Contemporaneous Views (AO5) Flashcards
What did Alice Dunbar-Nelson highlight in her review of Passing in The Washington Eagle (3rd May 1929)?
Critic: Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Key Excerpt: “You feel as you lay the book down that the real tale begins at the end; that there has been only a preface in the printed pages […] It is so surprising, so unexpected, so startling, so provocative of a whole flood of possibilities, so fraught with mystery.”
Essence: Dunbar-Nelson praised the novel’s deceptive depth, calling it a “masterpiece” with a shocking ending that transforms the story. She highlighted its universal appeal and “compact and terse” style, recommending it for group discussion.
What did W.E.B. Du Bois praise in his review ‘Passing in Crisis’ (July 1929)?
Critic: W.E.B. Du Bois
Key Excerpt: “It is a good close-knit story, moving along surely but with enough leisure to set out seven delicately limned characters […] [Larsen]** explains just what ‘passing’ is: the psychology of the thing; the reaction of it on friend and enemy.”**
Essence: Du Bois commended Larsen’s psychological exploration of passing, calling it “one of the finest novels of the year” and praising its “sincerity, simplicity, and charm.”
What did Mary True emphasize in her review of Passing in the Baltimore Evening Sun (15th June 1929)?
Critic: Mary True
Key Excerpt: “You are made vividly aware of the intellectual Negro temperament, of the barriers existing between blacks and whites and of the utter inability of either side to remove them.”
Essence: True highlighted the novel’s psychological depth and exploration of racial barriers, suggesting Larsen’s personal experience informed the conflicts depicted.
What did Mary Fleming Labaree admire about Passing in her review in Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life (August 1929)?
Critic: Mary Fleming Labaree
Key Excerpt: “I like ‘Passing’ for its calm clear handling of a theme which lends itself to murky melodrama. […] The tragedy is told with an economy of words, but its full import is unmistakable.”
Essence: Labaree admired Larsen’s restrained narrative style and the novel’s “urge to speak out,” contrasting it with more sensational works of the Harlem Renaissance.
What did M.L.H. focus on in their review of Passing in The Wilson Bulletin (December 1929)?
Critic: M.L.H.
Key Excerpt: “[T]he book contains, especially in its last half, an absorbing account of the inner life of a somewhat divided personality […] Irene’s experience seems to outtop the other events and steal the title of ‘main character’ away from Clare.”
Essence: M.L.H. focused on Irene’s psychological complexity, suggesting she overshadows Clare as the novel’s central figure.
