English Methodology- Reflective response on novel “Passing” and the Rhinelander case articles.

Both sources from this week use the Rhinelander case to make an argument about “Passing”. Describe how each source uses the case differently, and then find at least one newspaper article about the case to reflect on how you might enter this conversation if you were going to make a connection about Passing and the Rhinelander case. Is there anything left to say after reading these two sources?

Answer & Explanation

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Nella Larsen’s novel “Passing” is a complex exploration of racial identity and social class in 1920s America. The novel follows two childhood friends, both light-skinned Black women, who have chosen different paths in life. One of them, Irene, has married a successful Black doctor and has a stable family life in Harlem. The other, Clare, has “passed” as white and is married to a wealthy white man. The story delves into the psychological complexities of passing, exploring issues of identity, self-worth, and the cost of denying one’s heritage.

The Rhinelander case, which inspired Larsen’s novel, was a legal battle that took place in the 1920s between Leonard Kip Rhinelander, a wealthy white man, and Ali

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Step-by-step explanation

ce Jones, a working-class Black woman. The couple had gotten married in secret, and when Rhinelander discovered that his wife had “Negro blood,” he sought an annulment, claiming that he had been deceived. The case was widely publicized, and it highlighted the racial tensions and prejudices of the time.

Both the novel and the case shed light on the complex issues of racial identity and the ways in which race intersects with other social categories, such as class and gender. They highlight the ways in which society imposes strict categories and labels on individuals and the high cost of challenging those categories.

From a linguistic perspective, both the novel and the case highlight the power of language to create and reinforce social categories. The language used in the Rhinelander case, for example, reflects the racial prejudices of the time, with words like “Negro blood” being used to describe Alice Jones. The novel “Passing” also highlights the power of language, with the characters constantly negotiating and re-negotiating their identities through the language they use.

Overall, both the novel “Passing” and the Rhinelander case articles are important works that provide insight into the complex issues of racial identity and social class in 1920s America. They shed light on the power of language to create and reinforce social categories and highlight the high cost of challenging those categories.

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