“Everything must be paid for.”
This is a line repeated twice, in which Clare is chided for the choice she’s made, and the second time Irene criticises her for not following the social rules
“Clare Kendry cared nothing for the race. She only belonged to it.”
Irene considers Clare’s duty to her race, Clare’s choice to pass contradicts everything Irene stands for, even though she will also pass throughout the novella
“She grew from this soil, and she would not be uprooted.”
In the final chapter, Irene admits that Clare and Brian are having an affair and decides to remain determined to ensure her own security. Irene refuses to move away from America and give up, despite the discrimination her family faces.
“Money’s awfully nice to have […] it’s even worth the price.”
In Chapter 2, Clare (or, Larsen) uses this moment to point out the potential benefits of passing, and that Clare is aware of what she’s losing.
“I nearly died of terror […] for fear that she might be dark.”
In Chapter 3, Clare and Gertrude share their joint fears of having darker-skinned children, as they’d want them to have as many advantages as possible in life (by being able to pass)
“Stepping always on the edge of danger. Always aware, but not drawing back or turning aside.”
Ch1 Irene’s first assessment of Clare to the reader, about her contradictory reckless and bravery
What is the name of Clare’s daughter?
Margery
How are John Bellew and Brian foils? (2)
- opposite anger at race relations in America
- looking for external success in South America
How does the Drayton Hotel complicate Irene? (2)
- moral/ethical nuance as Irene passes
- acts as a physical representation of white privilege
How does the teacup foreshadow Clare’s death? (3)
- the fragile white cup breaks as Irene discovers Clare’s threat
- Irene tells Hugh it belonged to one of Brian’s ancestors under the Confederacy
- Irene found the only solution to free herself of the teacup was to break it
What does Irene say about passing in part 2?
“We disapprove of it but at the same time we condone it”
What word does Irene state best suits Clare?
Catlike
When was Passing written?
1929
What does Clare think is needed to pass in Part 1?
“All it takes is a little nerve”
“Death by misadventure”
Final line of Passing, the conclusion of Clare’s death - she herself was responsible
Where is the epigraph of Passing from?
‘Heritage’ by Countee Cullen
“What is Africa to me?”
