Part 2: Re-Encounter

Notes:
An important event that takes place in this novel, as well as historically, is the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was the explosion of both artistic and social thought by intellectuals and artists living in Harlem from the late 1910s through the 1930s, although it continued to make an impact much, much later. The Harlem Renaissance affected African-American culture throughout the United States, but particularly throughout the urban North. Although many influential artists and intellectuals were involved, some of the most well-known are: W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, Zora Neale Hurston, Eugene O'Neil, Paul Robeson, Countee Cullen, and Arna Bontemps. It is against this backdrop that the New York part of this story takes place. Irene and Hugh Wentworth are good examples of individuals who were invested in this culture. Because of the progressive racial views this community held, someone like Clare could easily attend functions without having to explain her race: black and whites socialized with one another. Irene and Brian engage in a conversation about race theory on pages 55 and 56, which is probably something other people in Harlem were also discussing in this period. They comment that even though they reject the notion of 'œpassing,' they feel the need to protect those who do it, as an instinct of racial survival. Brian half jokes that the white man has the same instinct for racial survival, which is why he leaves bastard children all over the place.

Another issue tied to period in this novel is the use of the term 'œNegro.' At the time, Negro was the most widely-accepted term for describing someone of African descent. 'œNigger,' was then, as now, clearly a degrading, insulting term'which is why Larsen has the ignorant and repulsive John Bellew use it. In the 1960s and 1970s 'œAfro-American' became the preferred term and today it is 'œAfrican American' or 'œblack.'

This section of the book raises the issue of gender. While it is clear that the Harlem community is much more progressive than the rest of the nation (primarily in the mixing of different races), it seems to be less progressive concerning gender. Irene repeatedly considers Brian 'œsuperior' to white men. However, she constantly defers to him and he constantly mocks her. While progressive women certainly existed in this community (consider all the female artists in the Harlem Renaissance!), men still held the balance of power in most marriages. The other important thing we learn about Brian in this chapter is that his experience as an African American in the United States has been different than Irene's experience. Probably because Brian is a man and competing in the market place for work and housing in a way Irene is not, but also because of his much darker skin, he has really felt the effects of racism. It seems that Irene really cannot understand Brian's desire to move to another country because she has not had as much difficulty with racism.

Finally, note the tense switch in Chapters 3 and 4 of this section from present to past. This switch is meant to convey a sense of time passing. By the time we get to the third and final section, Clare is deeply enmeshed in Irene's life.