Nella Larsen's Passing

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In Nella Larsen’s Passing, the final scene of Part Two: Re-Encounter highlights Clare’s confession of her selfish nature and Irene’s ignorance of her own flaws, emphasizing the introspective view that both causes suffering for Clare and allows her to remain more perceptive of her own actions and their consequences. As Clare asserts that “children aren’t everything,” the work identifies her self-satisfying nature that positions herself above even her family, implicitly illustrating her newfound love for the African-American community in New York and her fierce determination to preserve her new life (Larsen 64). As the quote initially characterizes Clare’s self-serving aspect, it also remains reminiscent of Edna’s mindset in The Awakening, as her comment that “[she] wouldn’t give [her]self” for her children …show more content…

Clare further extends her self-reflection as she comments on her terrible nature, confessing to Irene that, in order to satisfy her own desires, she would “do anything, hurt anybody, throw away anything,” portraying her harshly selfish mindset that causes inherent danger to those around her (Larsen 65). This depth in understanding herself characterizes Clare’s rule over her life, as Clare makes all of her decisions based on her own desires and wants, contrasting with Irene, who desires control in her own life and maintains a semblance of it, but cannot truly achieve full authority due to her deference to a need for stability. Additionally, the novel identifies this factor from Irene’s perspective, as she describes Clare’s countenance as one that had “a beseeching earnestness that made Irene vaguely uncomfortable” (Larsen

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