Characteristic of Passing by Nella Larsen - Essay Example

Passing by Nella Larsen Literatures are artistic creations and cultural portrayals that use to either criticize or represent their respective societies. Nella Larsen embodies this in her novel, Passing as she addresses specific thematic issues that affect the American society at the time. The author’s success in representing and criticizing the society is her ability to use numerous literary techniques and devices in composing the novel. The author uses numerous literary devices strategically thus succeeding in developing appropriate themes, settings and characters thereby enhancing her message. The selection and the portrayal of the thematic issues in the novel just as is the case with many other types of literature relies on the selection of the literary elements as the below analysis of Passing portrays. Key among the literary elements is the use of first person narration in the novel. A voice is always essential in a novel since the author adopts a particular voice in conveying his or her message through the plot. In the Passing, the author adopts the first person narration technique. The author narrates the story through the experiences of the lead character, Irene Redfield. Living in the Harlem area of New York, Irene Redfield is a mixed race woman who strives to integrate in the racial discriminate American society at the time. The story in the novel thus recounts he life and experiences of Irene Redfield and her numerous white and African American friends as they face numerous challenges. The action in the novel opens up with Irene receiving a letter from her long lost friend, Clare Kendry. The letter reminds her of their times together and the experiences they had in the city. The author of the novel therefore stylistically transfers her audience back into the history of the characters through a literary device known as flash back. Irene remembers her relationship with Clare the two women are both of mixed ancestry. They therefore underwent similar treatments by the society. Their passionate friendship broke soon after Clare’s father died since she went to live with her aunt in a different state. The separation implied that the two would grow up differently (Wall 101). As such, they became two different women a feature in the novel that validates the tension that Irene experiences once she receives the letter. The flashback is a strategic literary device that the author employs deliberately with the view of providing an adequate platform for comparison. Just as the name suggests and the plot of the novel portrays, the flashback takes back the reader to the past. The action in the novel just as explained earlier begins with Irene receive the letter. At such, it becomes difficult for an audience to understand the conflict. The author therefore takes the audience back in time through the literary device thus developing an adequate background for the conflict in the story. Through the flashback, she introduces both women among other characters in the novel. She also develops the conflict in the novel as she provides the traditional structure of the society. This way, she explains the discriminate structure of the society thus portraying the vulnerability of women of mixed ancestry in the society. The letter se receives makes her remember their lives back in time, "There had been, even in those days, nothing sacrificial in Clare Kendrys idea of life, no allegiance beyond her own immediate desire," (Larsen 32). First person narration is an effective technique of narration that provides the readers with extensive experiences ad feelings of the narrator. As such, the action in the plot remains limited to the thoughts and opinions of the narrator. The author adopts the technique in the novel as she strives to represent the feelings of Irene. Irene narrates the story based on her biases just as is always the case with humans. This implies that the author cannot recount the feelings, experiences and actions of the other characters in the novel since Irene does not have the ability to access such information. However, the first person narration technique in the novel is third person omniscient. Unlike as is the case in first person narration technique, the third person narration is an all-knowing narrator who sees the actions and feelings of all the characters in the novel. The author in the novel employs the first person narration technique in the novel but also infuses features that portray third person narration techniques. In some cases, Irene understands the feelings of her friends some of whom she had not seen for years. After developing a formidable background for her readers in the novel, the story resumes in the present with Irene living in Harlem and taking part in a local organization working to the Americans of African origin in the society. The nature of the plot strives to build the identity of the key character, Irene in the novel among other significant characters. Symbolism is an essential literary device the author uses with the view of developing the identity of the characters. Among the elements of symbolism in the novel that enhances the identity of the characters in the novel, include the letter she receives from the Clare Kendry. The innocent letter sparks emotions from the key character thus prompting the flashback as the author strives to provide adequate background for the plot. The letter introduces Clare into the plot thus developing the relationship between her and Irene. Through the flashback that follows thereafter, the author provides adequate details about the relationship and the origin of the two women (Tate 143). Nella Larsen strives to define identity in her novel as she addresses fundamental thematic issues, which include gender integrity and the conception of both racial and gender revolutionizing. The society is biased with racial discrimination intensifying as the whites continue to profile the African Americans. As such, the author uses appropriate symbolism coupled with equally appropriate characters. Most of the characters in the novel experience mental instability. The two lead female characters for example are of mixed races, this implies that the two, Irene and Clare must acquire their own identity a feature that validates the subsequent conflicts in the novel. Their separation son after the death of Clare’s father later makes them undergo different lifestyles and acquire divergent experiences. When the two meet later in life, their different experiences influence both their relationship and attempt to discover their real identity. Irene is an intelligent character this validates the choice of the author to tell the story through her experiences. Her intelligence validates her strategic placement in the novel as she validates the first person narration technique the author uses. However, her instability that arises from her mixed identity influence her experiences thus introducing aspects of third person narration technique as discussed earlier. In her narration, Irene skips some fundamental aspects of the story thereby purposely confusing the reader. The omission of such important parts of the novel creates confusion. An analysis of the story proves that the strategic omissions are attempts by the author to validate her portrayal of the characters as unstable thus intensify the search for the identity of the respective characters. Later in the novel, Irene suspects that her husband is having an affair with Clare. Her reactions are explosive as she pushes her friend out of a window thus resulting in her death. Ironically, Irene does not remember pushing her out of the window with the author thus ending the novel in an unstable mood with the death of Clare remaining unresolved. The novel for example does not provide the role that Irene plays in her friend’s death vividly thus raising speculations on the death of Clare. As explained earlier, the first person narration technique recounts the action in a story based on the relocation and feelings of the key character. Irene is of sound mind but deliberately omits her roles in the death of her friends a feature that embodies the culmination of their differences thus conflict. In retrospect, Nella Larsen is an experienced author who portrays professionalism in the novel as she uses numerous stylistic devices to address her empirical issues in the society. She uses simplistic English with equally simply grammar as a way of expanding the readership of the novel. The use of simple language in the novel portrays the author’s target audience. Additionally, the author enhances the readership of the novel by using vivid description. She describes the characters and the settings in the novel thus enhancing the conceptualization of the plot. Unlike films, the success of novel relies on the ability of the readers to create mental pictures. Nella Larsen achieves this using vivid description that enhance the conceptualization thus the creation of mental images. Besides the basic literary techniques in the novel, the author uses yet other equally vital literary elements that enhance the success of the plot. She strives to portray the importance of identity (Kennedy 14). She for example adopts the first person narration technique with the view of providing the readers with an adequate understanding of Irene the key character and an American woman of mixed ancestry. Through the characters and the numerous strategic literary devices, Nella Larsen succeeds in addressing the identity challenges women faced in the discriminative American society. Works cited Kennedy, Randall. “Racial Passing.” Ohio State Law Journal. 62.3 (2001): 1-28. Print. Larsen, Nella. Passing. New York: Knopf, 1929. Print. Tate, Claudia. “Nella Larsen’s Passing: A Problem of Interpretation.” Black American Literature Forum. 14.4 (Winter, 1980): 142 – 146. Print. Wall, Cheryl A. “Passing for what? Aspects of Identity in Nella Larsen’s Novels.” Black American Literature Forum. 20.1/2 (Spring-Summer, 1986): 97-111. Print. Read More