In Nella Larsen's Passing, we are privy to Irene Redfield's commentary on her encounters with Clare Kendry. Irene presents herself as a wealthy, well educated, sophisticated woman and a respected member of the Harlem community. Conversely, she describes Clare as traitor to her people (the Harlem society) and socially undesirable due to the fact that she passes as white and marries a white man. Although Irene expresses great contempt for Clare, she also possesses a …showed first 75 words of 950 total…

…showed last 75 words of 950 total…She uses the setting of Harlem and the racial concerns, not as ends in themselves, but as catalysts through which she exposes the underlying themes of sexual identity and desire. Indeed, just as Clare must 'pass' as white, Irene must 'pass' as a heterosexual woman. If we analyze Larsen's Passing without first seeking its sexual aspects and rely solely on racial issues to discern its meaning, then an important aspect of the novel remains unexplored.