In this blog entry I would like to share what the book expressed to me in regards to the cause of Clares death at the end of the text. I feel that Irene pushed her out the window. She was so close to losing everything that she had and the only way to hold onto it was to get rid of the "competition" and the obstacle in her life. I think the last straw for Irene was when she saw Clare clinging onto Brains arm while walking up the stairs. This seems to be the last show of affection that Irene takes in as a hint of betrayal. This betrayal was on both sides of the spectrum. That is from her husband and her old friend. With Clare’s husband coming in and finding out that Clare was a black person, Irene had no other alternative. If he found out, with 100% certainty, that she was black, Clare would of moved out to Harlem and taken Brian away. This was that last thought in Irene’s head that lead her to push Clare out the window.
The moments after where she was just waiting while everyone was going downstairs show the nature of this act. She was spellbound with what she had just done and becomes paralyzed. These are my thoughts on this incident.
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6 comments:
I never looked at Clares death the way that you have in your blog. However, you may be on to something. I tried to give Irene the benefit of the doubt, and assume Clare's death was just an accident; a fall. The points that you make are intriguing, and forcing me to think differently about the ending.
I agree with you about the situation I think that clare was pushed by Irene. Irene had alot to lose if Clare took brian. So to avoid clare taking her husband Irene pushed her out the window. She was jealous of clares life but valued her own way of life and dint want Clare to take it all away. I think that the last straw for irene was when she saw clare and brian together. So i totally agree with you about the incident.
Shawn,
You bring up many interesting concepts in your blog! I never even thought about if Clare's husband found out that she was black she would have to move to Harlem. Then she would be with Brian. I too felt that Irene pushed Clare. You have confirmed my choice.
I also believe that Irene pushed Clare out the window. I thought it was her only way to have some kind of control in her life. She was African American, which was not accepted in society and had to live by the stands of an "African American" when she wasn't passing. She did not have much control in her relationship and the thought that a women was having an affair with her huband was an awful thought. In order to save her marriage, I think she believed it was the only way to stop the affair and get Clare out of her and her husband lifes.
I think you make some good points. I personally feel that Clare might have jumped but even I wonder why Irene acted that way she did after Clare's death.
I think most of us feel that Clare was pushed out of the window by Irene. For a while when I was reading I was thinking maybe Clare's husband, but he wasn't even near her. It had to be Irene. You don't just fall out of a window. I think Irene figured it was her perfect chance to get rid of her because everyone would suspect that she just fell or that it was her husband. Either way I love the way the author left the end of the novel open for us to decide how we thought it ended or how we wanted it to end. In the beginning of the book I liked Irene and I didn't like Clare, and by the end of the book I didn't like either one of them. I think both Irene and Clare have some major issues they need to deal with.
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