Irene Redfield, our main character, runs into an old friend, Clare Kendry who is now living her life as a white woman. Pretty soon, Clare’s secret and presence becomes entangled in that of Irene’s seemingly picture-perfect life.

The themes explored about a light-skinned Black person passing for white have endured until this very day. It digs deep into why anyone would want to pass for white, the dangers of doing so and the thrill of deception. The character of Clare Kendry is lovable, daring, infuriating and playful. She’s a very interesting person who is addicted to danger and having everything she wants. For her, passing is about getting her hands on everything she’s ever wanted and never running into the barriers or limits imposed by racial identity. Irene is her polar opposite. She doesn’t want to pass for white but is intrigued by Clare’s lifestyle and lack of sense of danger. Irene is a woman burdened by race, who wants the best for her family and only desires security rather than the thrill of deception. I found both women to be incredibly fascinating as each other’s “mirror images” and found their characters shed a lot of light on racial identity and some of its burdens. Also the introduction by Britt Bennett in this edition is incredibly insightful and a must-read once you’ve finished reading the book. I understand now how The Vanishing Half was inspired by Passing, despite how different those two books are. 

Does anyone have an opinion on whether Irene pushed Clare or whether Clare jumped? And how did NOBODY notice what really happened?! Ahhh what a fantastic ambiguous ending.

 

Loved it. Thoughts?