Quote:
Originally Posted by CRussel
I'm really short of time today and tomorrow, so most of my comments will have to wait until the weekend. BUT, a couple of quick thoughts.
1.) This is ALL about race. The title alone tells us. And race in a way that I doubt anyone outside of the US can directly understand, and frankly, even those of us who are (or were, in my case) Americans but are northern WASPs, have only the most limited understanding of. "Passing for white" made you a pariah to both whites (if discovered) and blacks, leaving you isolated and alone.
2.) The least important thing is whether she jumped or was pushed.
3.) The longing for the culture, relationships, and community that can never be replaced, and for which her new life is no substitute, is central to the characters. A very early quote is completely telling: (emphasis mine, and the use of the word "pale" is appropriate and intentional)
More later, but I need to hit the road for a couple of days and can't check in until I get back.
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1. I don't agree that it was all about race. I think it was about pretense. Clare was passing in a racial way, but so was Irene in another way--Irene was pretending her life was all smooth and shiny, when it was full of cracks. And the husbands--Brian was living a life he hated but staying in it, and I suspect Jack, in nicknaming his wife Nig, had an idea that she was black but pretended otherwise--it didn't matter as long as no one knew. The facade became more important than the reality.
2. I think it is important. I don't see any foundation for Clare to suddenly commit suicide; she's a survivor and a bit of a chameleon and I can't see her doing it on the spur of the moment. What would be the point? But for Irene, there is a reason to eliminate Clare--once Jack knows who Clare is and rejects her, Clare will turn to Brian and destroy Irene's life, so there's one solution. Irene's thought of this before, and acts on impulse when the chance comes. The act restores Irene's normal life, or so she expects. She will go back to her pretend life.
Suicide or accident would be basically a deus ex machina ending and a real cop-out.
3. Maybe, but Irene's not getting much out of community, culture, and relationships. She hasn't denied her race, but she's not paying attention to racial tensions in society or anything outside of her own small, personal concerns. She's living in an upper-class world and doesn't show any concern about anyone not in her socioeconomic stratum. So isn't she just as isolated as Clare?