Passing, Nella Larsen

Question 1

Who is the author of the novel ‘Passing’?

Answer 1

Nella Larsen

Question 2

Fill in the blank: The two main characters in ‘Passing’ are Irene Redfield and ______.

Answer 2

Clare Kendry

Question 3

What year was ‘Passing’ published?

Answer 3

1929

Question 4

What is a central conflict in ‘Passing’?

Answer 4

The struggle between racial identity and societal expectations

Question 5

What does the act of ‘passing’ refer to in the context of the novel?

Answer 5

A person of one racial group presenting themselves as a member of another racial group

Question 6

Reflecting on the two main characters, how does Nella Larsen use the characters to explore the concept of race?

Answer 6

In Nella Larsen’s “Passing,” the two main characters are Irene Redfield, a prominent member of the Black elite in Harlem, and Clare Kendry, her childhood friend who is passing as white, and their reunion sparks a complex exploration of race, identity, and class

Through their interactions and choices regarding their racial identities and societal acceptance.

Question 7

What cultural context heavily influences the themes in ‘Passing’?

Answer 7

The Harlem Renaissance and Passing

The central character, Irene Redfield, is a member of the African American bourgeoisie that became increasingly fashionable and visible in New York during the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920s. Irene is married to a Black doctor and, prominent in Harlem society, dedicates her life to charitable and social causes. However, an meeting at a Chicago hotel with childhood friend Clare Kendry—who, having been raised by two alcoholic white aunts, has concealed her mixed parentage in order to assume a white identity—serves to reveal the insecurities and anxieties that lie beneath this seemingly complacent and comfortable life.

At its most obvious, the novel offers a satire of the mores, pretensions, and ambitions of the Harlem Renaissance.

Question 8

Describe Irene Redfield’s character?

Answer 8

The central character, Irene Redfield, is a member of the African American bourgeoisie that became increasingly fashionable and visible in New York during the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920s.

Irene is married to a Black doctor and, prominent in Harlem society, dedicates her life to charitable and social causes.

Question 9

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Answer 9