Passing

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

 "Harlem" by Langston Hughes

• An iconic poem of the Harlem Renaissance, “Harlem” captures a lyricism that adapts the blues and jazz techniques of the Harlem Renaissance. “Harlem” explores the themes of Black life in Harlem in the late 1920s.
• connects to theme of Allegiance
• “Harlem” on SuperSummary

White Lies by A.J. Baime

• A.J. Baime’s biography of Walter White tells the story of a Black man who used his ability to pass as a white man to investigate lynching in the early 20th century. Walter White’s work with the NAACP to lobby Congress against lynching, his role as cultural salon enthusiast of the Harlem Renaissance, and his erasure from popular history is important to understanding The New Negro Movement.
• connects to themes of Passing and Allegiance

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

• Bennett’s 2020 novel about two sisters, one who passes for white and one who chooses to stay true to her Black identity, parallels Passing. Like Nella Larsen’s novel, The Vanishing Half explores the complex dynamics between women and how women navigate a world that tries to box them in.
• connects to themes of Passing, Isolation, and Allegiance.
• The Vanishing Half on SuperSummary

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

• Ellison’s 1952 novel is an excellent example of African American literature that was inspired by the work of Harlem Renaissance writers. Ellison’s style of writing is abstract but lyrical. The novel follows a Black man as he embarks on the Great Migration to New York City, where his anonymity is both a blessing and a curse. The more he tries to create a life for himself, the more society ignores or derides him, forcing him more and more into his invisibility.
• connects with themes of Isolation and Allegiance
• Invisible Man on SuperSummary

Other Student Resources

“Overlooked: Nella Larsen”

• an article in The New York Times about Nella Larsen’s life, work, and death (subscription may be required)

"The Day I Passed for White" by Kelly McWilliams

• Times Magazine article about a Black woman who experiments with passing as white

"Passing for White: A Literary History" by Darryl Pinckney

• a LitHub  article on Nella Larsen’s interiority and fascinating life

Teacher Resources

"The Novelist Nella Larsen's Life Between Worlds"

• a blog post analyzing the impact of Nella Larsen’s life and work

"On Female Friendship and Transgression in Nella Larsen's Passing"

• a podcast on Lit Century
• This episode focuses on Passing through a feminist lens.