Nella Larsen's Passing

The act of choosing race has been a question lingering in the minds of people for the last century. Many men and women choose to identify, or pass as a race that is not really their own. Race is a very broad term, one that people identify themselves with, or one used to describe ethnic background. Although some people may see it fit to choose their race depending on the situation, race cannot be chosen. This paper will show with examples from Nella Larsen’s Passing that race cannot be chosen, no matter how hard one may try to perceive themselves as another race. Through the story of Irene and Clare, both women use passing as white to their advantage as well as disadvantage. Their storylines interlink with the fact that one cannot choose their

race. This choosing of race and the situations that follow ultimately lead to the death of Clare.
Nella Larsen’s Passing shows many viewpoints on passing as white.

Clare uses it to her advantage to marry a rich white man and has a mixed daughter as a result. After a while though, Clare has had enough of her white passing and decides to come back to her original race. Clare’s decisions do not bode well for her though, as her husband discovers her true racial identity. This discovery proves deadly for Clare, as she falls out of a window when he confront her. (Larsen 79). Clare’s decision to pass affected her entire life, not just her story arc with Irene. Her coming back to her roots after passing for so long shows that race cannot be chosen. Clare never felt white, she only used it for personal gain. Her real race called back to her, and made her miss her real heritage. “It was hard to believe that even Clare Kendry would permit this ridiculing of her race by an outsider”(Larsen 28). Even Irene is surprised to see her husband allow her race to be ridiculed, hinting that Clare most definitely identifies with her real

race.

Irene does not pass for the same exact reasons as Clare, but many of them overlap. Such as passing to get tea at a fancy place like the Drayton. This is a place that African Americans would not be welcome, but passing as white gives them access to it. (Larsen 10). Irene does not approve of Clare passing, even though she does it herself. Irene gets concerned that she will be discovered as black when Clare stares at her on the top of the Drayton. This angers her, thinking she will be thrown out if discovered. Irene’s greatest fear is to be exposed as black, so this encounter frightens her severely.(Larsen 10). Her fear of being discovered as black makes a bold statement to one trying to choose their race. This statement shows that even though Irene is in the moment passing for white, she in fact knows she is not. Everyone truly knows where their actual roots are from, as do Clare and Irene.
Walter White’s excerpt from Flight also shows that people do in fact know their true race and cannot choose it.

In this excerpt, the central character Mimi has a self realization and no longer wants to pass as white. Mimi has been passing as white up until the musical which she attends with her husband who is actually white. (White 260). The musical brings such strong feelings to Mimi that she begins to have visions about Africa, enslavement, and cotton picking. (White 261). It even brings tears to her eyes as she has the visions while watching the performance. Mimi then realizes that she knew who she was all along, an African American. From that moment onward, she no longer wanted to pass as white. Mimi knew in her heart that she was truly black, thus proving once again that choosing race is a fallacy. Mimi decides not to tell her husband of her true race after deliberating it. (White 262) This correlates with Clare also choosing to not tell her husband. Mimi and Clare can be viewed as very similar. Both miss their real culture and used passing for financial gain. They both eventually decide to return to their real roots. This essentially proves to themselves as well as others that that are not white. This further supports the statement that one cannot choose their

race.

In Countee Cullen’s “Two Who Crossed a Line”, the theme of returning to one’s roots is seen again. The poem encompasses stories of two people, a man and a woman, who decide to cross the line back into their own race. “Then we forgot her name, until one one day her shade came back” (Cullen 311). This sentence alludes to people forgetting who she was when she decided to pass. When she decided to return however, they remembered who she was. At the same time, the woman came to her own realization that she also knew who she was. “She slipped into her ancient past, and, no word asked, gave none” (Cullen 311). The woman’s passing seemed hesitant, as if she were not welcome back to her race. After crossing the line though, nobody commented on it and she did not have to defend herself returning. This can also be correlated to Clare’s desire to go back over the line to her own as well. The woman and Clare themselves chose to go back to her race, knowing all along that they were in fact just passing for white. This further proves that race is not a choice, it is who you are.

Further in Countee Cullen’s poem, the man who crosses the line is more bold. “He rode across (the line) like a cavalier, Spurs clicking hard and loud” (Cullen 312) This states his boldness to return, unlike the woman who was hesitant. “He swore by youth he was a buck, with savage oats to sow”(Cullen 312) This statement is the man swearing back to his youth that he is black and therefore has to show it. The man and woman both know who they truly are, and both cross the line back into their own race. The poem vehemently shows that both are not choosing their race, but going back to what they really are.

All of the supporting statements and facts of the above works all tie together to show that race is not chosen. One cannot choose their race, or essentially, who they are. Clare’s passing and return shows that even after gaining money and a family, she knew exactly who she was all along and longs to return to her real race and people. Mimi had a huge revelation as she was passing, and decided to go back to what she really was. The man and woman who crossed the line back into their own also knew who they were inside, and accepted it and returned to their roots. All of their stories point to one similar fact, which is going back to their race. In conclusion, race cannot be chosen. Race is who one is, and one cannot change themselves to be another, even if they are perceived to be another race.