Characters
This childhood friend of Irene’s is described as beautiful, reckless, and "passing" completely for white, keeping her heritage a secret from her husband.
Who is Clare Kendry
The title of the book refers to this act, where a person of one racial group is accepted as a member of another.
What is "passing"?
The novel begins with Irene receiving a letter from Clare, but their actual reunion takes place on a rooftop restaurant in this city.
What is Chicago?
This object, which Clare ultimately falls through, represents a threshold between safety and danger, or life and death.
What is the window?
Passing was written by this author, a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance.
WHo is nella LArsenn?
The novel’s protagonist, she lives a comfortable middle-class life in Harlem and serves as the narrator, though her reliability is often questioned.
Who is Irene Redfield?
A major source of tension in the novel, Irene feels this intense emotion regarding Clare’s beauty and her suspected affair with Brian.
What is jealousy?
During a tea party, Irene and Gertrude are shocked when John Bellew enters and openly expresses his hatred for this group of people.
Who are Black Americans?
The "long envelope" Irene receives at the start of the book symbolizes this, Clare's intrusion into her life.
What is the letter?
The novel was first published in this year, just before the stock market crash that ended the Roaring Twenties.
What is 1929?
Irene’s husband, a doctor who dislikes his life in America and dreams of moving the family to Brazil to escape racism.
Who is Brian Redfield?
Irene values this concept above almost anything else, often prioritizing her comfortable lifestyle and domestic stability over excitement.
What is security / safety?
Just before the tragedy, Irene throws this object out the window, foreshadowing Clare’s fall.
What is a cigarette?
Irene drops and shatters this object in anger, symbolizing her desire to "break" Clare's hold on her life and family.
What is a teacup?
This actress stars as Irene in the 2021 film adaptation, but she is also widely known for playing Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Who is Tessa Thompson?
A famous white author who is friends with Irene. Attends the NWA benefit dance and discusses race with Irene.
Who is Hugh Montgomery?
"I'm not safe," is a warning given to Irene by this character.
Who is Clare Kendry?
In the final scene, the characters are attending a party at the apartment of this couple.
Who are the Freelands? (Dave and FElise
The oppressive summer weather and this physical sensation often mirror the rising tension and anger Irene feels throughout the story.
What is heat?
What year did Kate Middleton and Prince William get married?
What is 2011?
Another childhood friend of Irene and Clare, she also passes for white but is married to a white man who knows about her racial background
Who is Gertrude Martin?
"Children aren't everything,"
Who is Clare Kendry?
The climax of the novel occurs when this character suddenly appears at the Freelands' party, having discovered the truth about Clare.
Who is John Bellew?
This hotel in Chicago serves as a symbol of the "white world" where Irene and Clare first reunite while both are passing.
What is the Drayton?
In 2021, the novel was adapted into a black-and-white film directed by this actress.
Who is Rebecca hall?