gentlemen come to talk to Florence. It is Dr. Goodale and Dr. Hall that have come to speak with her. After talking for a while they both leave and let Florence to her work. In the hospital, Florence seemed like an entire new person, she was much more
In the book, the readers see the wall between black and white people during the movement. An example is a reaction to Fern’s doll which is white, while Fern, however, is black. On pg.65, it reads, “‘Li’l Sis, are you a white girl or a black girl?’ Fern said, ‘I’m a colored girl.’ He didn’t like the sound of a colored girl,’ He said, ‘Black girl.’ Fern said, ‘Colored.’ ‘Black girl.”
The work, the Souls of Black Folk explains the problem of color-line in the twentieth century. Examining the time following the civil war the author, W.E.B. Dubois, explains the African American experience of living behind the “veil”. To fully explain the experience of living behind the veil, he provides the reader with situations that a black race experiences in reconstruction. This allowed the readers to metaphorically step into the veil with him. He accomplishes this with the use of “songs of sorrow” with were at the beginning of each chapter, and with the use of anecdotes.
Life on the Color Line is a powerful tale of a young man's struggle to reach adulthood, written by Gregory Howard Williams - one that emphasizes, by daily grapples with personal turmoil, the absurdity of race as a social invention. Williams describes in heart wrenching detail the privations he and his brother endured when they were forced to remove themselves from a life of White privilege in Virginia to one where survival in Muncie, Indiana meant learning quickly the cold hard facts of being Black in skin that appeared to be White. This powerful memoir is a testament to the potential love and determination that can be exhibited despite being on the cusp of a nation's racial conflicts and confusions, one that lifts a young person above crushing social limitations and turns oppression into opportunity.
1) Double Consciousness- Double consciousness applies to how Clare Kendry views herself. She is trying to fit in to the white community by acting white and going along with her husband’s resentment of black people, but at the same time she wants to be a part of the black community again. He husband states “I don’t dislike them. I hate them. And so does Nig for all she is trying to turn into one” (page 69). This is possibly the best representation of Clare. She wants to be part of the black community, but she also acts like or really does hate that it is a part of her, which is why she has tried so hard to become white. She even at one point states “I do think that colored people- we- are too silly about things” (page 62) in reference to the fuss being made
Ethnic group is a settled mannerism for many people during their lives. Both Zora Neale Hurston, author of “How It Feels to Be Colored Me; and Brent Staples, author of “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space,” realize that their life will be influenced when they are black; however, they take it in pace and don’t reside on it. They grew up in different places which make their form differently; however, in the end, It does not matter to them as they both find ways to match the different sexes and still have productivity in their lives.. Hurston was raised in Eatonville, Florida, a quiet black town with only white passer-by from time-to-time, while Staples grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania, surrounded by gang activity from the beginning. Both Hurston and Staples share similar and contrasting views about the effect of the color of their
In the novel, Passing, Nella Larsen presents two women, Clare and Irene who originate from the black community; however still yearn for an assured identity for themselves. Clare and Irene are childhood friends who even though being part black, are able to pass as white folk. Irene continues to be part of the black community and is considered a black woman, however this is on a superficial level. When it comes to her advantage, Irene occasionally passes as white. Clare on the other hand passes as a white woman; her lifestyle changed completely as to white standards and in. Although both women are in a dilemma regarding their true racial identity, they both wish to live as both black and white. Throughout the book, both women attempt to achieve an integrated identity, however fail do to so. Their failure in attempting to live a life both as black suggests and supports the idea that a person can only have one race as either black or white, not both.
