Lauren Dunn
Scholarly Article: Passing
“Passing” is a term that would not take on the same meaning today, as it does in post-slavery period of African American Literature. When reading novels from this time period based on this phenomenon, readers experience the endangerment and consequences for blacks that partake in such an action as passing. Nella Larsen’s famous, Passing, gives readers a good introduction and interpretation of the meaning of this term in African American literature.
Skin, Race and Space by Steve Pile, focuses on the meaning of passing in the slavery and post slavery time period. Passing was most often associated with black people passing as white due to their very light skin color. In this article, passing is considered to be crossing a color line boundary. Passing is primarily a racial experience: to pass oneself off as belonging to another race; to be suspicious of the race of those around you; to escape racial oppression by crossing the race line (Pile2).
In order for black people to pass, there must be segregated space for them to pass into. Passing was known as a special practice. Pile states that passing is crossing a line marked by space. The motivation that lies behind passing is most often to escape racial discrimination and to exercise the rights and privileges of the white people.
Pile is a critic of Nella Larsen’s, Passing, in this article. He believes that this novel is not just about passing, but also about celebrating “blackness” as well. From Larsen’s novel, Pile constructs the idea that skin potentially shapes the world. People are recognized by their skin, which then determines their race. Pile believes that race is socially constructed.
Pile also considers passing as revolving around the idea of fooling the “body guards”, which in this case, means the fooling the white people. To fool someone of their identity is to call in the question of the nature of identity. The fooling aspect of passing gives this phenomenon a transgressive and political edge. Piles states that, “Thus, the practice of passing is politically ambiguous: both fixing and transgressive of identity and space” (Pile 2).
Another article by Mark Golub, gives readers an example of an African American who could have “passed” if not told otherwise. Plessy V. Ferguson is a famous court case that is still be taught about today. In this case, Homer Plessy was arrested for violating the Louisiana separate Car Act. This case involved the Jim Crow segregation laws. This case is famous for the doctrine of “separate but equal”.
Homer Plessy's one eight of African blood was the cause for this case. Just to look at him, Plessy appeared to be a white man. It was said that his percent of African American in him was not discernible. Plessy was no darker than the trial court judge in his case (Golub). If Plessy had not informed the conductor on the train that he was black, he would not have been questioned or arrested. In other words, Plessy could pass for white, which is one reason he was chosen to bring the test case, which had been arranged by prominent leaders from New Orleans’ Creole community as part of a planned challenge to the constitutionality of the act (Golub).
Passing is an intriguing phenomenon of African American history. The risk taken by these people to experience the freedom of the whites says something about the way of life for the blacks. The two articles by Pile and Golub have given more insight to this idea of “passing” and explained just what that terms means to African Americans.
Work Cited
Pile, Steve. "Skin, Race And Space: The Clash Of Bodily Schemas In Frantz Fanon’S Black Skins, White Masks And Nella Larsen’S Passing." Cultural Geographies 18.1 (2011): 25-41. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 June 2013.
Golub, Mark. "Plessy As “Passing”: Judicial Responses To Ambiguously Raced Bodies In Plessy V. Ferguson." Law & Society Review 39.3 (2005): 563-600. Academic Search Premiere. Web. 15 June 2013.
Scholarly Article: Passing
“Passing” is a term that would not take on the same meaning today, as it does in post-slavery period of African American Literature. When reading novels from this time period based on this phenomenon, readers experience the endangerment and consequences for blacks that partake in such an action as passing. Nella Larsen’s famous, Passing, gives readers a good introduction and interpretation of the meaning of this term in African American literature.
Skin, Race and Space by Steve Pile, focuses on the meaning of passing in the slavery and post slavery time period. Passing was most often associated with black people passing as white due to their very light skin color. In this article, passing is considered to be crossing a color line boundary. Passing is primarily a racial experience: to pass oneself off as belonging to another race; to be suspicious of the race of those around you; to escape racial oppression by crossing the race line (Pile2).
In order for black people to pass, there must be segregated space for them to pass into. Passing was known as a special practice. Pile states that passing is crossing a line marked by space. The motivation that lies behind passing is most often to escape racial discrimination and to exercise the rights and privileges of the white people.
Pile is a critic of Nella Larsen’s, Passing, in this article. He believes that this novel is not just about passing, but also about celebrating “blackness” as well. From Larsen’s novel, Pile constructs the idea that skin potentially shapes the world. People are recognized by their skin, which then determines their race. Pile believes that race is socially constructed.
Pile also considers passing as revolving around the idea of fooling the “body guards”, which in this case, means the fooling the white people. To fool someone of their identity is to call in the question of the nature of identity. The fooling aspect of passing gives this phenomenon a transgressive and political edge. Piles states that, “Thus, the practice of passing is politically ambiguous: both fixing and transgressive of identity and space” (Pile 2).
Another article by Mark Golub, gives readers an example of an African American who could have “passed” if not told otherwise. Plessy V. Ferguson is a famous court case that is still be taught about today. In this case, Homer Plessy was arrested for violating the Louisiana separate Car Act. This case involved the Jim Crow segregation laws. This case is famous for the doctrine of “separate but equal”.
Homer Plessy's one eight of African blood was the cause for this case. Just to look at him, Plessy appeared to be a white man. It was said that his percent of African American in him was not discernible. Plessy was no darker than the trial court judge in his case (Golub). If Plessy had not informed the conductor on the train that he was black, he would not have been questioned or arrested. In other words, Plessy could pass for white, which is one reason he was chosen to bring the test case, which had been arranged by prominent leaders from New Orleans’ Creole community as part of a planned challenge to the constitutionality of the act (Golub).
Passing is an intriguing phenomenon of African American history. The risk taken by these people to experience the freedom of the whites says something about the way of life for the blacks. The two articles by Pile and Golub have given more insight to this idea of “passing” and explained just what that terms means to African Americans.
Work Cited
Pile, Steve. "Skin, Race And Space: The Clash Of Bodily Schemas In Frantz Fanon’S Black Skins, White Masks And Nella Larsen’S Passing." Cultural Geographies 18.1 (2011): 25-41. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 June 2013.
Golub, Mark. "Plessy As “Passing”: Judicial Responses To Ambiguously Raced Bodies In Plessy V. Ferguson." Law & Society Review 39.3 (2005): 563-600. Academic Search Premiere. Web. 15 June 2013.