Passing for Power: A Literary Look at Passing as a Means of Determining Identity and Claiming Agency
Date of Award
4-20-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
English, MA
First Advisor
Janell Collins
Committee Members
Deborah Chappel Traylor; Michael Spikes
Call Number
LD 251 .A566t 2016 M25
Abstract
Historically, passing has been associated with race, such as when a black man or woman with light-colored skin would assume a white identity for a specific purpose. In early incarnations, passing was generally temporary and was used as an escape from the degradations of slavery or the economic and legal restrictions under Jim Crow laws. In Pudd’nhead Wilson, Twain uses Tom Driscoll’s passing to illustrate identity formation and the illogic of using legal definitions to determine race. In Absalom, Absalom!, Faulkner uses the Bon family’s experiences to explore society’s influence on each one’s experience with passing. Finally, in Passing, Larsen uses Clare Kendry’s passing to illustrate how her actions force Irene Redfield to define her own racial identity and the consequences of ignoring that identity. These novels illustrate how various characters use passing to form a personal identity and to seek agency and control.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Mason, Jeanna Leah, "Passing for Power: A Literary Look at Passing as a Means of Determining Identity and Claiming Agency" (2016). Student Theses and Dissertations. 634.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/634
