The novel Passing by Nella Larsen intentionally leaves the cause of Clare Kendry's death ambiguous, making it unclear whether she was pushed, jumped, or fell accidentally.
The Ambiguous Circumstances of Clare's Demise
Clare Kendry's tragic end in Nella Larsen's Passing occurs when she falls or is pushed from a sixth-story window during a party. The narrative skillfully avoids providing a definitive answer regarding who, if anyone, was responsible for her death, leaving readers to grapple with several possibilities.
The final moments leading to Clare's death are fraught with tension and uncertainty. As her racist husband, John Bellew, confronts her and Irene Redfield, Clare's close friend, the scene escalates rapidly. Within this climactic moment, Clare goes over the edge of the window, leading to her death.
The novel presents multiple interpretations for what exactly transpired:
- A Push by Irene: One prominent theory suggests that Irene Redfield, driven by a complex mix of jealousy, anger, and perhaps a desire to protect her own life and secrets from being exposed by Clare's presence, might have pushed her. Irene's intense internal turmoil and her final, almost possessive grip on Clare's arm before the fall fuel this interpretation.
- An Intentional Jump: Another possibility is that Clare, facing exposure and the destruction of her carefully constructed life as a white woman, chose to jump. Her character often demonstrates a reckless disregard for consequences and a willingness to take risks.
- An Accidental Fall: It is also plausible that Clare simply lost her balance amidst the chaos and heightened emotion of the moment. The jostling crowd, the shock of Bellew's sudden appearance, and the overall frenzy could have led to an accidental stumble from the open window.
Nella Larsen masterfully employs this ambiguity to deepen the novel's themes of identity, race, desire, and the precariousness of "passing." By not definitively naming a killer, Larsen invites readers to reflect on the psychological complexities of the characters and the societal pressures that contribute to their fates. Clare's death serves as a powerful, unresolved climax that underscores the fragile nature of her existence and the destructive potential of the secrets she harbored.
