When first reading Nella Larson’s Passing (1929) the piece can seem to be about the conflicted emotions of light-skinned black women who pass for being white when in the presence of majority-white people. Taking a deeper look into the text you can see that the relationship between Irene and her friend Clare there is more… Continue reading Sexuality Hidden In Plain Sight
Within the Black community, there are interconnected social struggles or forms of discrimination known as intersectionality. Although this is a new term, intersectionality has been an issue in the Black community since the Harlem Renaissance. According to Kimberle Crenshaw, creator of the term, intersectionality acknowledges the unique experiences of discrimination and privilege people go through.… Continue reading Intersectionality in Harlem
There has been a similar focus throughout the readings about the act of gazing. Many instances of protagonists actively engaging in looking at the subject of their interest, that focus usually being applied toward another person. The gaze is often synonymous with want, longing, yearning for something. In a number of the texts we have… Continue reading Beyond The Gaze
Looking through these texts such as “Passing” in 1929 written by Nella Larson, gazing or looking at “the other” is central. Although when it comes to gazing it is shown in a different variety of ways. Two of the ways I would like to speak on and emphasize on are colorism and passing and how… Continue reading Gazing on Colorism and Passing
Across these texts, gazing or looking at “the other” is central. The gaze is represented in passing in different ways but I want to focus on passing/colorism and how it is shown in the readings. Passing (in contest of Harlem Renaissance) Typically involves a person of Black/African American descent appears to be white claiming to… Continue reading blog 5 title: TBA
The novel, Passing by Nella Larsen, has many themes and dynamics that occur between its flawed characters. Although they are married, Irene and Brian don’t exactly operate with a sense of partnership. Who is Brian to Irene? What are their dynamics? The novel reveals Irene’s thoughts and perceptions of her husband through their dialogue. The… Continue reading ‘Passing’ On True Desires for False Security Final Draft
In Harlem Renaissance literature the gaze is a common trope used to represent feelings of longing and desire. Subjects glance at the foreign or unknown “other”, visually captivated by the things that are different from them. In the eyes of Black characters however, this gaze takes on a more complicated and sometimes even devious meaning.… Continue reading The Wary Gaze: Looking at the “Exotic” and/or Dangerous — Blog Post 5 (Final)
Nella Larsen’s Passing (1929) is an insightful piece of literature on racial tension, colorism, and intracommunity struggles. But just beneath the surface, it can just as easily be read as a story about queer desire. Reading between the lines, protagonist Irene, and several other characters, may indeed be passing–not for white, but for straight. It… Continue reading Close Encounters of the Same Kind (FINAL)
The novel, Passing by Nella Larsen, has many themes and dynamics that occur between its flawed characters. Although they are married, Irene and Brian don’t exactly operate with a sense of partnership. Who is Brian to Irene? What are their dynamics? The novel reveals Irene’s thoughts and perceptions of her husband through their dialogue. The… Continue reading ‘Passing’ On True Desires for False Security Draft 1
The novel Passing reveals that Brian was forced to be a doctor because of Irene. Brian reveals he doesn’t like sick people in the novel similarly to the way he revealed his dislike for the sick in the movie. “I hate sick people, and they’re stupid meddling families, as smelly, dirty rooms…” Brain expressed on… Continue reading Brian Vs. Irene: In Class Blog Passing (4/12)