RACIAL PASSING AND THE PERMANENCE OF RACISM: A CRITICAL RACE THEORY ANALYSIS OF BRIT BENNETT'S THE VANISHING HALF

Abstract

This study examines the representation of racial passing and the permanence of racism in Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half (2020) through the theoretical lens of Derrick Bell's Critical Race Theory (CRT). The study aims to explore how Bennett portrays racial passing not merely as an individual act of identity transformation but as a survival strategy shaped by systemic racism and white privilege. Employing a qualitative research methodology and close textual analysis, the research investigates the experiences of Stella and Desiree Vignes, whose contrasting life choices reveal the enduring influence of racial hierarchy in American society. The analysis demonstrates that Stella's decision to pass as White provides temporary social mobility but fails to dismantle the structural inequalities that necessitate racial passing in the first place. Conversely, Desiree's experiences expose the persistent discrimination faced by African Americans who openly embrace their racial identity. The findings further reveal that racism extends beyond individual prejudice to operate through institutions, social practices, and cultural norms that sustain white privilege across generations. Bennett's portrayal of family separation, identity conflict, and intergenerational trauma reinforces Bell's concept of the permanence of racism by illustrating that racial inequality continues to shape opportunities, relationships, and lived experiences despite the perception of social progress. The study contributes to contemporary literary criticism by extending the application of Critical Race Theory to Bennett's novel and demonstrating how contemporary African American fiction continues to expose the structural nature of racism in the United States.