6. 1. Q: What is the purpose of Clare Kendry when she decides to keep
in touch with Irene Redfield?
2. Q: Why does Clare reach out to Irene after many years without
communication with each other?
3. Q: In Part 1, Chapter 3 of Passing by Nella Larsen, the
protagonist, Irene Redfield, and her childhood acquaintance,
Gertrude Martin, both half African American women having the
ability to pass as white, were invited by Clare Kendry, a passing
half African American woman and a common childhood
acquaintance, to meet Clare’s husband, John Bellew. Upon
introduction, it was immediately obvious that John holds a
disparaging and derogatory opinion of African Americans.
Why did Clare insist on inviting Irene and Gertrude to meet John,
knowing his blatant racism towards African Americans?
4. Q: Why does Clare insist on going to the Negro Ball when it could
put her in danger of others finding out that she is also a colored
person.
QHQ: PASSING: CLARE
7. 1. Q: Why was Irene so hesitant to keep in touch with Clare?
2. Q: Why doesn’t Irene tell Claire’s husband john the truth that
she’s not white? She have an opportunity to do so when she
passed him I’m the street.
3. Q: Is there a chance that Irene pushed Clare from the window due
to her anger at Clare?
4. Q: Is there a chance that is was John Bellew who did the push and
not Irene considering they were just as close to Clare and they
were near each other at the time of the push.
5. Q: When Irene thinks, “What would the others think? That Clare
had fallen? That she had deliberately leaned backward? Certainly
one or the other. Not-“ (Larsen, 1929), was she only concerned
with whether people would think she pushed Clare out the window
or whether they caught her pushing Clare out of the window?
6. Q: Did Irene kill Clare only to keep Brian or to avenge Harlem
from Clare, who betrayed the African American community to live
a better life?
7. Q: Does Irene really care that Clare is dead?
QHQ: PASSING: IRENE
8. 1. Q: Given this time period, when is the right time to tell a
romantic partner the possibility of being partly black? Is it
worth the consequence?
2. Q: Is it worth it to pass as a white?
3. Q: Does Irene wish she could have “passed’?
QHQ: PASSING
9. Cheryl A. Wall suggests, even before the abrupt
ending, Larsen has failed to make her own intentions
clear. Because her attitudes toward Irene and Clare
can be so variously interpreted, it has been argued
that the book has two themes, passing and infidelity.
Alternatively, it has been suggested that Clare,
representing black female sexuality, is a sympathetic
character and the real protagonist of the novel. It has
even been suggested that the real subject of Passing
is the desire of Clare and Irene for each other.
PASSING IS OFTEN CALLED AMBIGUOUS
21. TONI MORRISON
1931-
Toni Morrison was born in Lorain
Ohio. She is the author of seven
novels, a play, and a work of
literary criticism. ‘‘Recititaf’’ is her
only published work of short
fiction. Since 1987 she has focused
mainly on writing but has also
taught classes at Yale and
Princeton Universities.
Morrison is one of the most loved
and respected writers of the late
twentieth century. Several of her
books have been bestsellers, and
she is the recipient of a number of
prestigious literary awards. In 1993
Morrison was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature, becoming the
first African American to win this
honor.
22. Read: Hughes:
"Who's Passing for
Who?” and Morrison:
“Recitatif.”
Post #7: QHQ "Who's
Passing for Who?" or
“Recitatif”
HOMEWORK
