Dignity, Respect, and Freedom

Authors

Lindsey Abercrombie, Portland State UniversityFollow

Subjects

Race, Passing, Nella Larsen's Passing, Nella Larsen, Queer, Queer Identity, Sexuality, Class

Abstract

This paper looks at Irene Redfield, a character from Nella Larsen's Passing, analyzing how dignity is prioritized above all else in her life. Viewing Irene through the lenses of race, sexuality, and class, this paper delves into the intricacies of Irene's mind, attempting to contextualize her by her overt and repressed desires. Passing is a nuanced novel with complicated characters. Many scholars have attempted to understand the symbolism Larsen has imbued the novel with, producing insightful works to challenge the reader's initial perceptions of the novel and the characters. Through taking a deep-dive into Irene's mind, readers can become more familiar with the important of race, sexuality, and class as Larsen viewed them at her time of writing the novel. This paper claims that dignity and respect are Irene's main motivations throughout Passing, and gives insight into the consequences this had for Irene as a character.

DOI

10.15760/anthos.2022.11.1.8

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/37834

Recommended Citation

Abercrombie, Lindsey (2022) "Dignity, Respect, and Freedom," Anthós: Vol. 11: Iss. 1, Article 9.
https://doi.org/10.15760/anthos.2022.11.1.8