That was a Shocker

Shocked and angry are the two best words to describe my state of mind after finishing Passing. Reading each chapter carefully, I thought I had guessed each move Irene or Clare would take. But I was wrong. Never would I have imagined that Irene would do something as irrational as killing Clare. However, Clare wasn't the nicest, sweetest character either. Actually, I developed a love-hate relationship with both characters. At times, I couldn't decide which one I liked or hated more. Irene, completely self-absorbed, keeps her husband from Brazil so she can continue to feed her materialistic desires. To her, everything revolves around appearance. On the other hand, though, Irene at least gave the impression that she was concerned with the well-being of her children and she somewhat attempted to form a genuine friendship with Clare. She didn't want to socialize with Clare at first, but then the two seemed to click, which is one reason why I then began to despise Clare. She, too, cared most about outward appearance. She even went as far to lie to her husband about her race just so she could experience everything at the level of the wealthy. She "passed" over to the white race so she wouldn't be mistreated for her "negro" background. When she came to the realization that she truly wasn't happy living in white society, Clare maliciously flirted with married men, and, I believe, had an affair with Irene's husband. Clare knew she was beautiful, and she flaunted it. Although, like stated before, this negative aspect cannot only be attributed to Clare. Both Irene and Clare cared too much about the way they looked and how other people may perceive them. Other than this personality trait, readers didn't know much about these characters. Larsen didn't describe Irene or Clare on a deeper level, which explains the limited personality of both women and why, at times, I couldn't stand either one.