Passing: Part 3, Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

The next day, Irene eats breakfast with Brian in near silence. Then she watches the snow falling out the window until Zulena tells Irene that Clare is on the phone and wants to speak with her. Irene asks Zulena to take a message, and continues to stare out the window. She wonders if John has confronted Clare about running into Irene on the street, and if Clare is calling to tell her about it. When Zulena comes back, she tells Irene that Clare called to tell her she will be going with Irene and Brian to the Freelands’ house that night. Irene thanks Zulena for the information.

After a slow day, Brian, Irene, and their children eat dinner together. Brian tells Irene about a lynching he read about in the newspaper. Ted asks why only black people are lynched, and Brian says it is because the people lynching them hate black people. Irene exclaims “Brian!”, imploring him to not say such things in front of the children.

Brian ignores her, however, and when Ted asks why they hate black people, Brian explains that they are afraid of them. Irene tries to cut Brian off, and Brian tells Ted that he will tell him about it some other time, when Irene is not there. Ted says they can talk about it on the way to school, and Brian agrees. Irene says “Brian!” again, and Junior points out that that is the third time she has done so.

Once the boys have gone back upstairs, Irene tells Brian that she wishes he would not talk about lynching in front of Ted and Junior, at least not until they are older. Brian vehemently disagrees that they should wait to address such things. He says that since they have to live in the United States, the boys should know what kinds of dangers they will face as black men. Irene disagrees, wanting them to have happy childhoods free of racial prejudice.

Brian, however, thinks this is impossible. He reminds Irene of how they tried to keep their children from learning the word “nigger,” and then the children learned it anyway when someone called Junior “a dirty nigger.” Irene continues to insist that they not discuss racism in the house, and Brian continues to insist that they must. Brian calls Irene’s view “stupid.”

Irene asks rhetorically if it is stupid to want her children to be happy. Brian asserts that it is stupid if being happy will impede the children from preparing properly for the life ahead of them. He reminds Irene that they would not have the same future to prepare for if the family had moved to Brazil together like Brian had wanted to. Brian tells Irene “don’t expect me to give up everything.” Irene is silent, and Brian leaves the room.

Irene sits shivering alone in the dining room, wondering what Brian meant when he said “don’t expect me to give up everything.” She thinks he might have meant Clare. She tries to talk herself down from this idea. Irene remembers that Clare will soon be at the house, and that she must start getting ready. Irene rises from her chair and goes upstairs to dress. As she gets ready, she wonders again why she did not tell Brian about running into John, and the narrator notes that she will not admit to herself the real reason.

Clare arrives at the house, looking beautiful, while Irene is still getting dressed. Clare kisses Irene on the shoulder and Irene shrinks away from her touch. Clare tells Irene that John is unexpectedly in Philadelphia, which is why she ended up being able to come to the party at Felise’s. Irene expresses concern that Philadelphia is not too far away. She thinks about telling Clare that she ran into John on the street but does not. Clare laughs and says Philadelphia is far enough for her.

Irene, feeling guilty, covers her eyes with her hand so she does not have to look at herself in the mirror. She then asks Clare if she has thought about what it would mean for her if John ever found out the truth. Clare says “yes,” and smiles. Clare’s response fills Irene with dread, and she asks her to say more. Clare, slouched in her chair, responds that she would move to Harlem to live. Irene asks what she would do about Margery, and Clare responds that if it weren’t for Margery, she would have left John already. Clare then asks Irene if John divorcing her “lets [her] out.” Irene, still paranoid about the possibility that Clare is having an affair with Brian, reads Clare’s words as a veiled threat.

Irene is determined not to reveal her thoughts and worries to Clare. She tells Clare to go downstairs and talk to Brian. As Clare gets up and goes downstairs, Irene realizes that it is a good thing to send Clare downstairs, since she will not bother her. Anyway, Irene thinks, it does not make a difference if Clare and Brian spend more time together, considering everything that Irene is convinced has already happened between them.

At this point, Irene acknowledges that she is completely certain that Clare and Brian are having an affair, and that she is beyond trying to convince herself otherwise. Irene realizes that now that she is totally convinced, she is no more upset than she was before. Irene wonders if it is because she has already endured so much fear and humiliation, but decides that is not it. Irene thinks about the word “security,” and wonders if she can only obtain it by giving up love and happiness. Irene cannot answer these questions, but knows that, to her, security is the most important thing.

Irene feels relieved to have realized this, and returns to plotting how she can achieve that security and ensure that Brian will stay with her and that they will not move to Brazil. Irene thinks both she and Brian belong in America, and that Brian’s duty is to her and their sons. Irene wonders if Brian is anything more to her than the roles he fulfills in her life as her husband and the father of her children.

