Passing | Teen Ink

Passing

September 15, 2011
By CourtneyJ GOLD, Columbia, South Carolina
CourtneyJ GOLD, Columbia, South Carolina
17 articles 11 photos 7 comments

Enticed by the devil
Vowed to be his
Buried my past
Birthed his kids

Fear gripping terror
Of generations curse
Will be sure to rat me out
And haul me to the hearse

So I wear the mask
Of porcelain white
Sleep with the enemy
Stay out of sight

From old friends and new ones
Who read between the lines
Shattering my facade
Shortening my time


The author's comments:
Basesd on the book Passing by Nella Larsen...

"Passing" by Nella Larsen was a very poignant and powerful read. It explores the concept of passing which is basically pretending to be someone you're not for your own personal, selfish gain. Ms. Larsen's achieves this through her two main characters, both African-American women, Irene and Clare.
Irene was born African-American, and she grows up to marry a successful African-American doctor. As a result, she chooses to stay within the African-American community, and she only "passes" when it's convenient for her, or at times when she is in a position to gain. On the other hand, Clare, who was also born African-American, chooses to disregard her African-American roots and live her life solely as a white woman. She embraces all that it has to offer...even her husband doesn't know she's black.

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