Passing Summary

Irene Redfield, a light-skinned African American woman, often uses her physical appearance to pass as a white woman in public spaces, especially when it suits her needs. Originally from Chicago, she now resides in Harlem with her spouse, Brian, a successful doctor who however yearns for a life in a less racially charged environment, and their two sons. Despite her husband's desires, Irene insists on making New York their home.

During a visit back to Chicago, Irene runs into Clare, an old friend from her childhood. Clare is the opposite of Irene—self-absorbed, dramatic, and impulsive, she is even lighter-skinned than Irene, and has kept her racial identity a secret from her white husband, John Bellew. The couple and their daughter divide their time between Europe and the US, determined by Bellew’s international banking career. Irene is simultaneously intrigued and repelled by Clare but grudgingly accepts an invitation to visit her at their hotel. The encounter reveals Bellew's deeply racist views, unbeknownst to him he expresses them in front of three light-skinned black women, including his wife.

Fast forward two years, Clare and her family have moved to New York and she resumes contact with Irene. Unable to assert herself and maintain distance, Irene allows Clare back into her life and even into her social circle. A charity event brings Clare's secret dangerously close to being exposed when Bellew accidentally meets Irene and a darker-skinned friend. Irene begins to suspect that Clare and Brian might be having an affair, increasing her anxiety as the Bellews' imminent return to Europe could leave Clare free to pursue Brian. However, an unexpected turn of events removes the threat Clare poses to Irene's family. At a party in the Redfields' apartment, Clare falls out of an open window after a confrontation with Bellew. It remains uncertain whether Clare's fall was accidental, intentional, or if she was pushed by Irene, who was seen approaching angrily and touching Clare's arm just before the fall.