passing

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Sur name 1 Name of student Name of professor Name of Course Date Passing by Nella Larsen The literary device of ambiguity is used through Nella Larsen to create a story in which nothing is as it appears. Ambiguity in literature describes occasions or statements that lend themselves to several interpretations, confusing readers. Larsen skillfully uses this approach throughout her work to give the story greater depth and interest. The ambiguity is purposefully used to explore matters like ethnic identity, social expectations, and the complexity of human relationships rather than purely being a stylistic decision. (In Nella Larsen’s “Passing,” Whiteness Isn’t Just About Race) The novel's examination of racial disparities provides nuance to its indictment of society. Ambiguity in Character Relationships: By introducing uncertainty into Irene and Clare's interactions, Larsen blurs the difference between friendship and competition. Irene, for instance, never ultimately reaches her identity discovery, but she is eternally on the verge of it. This ambiguity heightens the excitement in the book and keeps the reader wondering. The connection between Irene and Clare is another instance of uncertainty. (MAGUIRE) Whether or not they have a romantic relationship or are buddies is unknown. This ambiguity heightens the exhilaration in the book and continues the reader's wandering. " Never, when she was alone, had they even remotely seemed to suspect that she was a Negro”(19 page). It highlights the performative

Sur name 2 nature of race in the case of "mulatto" or lighter-skinned Black individuals, whose biracial identification is mainly ignored, forcing such individuals to "choose" to operate one race or another. That is one of the first instances in which the reader sees Irene interact in "passing." The characters in the book cross racial boundaries as it examines racial ambiguity. Because of her capability to pass by for white, Clare challenges social norms and expectations and adds uncertainty to the conversation about racial identity. Using meteorological descriptions as a metaphor, Larsen connects atmospheric shifts to the character's psychological and emotional states. (Mays) This parallelism encourages readers to decipher the finer points of weather symbolism by purposefully including layers of ambiguity. The Final Scene: The culmination of ambiguity occurs in the final scene, where the unresolved tensions between Irene and Clare climax. Larsen leaves the readers with lingering questions, emphasizing the enduring nature of ambiguity throughout the narrative. First of all, Clare dies right away after telling Irene that she intends to divorce her husband and go again to being a white lady. Irene, who had hoped that Clare would stay with her husband and proceed to be a member of the black community, is upset by this news. Given the events in the story, Irene's response to Clare's announcement makes sense." Irene wasn't sorry. She was amazed, incredulous almost " (Larsen, pg 210). When Clare goes out with her husband, Brian, Irene feels uneasy. She believes Clare's preference to divorce her husband might ruin Irene's marriage since the two are too compatible. Everyone would have felt the loss of Clare because she was a community member. That is evident in the line, "a bove everything else she has wanted, had striven, to keep undisturbed the pleasant routine of her life. And now Clare Kendry had come into it and with her the menace of impermanence ." (Larsen page 187). This jealousy could have motivated Irene to murder Clare to take away everything; she felt her friend had that she did not.

Sur name 3 In the line, " She couldn't have Clare ... free ." (Larsen 209). It shows how Irene desperately desired to protect her marriage. Irene was deeply in debt and faced the prospect of losing her home. Finally, Irene is the one who finds Clare's body after she falls from the window, and she does not seem to be particularly upset by her friend's death. Irene had the opportunity to murder as she was the last person to see Clare alive. She claims that she left Clare's house at around 10 pm, but the police investigation revealed that Clare was killed between 11 pm and midnight. That means Irene had plenty of time to kill Clare and make it look like an accident. " Irene wasn't sorry. She was amazed, incredulous almost " (Larsen 117). Irene knew how to use a knife and was familiar with the layout of Clare's house. She also had access to the poison that was used to kill Clare. (LARSEN) Clare is depressed and has been for some time. Her unhappiness is evident in the quote: It's like an ache, a pain that never ceases . (Larsen 145). She struggles to cope with her failing marriage and her husband's infidelity, becoming increasingly isolated and depressed. She is always aware that she is living a lie and that her husband and friends would not accept her if they knew her true identity. She is also aware of the racism in the world and how difficult it would be for her to live as a black woman. The deliberate use of ambiguity with the aid of Nella Larsen in "Passing" enhances the book's richness and complexity and encourages readers to interact with the story in various ways. The reliable narrative holds that Irene pushed Clare out of the window. However, a vital examination of Irene's morality and character displays that she used to be unable to accomplish so. That is the case due to the fact Clare and Irene were anticipated to love and admire one another following the laws of the race from which they sprang, and after disobeying these expectations, Clare felt so guilty that she took her very own life.

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Sur name 4 References In Nella Larsen’s “Passing,” Whiteness Isn’t Just About Race . 16, JAN 2018. <https://electricliterature.com/in-nella-larsens-passing-whiteness-isnt-just-about-race/>. LARSEN, NELLA. Passing . NEW YORK & LONDON: ALFRED-A-KNOPF, 1928. MAGUIRE, VIVIAN. "PASSING, SEGREGATION, AND ASSIMILATION: HOW NELLA LARSEN CHANGED THE PASSING NOVEL." ( 2010): 103 pages. <https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/2530>. Mays, Kelly J. "CH. 23 | CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXTS: HARLEM RENAISSANCE." The Norton Introduction to Literature . SHORTER 13TH EDITION. New York, London: UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS, 2007. 1068 pg.

passing

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