Passing

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of Clare is in these three ideas of race, sexuality, and class, making Irene despise someone who she obviously also loves.
Irene’s desire for Clare is revealed throughout the book, especially in the beginning when she is at the Drayton Hotel. She sees “an attractive-looking young woman…with those dark, almost black, eyes and that wide mouth like a scarlet flower against the ivory of her skin.” (p. 14) She is taken aback by Clare’s beauty, not fully understanding why she is so infatuated with the woman. Irene can’t help but obsess over her beauty, “the eyes that were magnificent! Dark, sometimes absolutely black, always luminous, and set in long, black lashes. Arresting eyes, slow and mesmeric, and with, for all their warmth, something withdrawn and secret about them.” (p. 29) However much Irene is attracted to Clare, she is somewhat disgusted by her confidence. She sees Clare’s “odd sort of smile…a shade too provocative for a waiter.” (p. 15) Irene, being more restrained in ...

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