"Queer Ideas": Sexuality, Race, and Repression in Nella Larsen's Passing 'a title. undoubtedly the thematic center of the text, Larsen's story also implicitly addresses the theme of sexual passage. This is most easily observed in Irene Redfield, who manages to "pass" as heterosexual while simultaneously harboring a desire for the enigmatic Clare Kendry. repressed erotic desire for Clare not only contextualizes the former's obsession with the latter, but also sheds light on the exact nature of Irene's troubled relationship with her husband, Brian. Additionally, such a reading provides another lens through which the reader can interpret Irene's questionable actions in. The finale of the short story. In response to critics who assert that queer reading and theorizing are little more than acts of ideological and political navel-gazing, I argue that examining Passing from a queer perspective does not undermine the seriousness of Larsen's account. The thematic implications of this perspective instead align with Passing's moral message. Ultimately, Larsen's work is a succinct treatise on the psychological dangers of repression and self-loathing. A queer reading does not confuse or take away from this message – it strengthens and enriches it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get the original essay Irene's infatuation with Clare is evident from their first meeting at the Drayton Hotel, the memory of which provokes " bright [flame] red spots in Irene Redfield's warm olive cheeks” (Larsen 11). This feeling is obviously mutual: in her letter to Irene, Clare remarks: "I [...] cannot help but want to be with you again, because I have never wanted anything previously ; and I wanted many things in my life. [….] It’s like a pain, a pain that never stops” (11). Irene's descriptions of Clare have a distinctly homoerotic tone. For Irene, Clare is a “lovely creature” (17) with “strange, languorous eyes” (16) and a smile that Irene considers “a shade too provocative” (15); later in the story, she employs a similar persona when she notes that Clare “was just a little too pretty” (70). This simmering sexual tension between Irene and Clare culminates in a scene full of subdued sensuality: “[while] looking at [Clare], Irene Redfield had a sudden inexplicable rush of affectionate feeling. She reached out, took both of Clare's hands in hers, and cried out with a sort of fear in her voice, "Dear God! But aren't you adorable, Clare!' » (65). Although Larsen never explicitly states that the relationship between these two women is homoerotic, one can infer from this textual evidence that the possibility of a romantic and sexual subtext would not be exaggerated. Far from distracting from Larsen's main narrative of gut racism. and self-loathing, reading Passing from a Queer adds an additional layer of complexity to Irene's already nuanced character. In the same way that Clare “passes” as white in part by marrying a white man, we can argue that Irene “passes” as heterosexual through her participation in a heteronormative, albeit sexless, marriage. A successful and acclaimed physician, prodigiously devoted to his profession, and also a total pushover, Brian is the perfect husband for Irene, who unconsciously seeks to maintain the illusion of heterosexual propriety and respectability without compromising her aversion to male intimacy. Larsen's narrator leaves little room for.

Essay / "Queer Ideas": Sexuality, Race, and Repression in Nella Larsen's Passing 'a title. undoubtedly the thematic center of the text, Larsen's story also implicitly addresses the theme of sexual passage. This is most easily observed in Irene Redfield, who manages to "pass" as heterosexual while simultaneously harboring a desire for the enigmatic Clare Kendry. repressed erotic desire for Clare not only contextualizes the former's obsession with the latter, but also sheds light on the exact nature of Irene's troubled relationship with her husband, Brian. Additionally, such a reading provides another lens through which the reader can interpret Irene's questionable actions in. The finale of the short story. In response to critics who assert that queer reading and theorizing are little more than acts of ideological and political navel-gazing, I argue that examining Passing from a queer perspective does not undermine the seriousness of Larsen's account. The thematic implications of this perspective instead align with Passing's moral message. Ultimately, Larsen's work is a succinct treatise on the psychological dangers of repression and self-loathing. A queer reading does not confuse or take away from this message – it strengthens and enriches it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get the original essay Irene's infatuation with Clare is evident from their first meeting at the Drayton Hotel, the memory of which provokes " bright [flame] red spots in Irene Redfield's warm olive cheeks” (Larsen 11). This feeling is obviously mutual: in her letter to Irene, Clare remarks: "I [...] cannot help but want to be with you again, because I have never wanted anything previously ; and I wanted many things in my life. [….] It’s like a pain, a pain that never stops” (11). Irene's descriptions of Clare have a distinctly homoerotic tone. For Irene, Clare is a “lovely creature” (17) with “strange, languorous eyes” (16) and a smile that Irene considers “a shade too provocative” (15); later in the story, she employs a similar persona when she notes that Clare “was just a little too pretty” (70). This simmering sexual tension between Irene and Clare culminates in a scene full of subdued sensuality: “[while] looking at [Clare], Irene Redfield had a sudden inexplicable rush of affectionate feeling. She reached out, took both of Clare's hands in hers, and cried out with a sort of fear in her voice, "Dear God! But aren't you adorable, Clare!' » (65). Although Larsen never explicitly states that the relationship between these two women is homoerotic, one can infer from this textual evidence that the possibility of a romantic and sexual subtext would not be exaggerated. Far from distracting from Larsen's main narrative of gut racism. and self-loathing, reading Passing from a Queer adds an additional layer of complexity to Irene's already nuanced character. In the same way that Clare “passes” as white in part by marrying a white man, we can argue that Irene “passes” as heterosexual through her participation in a heteronormative, albeit sexless, marriage. A successful and acclaimed physician, prodigiously devoted to his profession, and also a total pushover, Brian is the perfect husband for Irene, who unconsciously seeks to maintain the illusion of heterosexual propriety and respectability without compromising her aversion to male intimacy. Larsen's narrator leaves little room for.

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