Desmond Tutu once said, “A person is a person through other people…. I am because others are." In essence, what Tutu is saying is that without other people influencing and influencing an individual, a person is truly nobody. It is the things others do and say, and how an individual reacts to those things, that build personality, depth, and character. In Nella Larsen's short story, Passing, the protagonist Irene Redfield embodies Tutu's quote. She lives a life where her children, husband, and the greater race guide her every move, and she abides by strict social rules to maintain harmony within her community. In contrast, her peer, Clare Kendry, upsets this balance by making decisions in a purely individualistic way, threatening Irene's concept of a society in which everyone belongs to and lives for their respective communities. Because Clare is the personification of everything Irene fears, Clare's life gives Irene an affirmation of her way of life, but it also threatens Irene's way of life by challenging the social constructs that give her security, comfort, predictability, and protection. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIrene and Clare have wildly different definitions of safety, which consequently threaten each other's safety. Irene's safety is dictated by other people: her husband, her children, and the larger black community; it is always part of a collective identity. After Irene and her husband Brian argue over their son, Irene expresses, “It was just that she wanted [Brian] to be happy…all the other plans, all the other ways, she considered them threats…to that safety of the place and substance that she insisted on for her children and to a lesser extent for herself.” The definitive and concluding tone of this quote shows the self-sacrifice that guides Irene in her life. Furthermore, the choice of the word “threat” to describe all the other projects that have nothing to do with the happiness of her husband and children, and the negative connotations of the word, show the high level with which Irene has dedicated her life to others place and substance” clearly defines for the reader what security is for Irene: happiness for her husband, her children, and doing whatever it takes to achieve this, even at the expense of her own happiness. On the other hand, security Clare's identity is dictated by her individual desires and her identity is not bound by that of anyone else. When she and Irene discuss their contrasting lifestyles, Clare explains: “'To get the things I really want, I would do anything, I would hurt someone, I would throw anything away. Really: 'René, I'm not safe'.” The brazenness of this quote and the ease with which Clare is able to articulate these emotions reveal her selfish and individualistic mindset. Furthermore, the use of all-encompassing words such as “anything” and “whoever” suggests Clare's extreme selfishness, as there is not a single person or thing she would not harm to get what she wants. Finally, the use of the phrase “unsafe” with respect to Chiara shows the mutual exclusivity between being selfish and being safe. Overall, their conflicting definitions of safety create conflict between the two, causing Irene to want to distance herself from Clare, but making Clare more motivated to reintegrate into the black community. As a result of their different definitions of safety, Clare and Irene are tied to each other; each of their lifestyles creates contrast with the other and reaffirms or destroys their beliefs in the rightness of their respective ways of life. Consequently, theTheir differences give them purpose: Irene needs to distance herself from Clare, while Clare wants to get closer to Irene. When Irene receives a letter from Clare, she reflects that “Clare Kendry didn't care about the race. She only belonged to him." The unquestioning and confident tone that Irene uses here demonstrates the strength and purpose that Irene draws from Clare's disrespect towards race. Irene wastes her thoughts and energy on Clare because it reminds her of her dedication to her race and allows her to isolate Clare from the group. The terseness and terseness of this quote indicates that Clare's betrayal of race gives Irene an excuse and an outlet to separate herself from those who do not commit their entire lives to their race. In addition to giving Irene someone and something to speak out against and separate from, Clare's lifestyle also reaffirms Irene's belief that her way of life is the right one. When Irene and Chiara are talking and Chiara begins to cry about the difficulties she is having, she says to Irene, “'How could you know? How could you? You are free. You are happy. And... safe." This clear, concise and powerful statement from Clare to Irene validates Irene's lifestyle. Words like “free,” “happy,” and “safe” are all things Irene aspires to be in life, so Clare's recognition of this serves to show Irene that it's worth it. Overall, Irene's ideas of safety and freedom are linked to Chiara because without her Irene would not have such a personal and direct experience with those who transition into the white world. As someone so entirely dedicated to her race and collective community, interacting with Clare gives Irene purpose and confidence in her way of life. However, as the story progresses, Clare's unfiltered honesty highlights the flaws in Irene's seemingly perfect life, forcing her to further isolate herself from Clare and the truth. Irene and Brian had many difficulties in their marriage throughout the story, but it was always something Irene swept under the rug to protect her children and the stability of her life. However, after developing suspicions that Clare and Brian are having an affair, he tries hard to suppress the painful memory. At a party at her house, she becomes distracted and pushes the thought out of her mind rather than confront it: “Downstairs, the tea ritual gave her some busy times, and that, she decided, was a blessing. He didn't want empty spaces in time where his mind would immediately return to that horror...". Here, Irene's ability to realize that her husband might be cheating on her but then completely distract herself with something as insignificant as spilling tea suggests an unerring ability to hide her feelings. Even though his marriage is in danger, he never fails to hide the painful truth and move on with his life. His coping mechanism is to repress and reject this truth and psychologically distance himself from anything that might threaten his safety. He demonstrates this further later in the scene, where he is finally able to really think about the situation instead of pushing it out of his mind: “It hurts. It hurt like hell. But it didn't matter if no one knew. If everything could continue as before. If the boys were safe." Here, he conveys a more introspective and analytical approach to this painful truth that Clare has emerged. He is able to recognize his own emotions and bring to light how he feels. However, the arc of his thought process that ends with the decision to once again suppress his feelings shows his inability to do anything that could threaten his life and safety. The solution to Irene's conundrum, which is to hide her feelings and continue to serve everyone except herself.