65 pages • 2 hours read
Nella LarsenPassing
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1929A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Part 3: FinaleChapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 3
Chapters 1–2 Summary
The third section begins at Christmas time, but Irene feels no seasonal joy. Clare is still in her life, and Brian is behaving erratically, even with the kids. Where he was once patient and balanced, he is now prone to angry outbursts. To Irene, it seems as if he is waiting for something, but she cannot fathom what he might be waiting for. One day, Irene returns home and crawls into bed, exhausted. She is having a tea party later, in Hugh’s honor, so she decides to nap for a little while. When she awakens, Brian is looking at her oddly, but he is soon his old self, which reassures her a bit. He tells Irene that Clare is downstairs, which angers Irene. She has specifically not invited Clare as Hugh will be in attendance and the two do not get along. Brian finally admits that he invited Clare, because she was sad to have been excluded. He reassured Clare that it must have been an oversight on Irene’s part, and tells her that she can attend. Irene objects to Clare’s presence, and Brian becomes defensive and caustic. His attitude irks Irene, and she suddenly realizes that his moodiness is tied to Clare; Brian is having an affair with Clare.
Burdened by the newfound knowledge that Brian and Clare are having an affair, Irene must attempt to behave normally throughout the tea party. She feels tired and old, and a few people comment on how sullen and withdrawn she is. Irene tries not to think about what might happen between her and Brian after the party, when everyone has left. At one point, when Irene notices Hugh looking oddly at something in the corner, she looks over to see Brian and Clare having a conversation together, with Brian laughing happily. Irene wonders if Hugh suspects the affair, as he looks disapprovingly at Clare. Irene drops a tea cup, creating a temporary distraction. Everyone soon goes back to what they are doing, however, and Irene is tempted to make a fuss so that people will pay attention to her for once. Hugh rushes over and tries to explain the cup away by saying he bumped into Irene. However, Irene is angered by what she sees as Hugh’s condescension. She does not want anyone to know that her husband and Clare are having an affair. She contradicts Hugh, and says that she broke the cup, and that she never truly cared for it.
In the second chapter, Irene considers ways to stop the affair that will leave her marriage intact. She wishes Clare would leave. Irene then realizes that the solution to her problem lies in Clare’s husband finding out that she is passing as white. She begins to daydream about John becoming so enraged that he might divorce Clare, or worse. In the end, however, Irene realizes that the allegiance she feels to Clare is stronger than her dislike of her.
Chapters 1–2 Analysis
The first two chapters of Part 3 represent a climax in Irene’s relationship with Clare. She finds herself in a sullen mood, partly as a result of Brian’s increasingly unpredictable behavior. Irene’s belief that she knows her husband is shaken. Along with Brian’s moods, Irene has to contend with Clare’s continued presence in her life and in her home. Brian gives himself away after inviting Clare to a party that Irene had intentionally excluded her from. The party is for Hugh, and the two do not get along. Brian takes issue with Hugh’s dislike of Clare, and in that instant, Irene suspects the affair. Brian’s body language confirms the fact for her: he withdraws from her like a guilty man expecting to be hit.
This discovery undermines Irene’s whole life and her perception of her marriage. She does not confront Brian about the affair; instead she attends the tea party, which is given in Hugh’s honor, and pretends that nothing is amiss. At the same time, she is distraught and, for one, she wants to be the center of attention, and for others to see that she has been wronged.
Hugh’s attempt to smooth over the incident with the cup is symbolic of Irene’s refusal to let others help her. Though Irene suspects Hugh knows about the affair, she does not want anyone to think she cannot handle things. This would make her feel even more vulnerable than she already does. Irene is also predominantly concerned with saving her marriage, although she does indulge in the fantasy of revealing Clare’s true identity to her husband. Irene would never think such horrid things if Clare had not threatened her marriage and Irene’s whole way of life. However, Irene knows that she cannot reveal Clare’s secret. Her decision to keep Clare’s secret in the face of Clare’s betrayal points to a key difference between the two women: Irene is not driven by selfish impulses in the same way that Clare is.
Chapters 3–4 Summary
In the third chapter, Irene is still thinking about how easy it would be to inform Jon Bellew of Clare’s true identity. One day, when she is out shopping with a black friend, Mrs. Felise Freeland, she runs into John Bellew. Though John recognizes Irene, he is surprised to see her with a black woman. He extends his hand to her, but Irene ignores him, causing more tension. She and Felise walk away, but Irene later realizes that she could easily have told John about Clare at that moment.
