Passing by Nella Larsen

Passing

Penguin Classics

Nella Larsen

Generally regarded as Nella Larsen’s best work, Passing was first published in 1929 but has received a lot of renewed attention because of its close examination of racial and sexual ambiguities. It has achieved canonical status in many American universities. Clare Kendry is living on the edge. Light-skinned, elegant, and ambitious, she is married to a racist white man unaware of her African American heritage, and has severed all ties to her past after deciding to ‘pass’ as a white woman. Clare’s childhood friend, Irene Redfield, just as light-skinned, has chosen to remain within the African American community, and is simultaneously allured and repelled by Clare’s risky decision to engage in racial masquerade for personal and societal gain. After frequenting African American-centric gatherings together in Harlem, Clare’s interest in Irene turns into a homoerotic longing for Irene’s black identity that she abandoned and can never embrace again, and she is forced to grapple with her decision to pass for white in a way that is both tragic and telling.

Check for it on:


Details

ISBN 9780142437278
Genre Black Interest; Fiction
Copyright Date 1929
Publication Date 04-Feb-03
Publisher Penguin Classics
Editor Thadious M. Davis
Format Paperback
No. of Pages 160
Notes Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Thadious M. Davis. Look for multiple editions, covers, etc.
Language English
Rating NotRated
Editor Thadious M. Davis
Subject African American Women; New York (N.Y.); Passing (Identity); Psychological Fiction; Race Relations
BookID 15509

Author: LFWBooks