While reading “passing” by Nella Larsen it makes you think about the different themes associated with the subject. For example, race, class, sexuality and Identity. It was centered around two females, Clare and Irene and as both of them tried to pass as whites they did it in different ways. The article I chose to talk about is “Nella Larsen’s ‘Passing’ and the fading subject” by Neil Sullivan and he analyzes different angles of the story.
In the article he talks about how Clare and Irene loves Recognition, as much as how different they are in terms of their passing. Clare’s recognition is through men, she loves the attention of men, alongside her husband. Irene’s recognition is through her identity, her white values and to obtain white privileges.
The article also highlights the relationship between Clare and her husband Bellew. Bellew is a character that hated blacks, being unaware that his own wife was black and passing. When he finally found out about his wife background he was furious and called Clare a nigger. Sullivan placed emphasis on the fact that because Bellew said that there will never be a black in his family was the reason why Clare fell and died at the ending of passing, ultimately making that statement true.
Abbygail Williams 