Irene returns home alone, and does not tell either Brian or Clare about her encounter with John Bellew. Irene is cheered to imagine that the chance encounter might settle things and get Clare out of her life. Her hopes are once again dashed, when Clare calls to say that she will be attending Felise’s party the next day. The following evening, Clare shows up while Irene is still dressing. At first, Irene tries to keep Clare close so that she does not have any time alone with Brian, but then realizes that she does not mind if Clare is with Brian, so long as Brian does not leave her for Clare. Also, Clare will be leaving for Europe soon enough. Irene again speaks to Clare about her responsibility to her family, particularly her daughter. If she is discovered to be passing, it could have a devastating affect her daughter. Clare admits that the only reason she is still with John is because of their daughter.
The three then leave for the party at the Freeland’s apartment. Irene observes how Brian and Clare interact with each other; the two talk with each other much of the night. Irene grows increasingly resentful: she wants nothing more than for Clare to be out her life, but she cannot risk Brian leaving her. Irene eventually realizes that not telling John Bellew about Clare was a good thing. If she had, it might have led to divorce, which, in turn, would have meant that Clare would be free to marry Brian if her left Irene. Irene opens a window for some fresh air, before being escorted away from the window by Mr. Freeland. At the same time, someone knocks at the door and demands to see Mr. Redfield. Irene realizes that the booming voice belongs to John Bellew, and is alarmed. John pushes past the Freelands and Brian, and marches into the room. He tells Clare that he knows she is black, using a racist word instead, and one that infuriates all the black guests. Felise warns John that he is the only white person in the room and that he should mind his tongue.
In the confusion that follows, Clare, who has retreated to the open window, suddenly disappears. Everyone gasps, and they all race downstairs to see what has become of Clare. Irene is the only one who stays behind. She had her hand on Clare as Clare fell, and wonders if she in fact pushed Clare, or if someone else, like John, did. Irene wonders how to explain her behavior to the others. She grabs Brian’s coat and descends the stairs. Irene briefly wonders if Clare might be mutilated from the fall, however, she is told that Clare died instantly. Brain is heartbroken, though Irene is the only one who knows why. Brian is convinced that John Bellew pushed Clare. No one suspects Irene might have done anything, to her relief. Another guest says that it was not Bellew, and that Clare just fell out of the window. Irene, however, is never free of guilt. Years after the event, she still does not allow herself to think about the specifics of what happened.
Chapters 3–4 Analysis
Irene’s prayers seem to be answered when she runs into John Bellew while shopping. She is shopping with a black friend, which might have provided a clue for John as to his wife’s identity. Though Irene ignores John, unable to get over the fact that he is such a racist, she thinks again about telling him about Clare, but eventually refrains. This reinforces the fact that, though she wants to be rid of Clare, she does not feel the need to harm Clare by exposing her to a racist like John. Irene does not tell Clare or Brian about the encounter, as she herself does not know what to make of it. Irene wonders, though, if John might realize that Clare is passing as a result of their meeting. Irene is conflicted, torn between her desire to be rid of Clare and her affection for her friend. Her complicated relationship to Clare is suggested by the fact that although she doesn’t want to expose Clare to harm by betraying her, she would not be entirely sorry if John discovered the truth of his wife’s identity.
Clare’s death is shrouded in confusion, particularly because the scene is described from Irene’s perspective and she may not be a reliable narrator. We learn that John Bellew has deduced his wife is black, and bursts into the party to confront her. Clare backs away from him, up against the open window. At the same time, Irene is beside herself, knowing that if John divorces or leaves Clare; her own marriage might be over. Irene strides over to Clare and places a hand on her, while John pushes forward. The next instant, Clare falls out the window.
Irene’s reaction suggests culpability on her part. She remembers that she had her hand on Clare, that she was upset about the affair and wanted Clare out of her life. She even says that, years later, she tries not to recall the specifics of that moment. Brian’s belief that John pushed Clare might stem from his love of Clare and hatred of John, especially as someone else in the group says that Clare was not pushed but fell. The novel’s ending suggests that there are different ways to look at an event. The reader sees what happened from different perspectives. The ending also seems to fulfill the premonitions that Irene has experienced since Clare first reappeared in her life. As the novel makes clear, Clare constantly took risks in the pursuit of her desires, it is even possible that she deliberately fell out of the window in the hope that her luck would hold a little longer and that she would escape the terrible situation in which she found herself.
