Irene's Jealousy of Brian

In Nella Larson's novel, Passing, Irene and Claire share a peculiar relationship. Irene first notices Claire, and is taken aback by her beauty, unable to take her eyes off of her. After Irene realizes that she no longer wishes to associate with Claire she tries to cut her off, but Claire is persistent. Instead of standing her ground, Irene falls victim to Claire's personality. She can't seem to tell her no. Even when Irene suspects an affair between Claire and her husband Brian, she still bites her tongue. Irene allows Claire to do whatever she wants, and I believe that this is because Irene is obsessed with her. Even though Irene makes it clear that she does not love Brian, she still becomes consumed by the thought of a possible affair. I believe she puts up with this thought, because if she comes clean and admits her suspicions, then she loses Claire from her life. I believe that if Irene truly wanted to keep Brian away from Claire, then she would want to move to Brazil. But moving to Brazil meant that Claire would no longer be around, and no longer be able to feed her obsession.

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