Blog 3: Passing (part two)

          Brody’s critical analysis of Passing, focuses on the race and class issues presented in the novel. These two ideas play a major role in the story and Brody makes a solid argument that class and race play a major role in Irene’s decision to murder Clare (Brody does point out that it is not clear in the text whether Irene does murder Clare or not, however, she believes with her analysis it is a believable outcome). Some of the ideas that stuck out to me about Brody’s argument were her ideas about how strongly class can take a hold on a person, in this case, Irene. Brody states that Irene “sides with Clare’s white husband, John Bellew” (Brody 405). Irene is consistently concerned with Clare being found out, so much so, that she councils Clare not to go out with them anymore in case she is found out. Brody believes that this concern is not for Clare, but rather for all that Clare would lose. Brody believes that Clare has everything that Irene wants, and also “because she sees Clare as [John] does – as ‘Nig’”(Brody 405). 

            This view of Clare then leads Brody to believe that her murder was premeditated by Irene. While there were obvious references to Irene’s dislike of Clare, I did not predict murder in Clare’s future. Brody builds the argument that Irene had been planning Clare’s murder since she began to “objectify her” (Brody 405). Brody believes that Irene begins to no longer see Clare as a person, but as an “Other” and Irene must get rid of her (405). Brody believes one clue to Clare’s murder lies in the breaking of the teacup. Irene’s speech to Hugh after breaking the cup is filled with resentment to the heritage “which she can no longer bare” and “foreshadows Clare’s own broken body at the end of the text” (406). The teacup embodied a smaller idea of what was going on in Irene’s head. 

            Brody’s argument helped me to see this text in a new light. I did not catch all the clues to class and race that Brody points out. Her analysis of why Irene murdered Clare makes for a logical argument. I believed it had more to do with Clare and Brian’s involvement but perhaps it was both. There is a very important aspect of race and class in this novel and Brody’s argument helps to understand why the characters act they way they do at certain times. This analysis helped me to appreciate Nella Larsen in a new way.

Brody, Jennifer Devere. “Clare Kendry’s ‘True’ Colors: Race and Class Conflict in Nella Larson’s Passing”.  Carla Kaplan. Passing: Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2007. Print.