Justice In Stanley Milgram's Passing

In July 1961, Stanley Milgram sought out an explanation for how so many Nazis could be complicit in the atrocities of the Holocaust. He began one of the most infamous studies of all time, “The Milgram Experiment,” in which participants were instructed to progressively increase the voltage of an electric shock delivered to a man sitting in another room. Even though the participants were unaware the resulting cries of pain were pre-recorded, under the instruction of the authority figure leading the experiment, over sixty-five percent willingly increased the voltage until the man fell disturbingly silent. While Milgram sought out to prove that Germans were inherently prone to violence, he instead uncovered one of the most disturbing truths of …show more content…
To demonstrate, in Passing, when Irene considers how Clare talked her into coming along to the N.W.L. dance, she considers that “Clare, it seemed, still retained her ability to secure the thing that she wanted in the face of any opposition, and in utter disregard of the convenience and desire of others. About her there was some quality, hard and persistent, with the strength and endurance of rock, that would not be beaten or ignored” (Larsen 73). The quality she describes with the characteristics of rock figuratively represents Clare’s undeniable influence on those around her. Clare tends to operate independently of social norms and boundaries, which irks others. Specifically, in the context of passing, Clare defies the established guidelines at the time that suggest “white is white” and “black is black,” by seeking out the gray in between. Her ambiguous nature contributes to the uproar that occurs when Bellew finds out about her true identity, because it is a violent displacement of all that he believed before. She also forces the people she interacts with to reorient their beliefs towards other entrenched social norms, such as racism, because Clare redefines such racial boundaries. Independently, the comparison of her noncompliance with “rock” suggests that the attribute is fundamental to her character and personality. Rock is hard and tough, and can only be carved with something equally raw and brutal – such as death. The violent nature of her death literally and symbolically destroys her previously indestructible ability to overcome “any opposition” and cause others to question their assumptions, which comes as a relief to those involved. In addition, when preparing to leave for the Negro Welfare League dance, Irene notes that “Clare, exquisite, golden, fragrant,

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