On the surface, it appears that Nella Larsen's passage is about Irene Redfield's friend, Clare, who is black but has decided to pass as white. The entire story is explicitly centered around the idea that Clare is light-skinned enough that white people can't tell she's black, especially since they don't know her true background. To live among whites, Clare must never forcefully advocate for the rights or humanity of blacks, and must not be seen too much in public with blacks, lest her husband see her truth. However, I think Passing has an even deeper narrative. Chiara's case is an easy and obvious example of transition; she's using her looks and skin tone to enjoy the benefits that come with being white. But Irene is also passing, in a certain sense. Her wealth allows her to enjoy things that are stereotypically “white.” This would mean that Nella Larsen meant an example of this is when white, wealthy families of the early 1900s had black servants in their homes, physically present, but consistently treated like objects instead of people. Larsen sets up the same narrative in Passing. In the passages from pages 94 to 97 in which Zulena appears, her status within the Redfield household is made clear by the way she is treated by Brian and Irene. When he first enters the dining room, he brings grapefruit to the married couple, but both are unaware of his presence (94). She is subjected to similar treatment when she later brings them toast on page 97. In any case, she should have served them in complete silence. Not once is it mentioned that Brian or Irene looked in his direction. They also continued to converse in front of her as if she really wasn't there