The Big Mystery Remains: Who Is Responsible For Clare's Death in Passing?

Published on 10/29/2021 at 3:15 PM

Nella Larsen's 1929 novel Passing has finally made its way onto the big screen, and we're still scratching our heads over that ending. Who kills Clare (Ruth Negga)? That's the question on everyone's lips after Clare falls to her death in the final moments of the film. Does Clare's husband, John (Alexander Skarsgard), push her out of the window? Or is it Irene (Tessa Thompson)? Both Irene and John have motive to kill Clare, a Black woman who has been living her life "passing" as a white woman, but do they actually do it? Perhaps it is neither of them and Clare is actually responsible for her own death? We have so many questions. Unfortunately, Clare's death is also left a mystery in the book, so all we can do is theorize about whodunnit.

Passing is out in select theaters now and will be available to stream on Netflix on Nov. 10.

Does John Kill Clare?

John seems like the obvious choice, given that he is furious with Clare for deceiving him into believing that she is white throughout their entire time together. After discovering the truth, he sets out to confront her at the party that she and Irene are at. John is fuming as he demands to see Clare and storms inside the home. "You liar!" he shouts out at Clare, who's standing near the window Irene opened earlier. He then calls her a "dirty liar" and runs toward Clare, who falls out of the window, though it's unclear if he actually pushes her or not.

Visibly shaken up, John runs out of the apartment, and he's later seen sitting in the snow near Clare's dead body. When the cops question Irene about what happened, one of the policemen says Dr. Redfield told them John shoved Clare, but Irene tells him that she's "quite sure she just fell before anyone could stop her."

Does Irene Kill Clare?

Another possibility is that Irene may be responsible for Clare's death. She seems to be growing quite jealous of how friendly Clare has gotten with her husband, and she is clearly the most shaken up by Clare's death. During John and Clare's confrontation by the window, Irene is shown putting her arm across Clare when he runs toward her, though it's not clear if she is simply protecting her or if Irene actually pushes Clare toward her death. It's also worth noting that when everyone makes their way downstairs to check up on Clare, Irene is the last one to head down, and she immediately loses it when police begin questioning her.

Does Clare Die by Suicide?

However, it's also very possible that neither John nor Irene pushes Clare and that she jumps out of the window herself since everyone has already discovered the truth about her "passing" as white. Perhaps she doesn't want to face reality and feels her life is over? When police are questioning the people downstairs, most of them keep saying that "she just tumbled over and was gone."

So, does this mean Clare is responsible for her own death? We'll let you decide.