Regardless, though, Irene is resolved that she will make sure Brian stays with her, despite the fact that she now wholeheartedly believes Brian and Clare are having an affair. Irene thinks it is better to share him and close her eyes than lose him completely. Irene realizes that she has withheld the fact that she ran into John for fear that Clare would leave John and then “anything might happen.” Irene pauses her dressing routine, thinking of the day when Clare told her she would stop at nothing to get what she wants, and thinks that Clare will give up anything (money, Margery) to get Brian. Irene decides she must not tell Clare or Brian about meeting John, and will do whatever it takes to keep John from discovering the truth about Clare.

After a page break, Brian, Clare, and Irene are arriving at the party at the Freelands’. Brian asks Clare if she has ever been up to the sixth floor of a building, and Clare says of course—she and John live on the seventeenth. Brian asks if she has ever walked up. Clare laughs and tells him to ask Irene, who knows that as a child Clare used to walk up the stairs to her apartment.

Clare asks why Felise lives on the sixth floor, and Irene responds that Felise says it discourages visitors. They discuss Felise’s choice and the apartment’s garden as they walk through the grounds to the building. Irene believes she feels chemistry between Clare and Brian. Irene and Clare each hold onto one of Brian’s arms. Irene points out the entrance, and Brian jokes that Clare should be careful not to get tired on the fourth floor, because no one will carry her up the last two flights. Irene snaps “don’t be silly!”

The narrative resumes once the party is in full swing, describing how Dave and Felise are excellent hosts, Brian is witty (even biting, according to Irene), and Ralph Hazelton is an excellent conversationalist. Irene, however, is not happy. Someone asks Irene what the matter is, and jokingly inquires if she has taken a vow not to laugh. Irene responds that she is stunned by everyone else’s excellent conversation. Dave Freeland offers her a drink, and Irene asks for a ginger ale and scotch.

Irene asks if she can open a window, because the room is hot. She does so. Outside the snow has stopped and night has fallen. Irene throws her cigarette out the window and watches it fall. Someone turns on music, and Irene thinks it is too noisy. Dave approaches Irene with her drink, and warns her not to stand by the window or she will catch a cold. He takes her arm and leads her across the room, where they take seats.

The doorbell rings, and Felise answers it. Irene then hears John Bellew’s voice, and Felise responds that John’s wife is not there. John yells that she is there, and that he knows she is with the Redfields. He tells Felise to stand out of the way. Brian says that he is Redfield, and asks what is wrong with John. John enters the room and walks toward Clare. Clare, meanwhile, backs away from him. John calls Clare a “nigger.” At the sound of the slur, the men in the room jump up, and Felise warns John that he is the only white man in the room.

Clare stands by the window, surprisingly composed and smiling slightly. Her smile infuriates Irene, who runs across the room and touches Clare’s arm. She desperately thinks that Clare cannot be free of John. John meanwhile, is speechless. The next thing Irene knows, Clare is gone, and, later, Irene does not allow herself to remember what happened. John gasps and calls out for Clare, calling her “Nig.”

Everyone except Irene rushes downstairs. Irene sits down and processes the fact that Clare has fallen out the window. Irene is shocked, and wonders if the others think Clare has fallen, or committed suicide, or that Irene has pushed her. Irene does not even know whether she did push Clare or not. She mutters to herself that it was a terrible accident. People are coming back up the stairs, and Irene shuts herself in the bedroom.

Irene wonders if she should have stayed so long upstairs, or if she should rejoin the others. She wonders what questions they will ask her. Irene feels cold. She listens to the voices outside. Irene then wonders if she should put on her coat. Irene gathers Brian’s coat and opens the bedroom door. She finds the apartment empty and goes downstairs.

Irene wonders what she will say once she gets to the bottom, and worries she will look suspicious because she did not go downstairs with the rest of them. Irene panics when she thinks that it is possible that Clare might not be dead, and feels sick at the idea that her beautiful body might be permanently injured. Finally, Irene arrives at the bottom of the steps, where all the other partygoers are gathered in a circle. Irene braces herself emotionally.

Dave announces that Irene is there, and says that they had all concluded that she had fainted. Felise leans on Dave, looking sick. Irene walks to Brian, who looks deeply upset. Irene asks if Clare is dead, not managing to completely get the words out, and Felise responds that Clare’s death seems to have been instant. Irene starts to sob, feeling “thankfulness,” and Brian tries to comfort her. Ralph Hazelton comments that Clare must have fainted. Brian repeats, “it’s impossible!” Dave ask Irene what she saw, since she was right next to Clare when she fell.

An official (perhaps a police man) asks Irene if she is sure Clare fell, or if it is possible that John pushed her. Irene notices that Bellew is absent from the scene. Irene insists that John did not push her and she is sure that Clare fell. Irene begins to moan, and then faints. When she comes to, she hears a man’s voice saying that Clare died a “death of misadventure,” and telling the group that they should go have a look at the window.