TY - JOUR TI - Male performance in Nella Larsen's Passing DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3G73BX7 PY - 2014 AB - Most scholars' critiques of Passing focus on Irene and Clare. However, I want to highlight their spouses, inasmuch as they symbolize the acceptance and/or rejection of societal norms, including but not limited to patriarchal ideas about manhood. The spouses shed light on the limitations placed on individuals, particularly African-American men in the early portion of the twentieth century, highlighted greatly by Brian’s desire to leave this country for a more “exotic” land. It is my objective to bring a critical eye to these two men and how each is performing maleness in their own way, particularly Brian and John as they complicate the defining attributes of the husband in a racist and heterosexist society. KW - Liberal Studies KW - Masculinity in literature KW - African American men in literature LA - eng ER -