Passing Sparknotes

Clare Kendy had no choice in denying her Black heritage, her hypocritical white Aunts did not want their neighbors to know that their niece was black and that their brother had mixed with the races. Therefore

Clare explains why she decided to leave her former African American identity for one of white privileges. However,

Passing is a novel created by Nella Larsen to create a noticeable resemblance of the past and the present. Within the novel, one can see the distinct differences and similarities of being an African-American in America then and now. Nella Larsen intended to show readers how African-Americans had to, and in some cases still have to, deny their own nationality and ethnicity to appeal to those of whites in America. Passing is the act of portraying oneself as a different ethnicity and completely taking on a new life role. Nella Larsen mentions how the two characters in the story, Irene and Clare, were passing as Caucasian women even though they were African-American.

The Hate u Give The Hate u Give, written by Angie Thomas is a book that explores themes of racism, hate, and grief. The book is titled this because it reflects the central theme of the overall story. The story follows a girl named Starr whose childhood friend is murdered in an act of police brutality. Following this, Starr begins to confront the hate within her community to try to take a stand against it.

The novel highlights the devastating impact of racial segregation on individuals and society, as Roxy and Chambers are forced to live as slaves despite their proximity to whiteness. The novel also highlights the complexity of identity and the ways in which societal norms shape an individual's sense of self. The exposure of Tom's true identity as a slave at the end of the story highlights the absurdity and injustice of the racial hierarchy of the time. Tom has been raised as a white person and has enjoyed all the privileges that come with that status, but the truth of his racial identity ultimately exposes him as a slave and a murderer. The exposure of Tom's true identity also underscores the devastating impact of racial segregation and discrimination on individuals and society.

Living an inauthentic life can be dangerous, and while it can be done to gain benefits, as African American women passing as white to gain benefits, it often has dire consequences. Nella Larsen's exploration of passing in Passing shows that living an inauthentic life can come with great risks, and can lead to a human tragedy. The consequences of living an inauthentic life are not only felt by Irene and Clare, but by those around them as well. As Irene and Clare are passing as white, they are causing confusion and chaos in the lives of their families and friends. Irene’s husband, Brian, is unaware of her racial identity and is perplexed by her behavior.

While reading one of Clare’s letters, the narrator doesn’t properly communicate the actual description of the message as it sends two different interpretations to the readers. Not to mention that the phone calls between Clare and Irene also fails to communicate both viewpoints as the narrator only mentions one side of the direct discourse. On that note, the direct and indirect discourses of their face to face conversation demonstrates two different conative discussions, giving us a better insight of their true characteristics. As the end approaches with a mysterious tragedy, we are to question Irene as her dialogue and interpretation ineffectively matches the reader’s perspective, due to her outlook bordering between accidental and intentional motives. With the characters and narrator using different methods of communication, such as the letters, phone calls, and in person conversations, it leads us to question their integrity and whether the discourse accurately represents the climactic fallouts of the

In some ways, Clare holds just as much value to Irene as the cigarette does, and Larsen shows this throughout the novel with Irene’s hostile attitude towards Clare, someone she sees as disposable, just like the cigarette. At this point in the book, Irene is mad, spiteful and finished with Clare, just like Irene finishes her cigarette. When Irene finishes her cigarette, she casts it aside mindlessly, as it's only a cigarette after all, you light it, smoke it, and discard it, just like how she wants to treat her friendship with clare. When told that it is dangerous to be by the window because she would catch cold, Irene walks away, without closing the window. Minutes later, Clare is standing by the window previously opened by Irene, when her racist asshole husband crashes the party, threatening and lunging towards her.

This clearly suggests that Clare is not capable of being fully part of a white or black society at the same time. Therefore, Clare’s way to cope with racism causes Irene to be jealous which creates conflict in their relationship. Secondly, there is conflict between Irene and Brian Redfield about they should raise their children. For example, Irene wants her children to not deal with racism in their childhood and on the contrary, Brian

She uses the words ‘died’, ‘terror’, ‘fear’, ‘dark’, ‘risk’, ‘strain’, and ‘hellish’; which are all words associated with danger or negativity. In contrast, Irene enjoys being a mother and always thinks about her children when making decisions. She feels motherhood is a strong life-long responsibility that can definitely be stressful, but is worth it in the long run. She feels such an obligation to her children that she puts their needs before hers. “Nor did she admit that all other plans, all other ways, she regarded as menaces, more or less

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a compelling and powerful story of survival, resilience, and redemption. The book follows the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete turned World War II prisoner of war, as he endures unimaginable hardship and suffering, but ultimately triumphs over adversity. The book opens with Louis' childhood, providing crucial background information that helps the reader understand his personality and character. Louis grew up in Torrance, California, and was often getting into trouble. However, he discovered his love for running and went on to become an Olympic athlete, participating in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Nitya Dharawat English 6A 1/23/23 Five Paragraph Essay Final Draft Striving for a Better Way of Life Breaking Through is an autobiography by Francisco Jimenez and is about his difficulties being an immigrant from Mexico. Francisco and his family decide to immigrate from Mexico to America so they can live a life without poverty. They have been doing their best to achieve a better life in America. Throughout the book they are struggling to earn enough money, find shelter, and learn English.

As you can see, “Her intense desire to escape the limitations imposed upon her by race and gender had blinded her to all other considerations”(Larson 95). For instance in this quote Clare has a strong motivation to overcome her limitations from her race and gender. However, this vigorous drive to gain advantages and privileges in society eagerly makes Clare overlook the significant consequences and idea of losing her cultural identity. Passing as white helps that person gain advantages and privileges in society that they could not reach before. Clare feels that her new life as passing opens her up to a new world, an example being, “It was, she thought, like being wafted upward on a magic carpet to an-other world, pleasant, quiet, and strangely remote from the sizzling one

Both Clare and Irene are black: Clare looks the part while Irene looks like she’s a mix of white ethnicities rather than black. Irene’s ability to pass is the way she looks like other races and uses this to allow her to get to the top

In the beginning, Irene criticizes Clare’s lack of loyalty to her race thus claiming: “No, Clare Kendry cared nothing for the race. She only belonged to it” (Larsen, 52). Irene struggles to comprehend the lack of allegiance Clare has to her race. When John makes a joke about her race, “It was hard to believe that even Clare Kendry would permit this ridiculing of her race by an outsider, though he chanced to be her husband” (Larsen, 39). It is intriguing that Clare does not use her white privilege to defend her race and challenge her husband’s hatred of the race.