In 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man was anonymously published by James Weldon Johnson. It is the narrative of a light-skinned man wedged between two racial categories; the offspring of a white father and a black mother, The Ex-Colored man is visibly white but legally classified as black. Wedged between these two racial categories, the man chooses to “pass” to the white society. In Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are, Brooke Kroeger describes “passing” as an act when “people effectively present themselves as other than who they understand themselves to be” (Kroeger 7). The Ex-Colored Man’s choice to ultimately “pass” at the end of the novel has been the cause of controversy amongst readers. Many claim his choice to “pass” results from racial self-hatred or rejecting his race. Although this may be true, the main reason for his choice to “pass” is more intense. The narrator’s “passing” is an effort to place himself in a safe living environment, open himself up to greater opportunities and be adventurous and cynical in his success to fool the nation. It is because of his light skin that The Ex-Colored Man confidently knows the world will categorize him as white; thus cowardly disclaiming his black race without actually disclosing his decision.
When she first is confronted by the problem or race it hits her with a thump. Bob takes Alice to dinner where she states, “I don’t want feel like being refused” (55). Alice does what she can to avoid the face of racism. She lacks the integration within the different community, which gives her a one-path perspective. While going to the restaurant with Bob, he asks, “Scared because you haven’t got the white folks to cover you” (55)? She doesn’t have the protection of her friends or her parents to shy away from the truth of her being African American. She is hiding behind a mask because she’s passing as white. She’s accepting the assumption that she belongs to their culture. When she goes out, “with white folks the people think you’re white” (60). But, when she goes out with Bob there is nothing to hide behind. She’s confronted with the truth. Already feeling low about the restaurant, and getting pulled over by the cops, she uses her wealth to get out of the situation. She says, “I am a supervisor in the Los Angeles Welfare” (63). The power of her family shows that she be treated better by the cops and others in the
...s appealing it is not without consequence. Clare, and those who choose to pass, are not free to embrace their whole identity and will always remain a threat to those they come in contact. Clare exemplified the archetypal character of the tragic mulatto, as she bought tragedy to her own life and all those she came in contact. Clare’s presence forced Irene to contend with feelings of internalized racism, and thus feelings of inferiority. Through diction, tone, and imagery Larsen makes it luminous to readers that "passing" may seem glamorous, however, the sacrifice one makes to do so is not without consequences for themselves and those they care about. Larsen does not allow her readers to perch on the belief that once a member of the dominate group ones life is not without pain and suffering. Every action, even those that seem to make life easier, have consequences.
Ann Perkins, Jones’ character, is supposed to be an ethnically ambiguous person and in reality, Rashida is biracial (Glamour). Leslie Knope, the white protagonist of the series, frequently uses words like ‘exotic’, ‘tropical’, and ‘ethnically ambiguous’ when complimenting Ann. The ‘compliments’ also act as the only instances where race is spoken about in reference to Ann’s character. One would believe that Leslie’s constant complimenting of Ann is beneficial to viewers with a biracial identity, but there are some serious problems with Leslie’s behavior. There has been an historical and recent fascination with ‘mixed’ children. This fascination has crossed over into fetishizatoin of biracial or mixed children and people. Biracial people are seen less as people and more as a kind of spice that bell hooks mentions in her work “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance” (21). They are something that helps liven up the blandness of the pervasive white culture. Another harmful aspect of Ann’s depiction relates to her class. In Edison’s work, she notes that “biracial individuals living in a middle- and upper-class environments are more likely to be perceived as biracial (rather than black) than those living in working- and lower-class environments” and that “‘color blind’ portrayals of middle- and upper-class Black and biracial characters support the notion that race no longer matters (at least for middle- and upper-class people)” (Edison, 302; 304). Ann’s character is a successful college-educated nurse which is not problematic until one realizes that her race is never truly discussed. This feeds into the stereotype that race does not matter and that all people in the U.S. have the same opportunities. Again, the lack of racial representation leaves one character the duty of depicting a whole group of
Morrison provides the reader with a light-skinned black character whose racist attitudes affect the poorer, darker blacks in the community, especially the main characters, Claudia MacTeer and Pecola Breedlove. Maureen Peal comes from a rich black family and triggers admiration along with envy in every child at school, including Claudia. Although Maureen is light-skinned, she embodies everything that is considered "white," at least by Claudia's standards: "Patent leather shoes with buckles...fluffy sweaters the color of lemon drops tucked into skirts with pleats... brightly colored knee socks with white borders, a brown ...