The House Always Wins: How Cigarettes in Passing by Nella Larsen and Nevada by Imogen Binnie Represent Women’s Attempt to Explore Their Sexuality Through Patriarchy

Passing is a vehicle through which a marginalized individual attempts to transgress their oppressor by presenting as compliant within a dominant ideology. An example of this mode is when women present as heteronormative in order to explore their sexuality, thereby transgressing patriarchal expectations of women. This notion is represented through cigarettes in Passing by Nella Larsen, particularly when Irene and Clare are smoking together. There’s a social expectation for men to light women’s cigarettes, which implies that men must approve of women’s pleasure. Passing relies on this same appeal to social approval; if women are seen as heterosexual, then their relationships aren’t considered a threat to male interest, allowing them to act against patriarchy. While this enables women to explore their sexuality, it ultimately reaffirms the same system which prevents that exploration. Nevada by Imogen Binnie offers this same criticism of passing through Maria’s use of cigarettes. Smoking is perceived as a means to relieve stress, it’s a tool to accept one’s position and move forward. Passing operates the same way: one accepts a dominant ideology and choses to work within, but, like cigarettes, this state is temporary and harmful. While cigarettes in Passing act as a tool for women to explore and fulfil their sexuality within the confines of patriarchy, cigarettes in Nevada underline how that tool perpetuates the construction of patriarchy, and thus call for the need to build anew.